The Elect: the elect are those whom God has chosen to receive the efficacious grace that ensures they do not reject Him or fall away
The Church teaches that election is a divine act by which God, by His gratuitous grace, brings certain persons to faith and guarantees their perseverance.
The Church teaches that God’s will of salvation is universal, while the effectual grace that guarantees final perseverance is known only to God. Because we cannot know who the elect are, we are called to treat every person as a genuine candidate for salvation.
Both Augustine and Thomas Aquinas articulate this view, though they use different terminology.
Both fathers stress that the elect are those who receive effectual grace, but that only God knows who they are (CCC 827, “the elect are known only to God”).
Christian’s responsibility is to treat every human being as a true candidate for God’s mercy, proclaim the Gospel, and pray for the salvation of all.
1. Augustine on the elect and their perseverance
- Election precedes belief – Augustine repeatedly stresses that God chooses people “not because they have believed, but in order that they may believe” (cf. Doc 3, §34; Doc 4, §38).
- The elect are called, justified, and glorified – The same passage links election with the subsequent steps of salvation: “whom He predestinated, He also called; … whom He called, He also justified; … whom He justified, He also glorified”4.
- None of the elect perishes – In On Rebuke and Grace Augustine affirms that those predestined “cannot perish, because all are elected”7.
- Grace, not merit, is the basis of election – He declares that election is “of grace, not of any precedent merits of theirs”8.
Result: For Augustine, the elect are precisely those whom God has predestined so that they will come to faith and will not fall away; their salvation is assured by the very grace that elects them.
2. Aquinas on predestination, sufficient versus efficacious grace
- Predestination as part of divine providence – In the Summa Contra Gentiles Aquinas explains that God “predestines” some to be guided to the last end “by the aid of grace” while others, lacking that aid, fall away9.
- Grace precedes merit – He notes that the grace of predestination “is not preceded by any merits, but precedes all merit” (Summa Theologiae, I‑Q23‑A4)11.
- Election implies a particular good – Aquinas argues that while God’s general goodness is communicated to all, the particular good of grace and glory is given only to those elected11.
- Sufficient for all, efficacious for the elect – Contemporary summaries of Aquinas’ teaching record the formula that Christ’s death “is sufficient for all, but efficient (effectual) for the elect” (see the web‑based sources 90‑99).
Result: Aquinas holds that God’s universal provision of the atonement is sufficient for every human being, but the efficacious (saving) grace is granted only to the elect, guaranteeing their perseverance.
3. Catholic synthesis
Aspect
Augustine
Aquinas
Catholic teaching
Who are the elect?
Those predestined before the world so that they may believe and be saved.
Those whom God, from eternity, has ordained to receive efficacious grace.
The elect are those who receive gratia efficax(effectual grace) that moves the will toward and sustains faith (CCC 200 §2).
Guarantee of perseverance?
Yes – “none of the elect perishes.”
Yes – predestination includes the grace that secures the final end.
The Church teaches that those truly baptized and sustained by grace cannot lose the gift of salvation (cf. CCC 1033).
Relation to the universal atonement?
Not explicitly addressed, but election is a special act of grace.
Christ’s death is sufficientfor all, but efficient only for the elect.
Christ died “for all men” (John 3:16) and “wishes all to be saved” (1 Tim 2:4), yet the saving effect operates through the grace given to the elect.
Thus, both Augustine and Aquinas affirm that the elect are those whom God has chosen to receive the efficacious grace that ensures they do not reject Him or fall away. The atonement is sufficient for every person, but it becomes effective only for those who are elected and receive that special grace. This aligns with the Church’s doctrine of sufficient universal redemption coupled with particular, effectual grace.
[4] Summa Contra Gentiles Book III. Chap. 164
[5] Summa Theologiae I, Q. 23, A. 4
~~~~
The Church teaches that the identity of the elect is a divine mystery.
- God alone knows who has received the effectual grace that guarantees perseverance– the Catechism states that “God has chosen some people to be saved, but this election is not based on any merit they possess” and that “the elect are those who receive the effectual grace that moves the will to faith” (CCC 200; CCC 827)1.
- Augustine repeatedly affirms that the elect are predestined “in order that they may believe” and that “none of the elect perishes,” but he never claims that human beings can discern who those persons are (cf. Doc 3 §34; Doc 7).
- Thomas Aquinas likewise teaches that the particular good of grace and glory is given only to those elected, yet he insists that this election “is not preceded by any merits, but precedes all merit” and that it remains “a matter of God’s gratuitous love, not of human knowledge” (Summa Theologiae I‑Q23‑A4).
Because the elect are known only to God, the faithful are called to assume that all persons are invited to salvation and to respond to God’s universal salvific will (CCC 199 §2). The Church therefore urges every Christian to pray for all, to evangelize, and to live a life of faith, hope, and charity, trusting that God’s grace will operate where He has freely given it, while remaining humble about the exact scope of that elect grace.
~~~~~
The Church’s teaching can be summed up in three points:
- God’s universal invitation – The Catechism declares that “God, who is love, wills that all men be saved” (CCC 199 §2) and that “the grace of Christ is offered to all men” (CCC 152). Every person is therefore genuinely invited to share in the salvific plan of God, and the faithful are obliged to respond with prayer, evangelisation, and charitable action (CCC 769; CCC 842).
- Election is a private, gratuitous act of God – Augustine and Aquinas describe the elect as those whom God, by efficacious (effectual) grace, has predestined “in order that they may believe” (cf. Augustine, On Predestination of the Saints, Book I, ch. 34) and “who receive the particular good of grace and glory” (Aquinas, Summa Theologiae I‑Q23‑A4). This election is not based on any merit and is known only to God(CCC 827; Catholic Encyclopedia on predestination). Consequently, we cannot identify the elect, nor can we presume that anyone is excluded from salvation apart from God’s hidden judgment.
- Salvation remains possible for every human being – While the elect are guaranteed to be saved because they receive the effectual grace that secures perseverance, the Church does notteach that only the elect will be saved. The universal sufficiency of Christ’s atonement means that anyone who freely cooperates with God’s grace—through faith, the sacraments, and a life of love—can be saved (CCC 200 §2; Augustine, On Rebuke and Grace). Our moral duty, therefore, is to act as if all are capable of salvation, fulfilling the command to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt 28:19) and to pray for the salvation of every person (CCC 1031; Viva Catholic, “the Elect” passages).
Practical implication for the faithful
- Live the Gospel – Share the Good News, administer the sacraments, and practice charity, because the Church entrusts us with the mission to bring the invitation of salvation to every soul.
- Pray for all – The Church’s liturgy and tradition ask us to intercede for the whole world, trusting that God’s grace may reach even those whose election we do not know.
- Remain humble about election – Recognise that the mystery of who receives effectual grace belongs solely to God; avoid speculating or claiming certainty about anyone’s final destiny.
In short, the Church affirms both the universal invitation to salvation and the reality that the elect—known only to God—are those who will certainly be saved. Because we cannot know who the elect are, our duty is to treat every person as a potential recipient of God’s saving grace.
~~~~
only the elect are actually saved at the end yes or no
No. Catholic doctrine does not teach that only a pre‑determined group called “the elect” will be saved while everyone else is excluded.
What the Church affirms is:
- God’s universal salvific will – Christ died “for all men” and “wishes all to be saved” (cf. Catechism 199 §2). The atonement is sufficient for every human being.
- Effectual grace is given to the elect – Both Augustine and Aquinas explain that God, by His gratuitous grace, predestines certain persons so that they may believe and be saved, and that this grace is efficacious (i.e., it truly brings about salvation).
- Augustine: “God chose the righteous… not because they were already holy, but in order that they might be holy” (Doc 3, §34) and “none of the elect perishes” (Doc 7).
- Aquinas: “Grace precedes all merit; the particular good of grace and glory is given only to those elected” (Summa Theologiae I‑Q23‑A4 ); Christ’s death is “sufficient for all, efficient for the elect” (web source ).
- Salvation requires personal response – While God’s grace is offered universally, a person must cooperate with that grace (through faith, repentance, and the sacraments). Those who do not receive or reject the effectual grace are not saved, but they are not excluded a priori; they remain invited to the saving grace (CCC 200 §2).
Therefore, the Church teaches that the elect are those who, by God’s effectual grace, come to faith and persevere; they are certain to be saved. However, this does not mean that salvation is limited only to a fixed, exclusive group independent of human response. All are called to salvation, and only those who ultimately cooperate with the grace given to them are saved.
No comments:
Post a Comment