“The grace of the Holy Spirit has the power to justify us, that is, to cleanse us from our sins and to communicate to us ‘the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ’ and through Baptism” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, §1987).
The Roman Catholic Church teaches that grace is infused into the soul through the sacraments. Baptism, Eucharist, and the other five sacraments are said to dispense grace by giving believers the ability to cooperate with God toward justification. But does Scripture support this idea? Can we cooperate with God toward justification? Let us look at what the Scriptures say.
Grace in Scripture
Grace must be defined from Scripture. God defines the parameters on how one is saved and how God gives grace to the sinner. Ephesians 2:8-9 is clear, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not of works, so that no one may boast.” By grace, the word we get for charity, is the active agent. Charity does not give with a requirement of another. It is given freely. The person being saved is justified by the grace God gives.
Romans 3:21–22
“But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction.
The Word of God does not give place to works of righteousness, even sacraments, as the means for justification. We believe and God imputes righteousness to us. We must not go against what God says for attaining righteousness.
Does the Bible Connect Grace to Sacraments?
Grace, depending on how we understand God’s bestowing of it, has implications on the Christian life. The Catholic Church view is that sacraments are a means of grace. Defined in the catechism as “efficacious signs of grace, instituted by Christ and entrusted to the Church, by which divine life is dispensed to us” (CCC 1131). If grace is given through the activities of Baptism and taking of the Eucharist, then our importance of these activities are elevated. The question is whether grace is given through the activities of baptism and communion?
First let’s look at baptism as grace bestowed.
| Passage | Rome’s Use | Reformed Understanding | Infused Grace? |
| John 3:5 | baptismal regeneration | Spirit’s renewal, signified by water | ❌ |
| Acts 2:38 | forgiveness by baptism | forgiveness tied to repentance & faith, sealed by baptism | ❌ |
| Acts 22:16 | baptism washes sins | calling on Christ cleanses, baptism symbolizes | ❌ |
| Romans 6:3–4 | baptism unites us to Christ | Spirit unites; baptism signifies | ❌ |
| Galatians 3:27 | putting on Christ by rite | outward sign of faith-union | ❌ |
| Colossians 2:12 | raised in baptism | raised through faith | ❌ |
| 1 Peter 3:21 | baptism saves | not the water, but faith in Christ | ❌ |
As you can see, baptism in all of these references does not tie the act of baptism as delivering of grace. The New Testament does not give room for an infusion or grace. If grace were truly infused, the scripture would connect them. Instead it is absent. In short, Scripture gives no credence to the Roman idea that sacraments give grace.
Is grace imparted through communion? Again, let’s compare the views to scripture.
| Passage | Rome’s View | Reformed View | Infused Grace? |
| Matt. 26; Mark 14; Luke 22 | Eucharist confers forgiveness | Memorial & covenant meal; faith receives grace | ❌ |
| John 6 | Proof of Eucharist | Faith alone in Christ (not the Supper) | ❌ |
| Acts 2 | Fellowship with infused grace | Fellowship & remembrance | ❌ |
| 1 Cor. 10 | Mystical infusion | Spiritual communion by faith | ❌ |
| 1 Cor. 11 | Sacrament imparts grace | Serious means of grace, but not automatic infusion | ❌ |
The New Testament never presents the Lord’s Supper as means of imparting grace. Instead, grace imparted for the purpose of faith in Christ’s finished work. We do not need physical elements for God to give grace to the believer. God has already given it.
The New Testament never presents the Lord’s Supper as imparting or infusing grace ex opere operato (by the act itself). Instead, it is a reflection of grace that those who believe in God follow in the Lord’s commands. Grace is received through faith, not through the physical eating the bread and drinking the cup.
Grace Alone Delivers, Faith, Justification & Assurance
“Therefore it is of faith, so that it may be according to grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the seed” (Romans 4:16, LSB).
The promise of justification is in no way reflected by the activity of sacrament keeping. The gift of justification is only imparted according to grace. The promise is guaranteed to all the seed which gives us an assurance that we are saved.
When Scripture speaks of justification it never ties it to baptism, the eucharist (communion), or any other sacrament. Grace is always received through faith. Paul says, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). Peace with God is only possible because God freely declares the sinner righteous in Christ. It is never derived as a response to rituals prescribed for the church. Calvin reminds us, “Peace of conscience cannot be obtained in any other way than by gratuitous justification”.
Not only is justification from grace but it also brings assurance. If salvation depended on our performance of the sacraments we would never know if our adherence was enough. Our confidence would be based on the testimony of Scripture which is based on God’s grace. Titus 3:7 states, “So that having been justified by His grace, we would become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” (Titus 3:7) We can rest with assurance that God’s grace is the foundation of our hope of eternal life. “Therefore it is of faith, so that it may be according to grace, so that the promise will be guaranteed to all the seed” (Romans 4:16, LSB). Grace guarantees salvation for every believer, making our hope based on a firm foundation and not on the quality of our adherence to commands of God. As Calvin affirms this, “Christ justifies no man without also sanctifying him.” We can rest in God’s ability save because it is His grace.
Grace Produces Holiness
Grace is not infused to make us gradually just. Grace is freely given to declare us righteous in Christ. In fact, the scripture is clear that it both produces repentance, obedience to God, and people who are eager for good works.
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:11-14
Notice that grace is what produces good works. Our eagerness to do for God’s glory is a product of grace.
Calvin states in the Institutes of Christian Religion:
“We dream not of a faith which is devoid of good works, nor of a justification which can exist without them: the only difference is, that while we acknowledge that faith and works are necessarily connected, we, however, place justification in faith, not in works. How this is done is easily explained, if we turn to Christ only, to whom our faith is directed and from whom it derives all its power. Why, then, are we justified by faith? Because by faith we apprehend the righteousness of Christ, which alone reconciles us to God. This faith, however, you cannot apprehend without at the same time apprehending sanctification; for Christ “is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption,” (1 Cor. 1:30). Christ, therefore, justifies no man without also sanctifying him. These blessings are conjoined by a perpetual and inseparable tie. Those whom he enlightens by his wisdom he redeems; whom he redeems he justifies; whom he justifies he sanctifies. (Institutes, 3.16.1).”
We don’t argue that works aren’t absent from the life of the believer. However, the works we do are a result of our faith. 1 Corinthians 15:10, Paul tells us of the grace of God given him.
“By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me.” He points to his zeal and work above and beyond all of the apostles. Yet, he points to amazing grace as the means of his work. Grace is at work in Paul not Paul working to receive grace. Likewise, grace is not further given to us by fulfillment of sacrament. Rather we already received it and is presently evidenced in our obedience to God and our acts of good works.
Conclusion
The Catholic Catechism says grace is infused through sacraments. Scripture says grace is a gift given and evidenced through faith. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are precious ordinances that point us to Christ but are absent in imparting grace to us for justification. Instead of looking to “sacrament” as a means of grace, we should look to faith in God for our justification through grace. Our works then are simply reflections of God’s grace already present in the life of the believer.