Create a clean heart in me, O God:
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy face;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation,
and strengthen me with a perfect spirit.
Psalm 50, 12-14

You should put away the old self of your former way of life,
corrupted through deceitful desires, and be renewed in the spirit
of your minds, and put on the new self, created in God’s way
in righteousness and holiness of truth.
Ephesians 4, 22-24

In the traditional Catholic doctrine of infused righteousness, God acknowledges an actual transformation within us through justification by faith and good works done in charity and grace. This transformation involves the removal of our old ways in exchange for clothes that resemble Christ's. The faithful play an active and morally responsible part in their justification by willingly collaborating with the Holy Spirit and cooperating with divine grace. Human free will plays a crucial and decisive role in their salvation.

Catholics have believed for centuries that they can lead an active life in grace by allowing it to transform their minds and hearts to be righteous, just as Christ is righteous in his shared humanity. Their ability to renounce their old ways, overcome sinful habits, and live a new life in Christ determines their standing before God. A person is either intrinsically righteous or unrighteous based on how well they respond to the gift of divine grace and work with the Holy Spirit to follow Christ's commandments.

God makes us righteous by the regenerative power and influence of His efficacious grace. The Catholic Church has taught since apostolic times that justification is not just the remission of sins and the removal of guilt, but also the sanctification and renewal of a person. It is an ongoing process of growing in holiness that involves our willing detachment from habitual sin and the state of guilt. Justification involves the purification of one's soul by the removal of the stain of sin, achieved through sincere contrition and a firm desire for amendment. The grace of sanctification is essentially the divine quality of the human soul. Thus, justification includes reconciliation and healing through the restorative power of the Holy Spirit, who has made us communicants in the divine nature, and personally justified us by His sanctifying grace.

It is I, I, who wipe out, for my own sake, your offenses;
your sins I remember no more.
Isaiah 43, 25

When God forgives or "blots out" (exalipho) our transgressions, "washes" (apolouo)  us from iniquities, and "cleanses (katharitzo)" us from sins, we must also have an inner change of heart and contrite spirit (Ps. 51:1-2; Acts 3:19; 22:16; 1 Cor. 6:11; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9). This change of heart must come from a true spirit of conversion and repentance, prompted by the Holy Spirit and His gifts of grace. God makes us holy and just by removing the sins that stain our souls, not by simply overlooking or covering them up. This happens because of our change of heart and transformation by grace. Christ's righteousness is communicated to us through the infused grace that transforms our nature and makes us pleasing to God. The righteousness God sees in us is qualitatively Christ-like, although we can never attain Christ's personal level of righteousness in His divinity. In the words of St. Paul: "You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had" (Phil 2:5).

Although the initial grace of forgiveness and justification is a grace that only Christ can formally merit for us, we can “merit for ourselves and for others an increase in sanctification” to complete our justification and bring about its realization on a personal level in our relationship with God as we “grow in grace and charity” (Catechism of the Catholic Church: Justification and Grace). Thus, by the infusion of God’s grace into our souls, we are not just declared righteous but actually “made” (kathistemi) righteous as divine grace effects a genuine change of heart and an ontological change in our being (Rom. 5:17, 19).

But when the kindness and generous love of God our savior appeared,
not because of any righteous deeds we had done but because of his mercy,
he saved us through the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
whom he richly poured out on us through Jesus Christ our savior,
so that we might be justified by his grace and become heirs in hope of eternal life.
Titus 3, 4-7

Putting on a new self requires having faith in God and His promises. To start, we must have knowledge of and love for God. This is essential for welcoming the Holy Spirit into our lives. We need to allow Him to produce everything that is necessary to live a life of faith and devotion to God. By doing so, we can realize the hope of eternal life with Him. The Holy Spirit transforms our fallen human nature so that we can share in the divine nature. This is achieved by escaping from the snare of our evil desires in a corrupt world. For this reason, we must make every effort to supplement our faith with virtue, the divine gift of knowledge, self-control, and endurance. Only then can our devotion to God translate into being devoted to the interests of others with an affection raised to the height of unconditional love. This requires perseverance in faith.

As baptized members of Christ's body, we are united with the Head and infused with the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. These virtues, when manifested through our actions and conduct in the Spirit, bear fruit and merit that lasts for eternal life. Our Lord and Saviour taught us how to live a life in grace as adopted children of God, and it's our responsibility to not be idle in our knowledge of Him. We must persevere in faith to make our call to election firm and never stumble. Those who stumble gravely risk being barred from entering God's heavenly kingdom (2 Pet 1:3-11).

According to St. Augustine, we cannot rely solely on the merits of Christ's righteousness to be declared justified and inherit the kingdom of heaven. We must also possess our own righteousness, which is made possible by divine grace through Christ's work in his humanity. If we fail to cooperate with God and bear fruit that leads to eternal life, our faith in Christ's merits will not be enough. As Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. But only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven will enter" (Mt. 7:21). Therefore, God declares us to be inherently righteous and just in His sight because of His work completed in us with our collaboration (Eph 2:8-10).

Saving faith is not just a matter of belief and knowledge, but also an active faith that involves doing good works in charity and grace. By making spiritual sacrifices and engaging in charitable acts of self-denial, we can substitute our selfish desires for what God wills and subdue our inordinate love of self for the sake of God’s love and goodness. These actions confer merit on us, because they are the result of God's grace. Ultimately, it is God's intention to make us just, provided we respond in a genuine spirit of conversion and invite the Holy Spirit to work in us. As a result of this, God declares us just.

You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ;
you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit we eagerly await by faith
the righteousness for which we hope. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision
nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith
expressing itself through love.
Galatians 5, 4-6

In order to understand faith as an active and instrumental force in our salvation, we must comprehend how divine grace operates in our lives and saves us with our cooperation. Faith is the starting point in the process of our justification before God. This faith takes a concrete form as we act on the wisdom and knowledge we have received. We have placed our trust in God and hope in His promise. These two theological virtues, faith, and hope, enable us to open ourselves to God’s grace. As a result, our minds and hearts are constantly renewed as we become a new creation in Christ by living virtuous lives. Dying to oneself and the ruling spirit of this world requires a genuine conversion of the heart. This change is made possible with the help of divine grace, which makes the righteousness we possess our very own characteristic and pleasing to God.

We cannot simply observe the work of the Holy Spirit within us; therefore, the concept of the imputed alien righteousness of Christ to our account in Reformed Protestant theology is nonsensical. According to Sacred Scripture, a genuine transformation of our human nature is essential for us to be considered righteous in God’s sight. A true spirit of charity, meaning our love for God and others, must guide our faith to make it complete and alive. Faith is justified and beneficial for our souls when it is animated by love or charity (agape). This infused virtue brings life to the heart of the believer who has opened themselves to the Holy Spirit and the influence of divine grace through faith.

In his letter to the Jewish Christians in Galatia, St. Paul explains that it is the indwelling Holy Spirit that justifies us, rather than the external observances of the ceremonial and civil Mosaic law. Sanctifying grace is the essential means for us to be internally just, through the merits of Christ, who is the living source of all grace. However, what Christ has achieved for us by his just merits does not eradicate God's immutable word: Through love and faithfulness, sin is atoned for (Proverbs 16:6).

As we have been created in the image of God, it is impossible for us to be considered just in His sight while we remain unholy in body and soul. However, God provides us with the grace to become holy and just in His sight, as He is holy and just. This is not an absolute change, but it is necessary for us to participate in the divine nature as adopted children of God. Our souls and lives must reflect the divine image in which we were created. The Greek verb "to justify" (dikaioo), which Paul frequently uses, implies that God sees us as intrinsically righteous when He declares us just. Our justification involves an objective change in our nature, not just a relational change in our status. What God declares to be just is as real as the light He created at the beginning of time through His effective decree (Gen 1:3; Jn 8:12). God never creates anything that is fictional or synthetic through His Word in the Holy Spirit.

May you be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding
to live in a manner worthy of the Lord, so as to be fully pleasing, in every good work bearing fruit
(merit) and growing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with every power, in accord with his
glorious might, for all endurance and patience, with joy giving thanks to the Father, who has made
you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in light. He delivered us from the power of darkness
and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son.
Colossians 1, 9-13

St. Paul's intention in his letter to the Colossians is to emphasize that the righteousness required for their justification before God must come from within the believer through the efficacy of God's grace, which is produced for all by Christ alone. There is no indication that the righteousness they must hold to their credit is something totally foreign and external to themselves. If this were the case, there would have been no point for the apostle to encourage the community to "clothe themselves with love and a new self." It would have made more sense for him to assure them that the filthy garments of their old selves have been replaced by the clean and spotless garment of the unblemished Lamb and leave it at that, without specifying any further requirements for a person to be inherently righteous and just in God's sight.

As believers, we have a responsibility to actively participate in our redemption and share in the divine life through the sanctifying grace of God. Christ is present within us, and through his Spirit, he works in and through us when we exercise our faith in charity and grace, leading a life of holiness. Our Lord doesn't merely shield us from God's justice by diverting His attention away from us to only Him, who supposedly takes the credit on our helpless and depraved behalf. Christ alone has earned for us the grace that only He can produce through His passion, death, and resurrection. What righteous believers can merit for themselves or for others is an increase in sanctification and charity through Christ's redeeming merits.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above,
not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.
Colossians 3,1-4

In his Letter to the Colossians 3:1-17, St. Paul shares a powerful message about putting on the new self. He urges all baptized Christians to focus on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, rather than on earthly things. To do this, we must die to ourselves and live in Christ, letting Him be the center of our lives. By doing this, we can reveal Christ's glory in our lives even after we pass away. To avoid God's judgment, we must work with the Holy Spirit and His gifts of grace to strip off our old selves and renounce sinful behavior. This means putting to death anything in us that is earthly, such as fornication, impurity, passion, and greed, which is idolatry. We must eliminate all the idols in our lives that come between us and God by ridding ourselves of anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language.

As God's chosen ones, we are called to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, in exchange for our old clothing. We must also bear with one another and forgive each other by being patient and merciful, just as the Lord has forgiven us. Above all, we should clothe ourselves with love and let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. To clothe ourselves with the new self, we must allow the word of Christ to dwell and act in us. Lastly, we must remember to thank and praise God the Father for blessing us with all His gifts of grace, so that we may be revealed with Christ in glory, now that our Lord has been revealed in our lives on earth.

Early Sacred Tradition

“And since many saints participate in the Holy Spirit, He cannot, therefore, be understood to be a body,
which being divided into corporeal parts, is partaken of by each one of the saints; but He is manifestly a
sanctifying power, in which all are said to have a share who have deserved to be sanctified by His grace.”
Origen, First Principles, I:I,3
(A.D. 230)

“He was made man that we might be made God.”
St. Athanasius, Incarnation 54
(A.D. 318)

“All indeed depends on God, but not so that our free will is hindered. ‘If then it depends on God,’ (one says), ‘why does He blame us?’ On this account, I said, ‘so that our free will is no hindered.’ It depends then on us, and on Him For we must first choose the good; and then He leads us to His own. He does not anticipate our choice, lest our free will should be outraged. But when we have chosen, then great is the assistance he brings to us…For it is ours to choose and to wish; but God’s to complete and to bring to an end. Since therefore the greater part is of Him, he says all is of Him, speaking according to the custom of men. For so we ourselves also do. I mean for instance: we see a house well built, and we say the whole is the Architect’s [doing], and yet certainly it is not all his, but the workmen’s also, and the owner’s, who supplies the materials, and many others, but nevertheless since he contributed the greatest share, we call the whole his. So then [it is] in this case also.”
St. John Chrysostom, Homily on Hebrews, 12:3
(A.D. 403)

“Thus, it is necessary for a man that he should be not only justified when unrighteous by the grace of God, that is be changed from unholiness to righteousness, when he is requited with good for his evil; but that even after he has been justified by his faith, grace should accompany him on his way lest he fall. On this account it is written concerning the Church herself in Canticles: ‘Who is this who commeth up in white raiment, leaning upon her kinsman?’ Made white is she who alone could not be made white. And by whom has she been made white except by Him who says by the prophet, ‘Though your sins be as purple as scarlet, I will make them white as snow.’ At the time, then, that she was made white, she deserved nothing good; but now that she is made white, she walketh well; but it is only by her continuing ever to lean upon Him by whom she was made white. Wherefore, Jesus Himself, on whom she leans that was made white, said to His disciples, ‘Without me ye can do nothing.’ “
St. Augustine,
On Grace and Free Will, 6:13
(A.D. 427)

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its
stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine
before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
Matthew 15, 14-16