Nature Versus Grace: The Imitation of Christ

One of the greatest books ever written is The Imitation of Christ by Thomas à Kempis, a 15^th century Catholic Monk. Absolutely the best chapter is the ongoing battle between God’s amazing grace and the fallen nature of mankind. Every time I think I’ve achieved a smidgen of holiness, I read Bk 3: Chap 54 of this wonderful book. I then realize just how far I have to go. The secret to achieving holiness, of course, is TOTALLY to desire and to rely on God’s grace (always perfect) while never relying solely on our human nature (very fallible). Our sins and our selflove act like a steel umbrella over our heads, which blocks and diminishes the unlimited power of God’s grace into our souls.  So let’s take a look at Father Kempis’s treatise on this continual battle between the opposing forces of nature and grace in our lives.

 Nature’s Seduction

“Nature is crafty, and seduces many, snaring and deceiving them, and always works for her own ends. But Grace moves in simplicity, avoiding every appearance of evil. She makes no attempt to deceive, and does all things purely for love of God, in whom she rests as her final goal.” (Link to Bk 3: Chap 54 on Nature and Grace)

Father Kempis tells us here just how deceptive human nature really is. The natural man gets all wrapped up in the affairs of the world – making money, pleasure seeking, the lust for power – usually at the expense of knowing, loving , and serving God. In short, the  affairs of the world block our reception of the grace of God, who never deceives us, and who always leads us in simplicity to the love of our Father in heaven. So many people believe that if you can’t see it or touch it, then it isn’t real. The love of the world makes the natural man forget about his supernatural end.

Self-Mortification and Obedience

Nature is unwilling to be mortified, checked or overcome, obedient or willingly subject. Grace mortifies herself, resists sensuality, submits to control, seeks to be overcome. She does not aim at enjoying her own liberty, but loves to be under discipline; and does not wish to lord it over anyone. Rather does she desire to live, abide and exist always under God’s rule, and for His sake she is ever ready to submit it to all men.(I Pt.2:13)

This paragraph talks about how the natural man hates self-sacrifice, mortification, and obedience to a higher power.  Grace, on the other hand, empowers us to be subject voluntarily to the will of God and to legitimate earthly authority, even if it is painful to do so.

Humility and Suffering

Nature works for her own interest, and estimates what profit she may derive from others. Grace does not consider what may be useful or convenient to herself, but only what may be to the good of many.(I Cor.10:33) Nature is eager to receive honor and reward : Grace faithfully ascribes all honor and glory to God .(Ps 26:2:96:7) Nature fears shame and contempt: Grace is glad to suffer reproach for the Name of Jesus.(Act 5:41) nature loves ease and rest for the body ; Grace cannot be idle, but welcomes work cheerfully.

The natural man is usually prideful and loves honor and glory for his undertakings (as if his gifts came from him instead of God) while the grace-filled man is humble and attributes any good he has accomplished to God. Suffering for the Name of Jesus becomes second nature, all the while welcoming the contempt of the world.

Loving Simplicity and Eternity

Nature loves to enjoy rare and beautiful things, and hates the cheap and clumsy. Grace takes pleasure in simple and humble things, neither despising the rough, nor refusing to wear the old and ragged. Nature pays regard to temporal affairs, takes pleasure in this world’s wealth, grieves at any loss, and is angered by a slighting remark. But Grace pays attention to things eternal, and is not attached to the temporal. The loss of goods fails to move her, or hard words to anger her, for she lays up her treasure and joy in Heaven where none of it can be lost (Matt.6:20).

While the man who concentrates on the things of this world is always seeking after more money, fine things, and comfort, the man who is grace-filled goes with the flow regarding temporal loss and disappointments, knowing that this world is passing away, while heaven awaits him. Having these two very different kinds of people in the same family causes a lot of dissension, to say the least.

Rejecting Vanity and Greediness

Nature is greedy, and grasps more readily than she gives, loving to retain things for her personal use. But Grace is kind and generous, shuns private interest, is contented with little, and esteems it more blessed to give than to receive.(Acts 20:35) Nature inclines a man towards creatures – to the body, to vanities, to restlessness. But Grace draws a man towards God and virtue. Renouncing creatures, she flees the world, loathes the lusts of the flesh, limits her wanderings, and shuns public appearances. Nature is eager to enjoy any outward comfort that will gratify the senses. Grace seeks comfort in God alone, and delights in the Sovereign Good above all visible things.

Human nature causes us to hoard things and to be vain and egotistical in our affairs with others. But God’s grace changes us into His children, so that we seek after Him to please Him constantly, even if it means that we lose a lot of worldly friends in the process. Contemplating God in silence, instead of going to loud parties becomes the preferred thing to do. Pleasing God through prayer and obedience to His holy will, instead of desiring always to be stimulated through our senses (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life), becomes second nature to us.

Rejecting the Love of Money

 Nature does everything for her own gain and interest; she does nothing without fee, hoping either to obtain some equal or greater return for her services, or else praise and favor. But Grace seeks no worldly return, and asks for no reward, but God alone. She desires no more of the necessaries of life than will serve her to obtain the things of eternity.

The Bible tells us that the love of money is the root of all evil. This is so true in America today, where the filthy rich get richer, and who then think that they have the right to kick us off of social media, to stop selling our products, and to destroy our reputations if we dare to disagree with them politically. But those who desire God’s grace reject this horrible addiction to money, and start to trust in God to provide for their future sustenance. This, after all, is the lesson of the manna in the desert. God only allowed the Israelites to collect enough manna for that day’s meal (two meals on the day before the Sabbath). If they collected more than that, it rotted.

Rejecting Fame and Power

 Nature takes pleasure in a host of friends and relations; she boasts of noble rank and high birth; makes herself agreeable to the powerful, flatters the rich, and acclaims those who are like herself. But Grace loves even her enemies,(Matt.5:44; Luke 6:27) takes no pride in the number of her friends, and thinks little of high birth unless it be allied to the greater virtue. She favors the poor rather than the rich, and has more in common with the honorable than with the powerful. She takes pleasure in an honest man, not in a deceiver; she constantly encourages good men to labor earnestly for the better gifts, (I.Cor.12:31) and by means of these virtues to become like the Son of God.

So many people are enthralled with the rich and famous, as if this kind of people are somehow “stars,” worthy of our adulation. But God’s grace teaches us that fame and power are only temporary illusions as to what is really important in our lives: Jesus Christ, who created the real stars in the heavens, and who alone is worthy of our adulation! That, in turn, makes us instead take notice of the lowly honorable men and women among us, and not so much the rich, powerful, and beautiful ones (who are usually blinded by their personal opinions and egos).

Overcoming Impatience, Egotism,  and Gossip

Nature is quick to complain of want and hardship ; but Grace bears poverty with courage. nature, struggling and striving on her own behalf, turns everything to her own interest: but Grace refers all things to God, from whom they come. She attributes no good to herself; she is not arrogant and presumptuous. She does not argue and exalt her own opinions before others, but submits all her powers of mind and perception to the eternal wisdom and judgment of God. Nature is curious to know secrets and to hear news; she loves to be seen in public, and to enjoy sensations. She desires recognition, and to do such things as win praise and admiration. But Grace does not care for news or novelties, because all these things spring from the age-old corruption of man, for there is nothing new or lasting in this world.

This paragraph contrasts the worldly, boisterous, always right/never wrong, gossiping, and “go-getter” personalities with the quiet, grace-filled, complacent, and serene Christians who live in the world, but who are not part of it. The latter have found their niche in the world (working for God and seeking to do His will), but regarding the former, the world instead has found its niche in them, and that will always lead to their eventual downfall.

Praising God and Overcoming Vanity

Grace therefore teaches us how the senses are to be disciplined and vain complacency avoided; how anything likely to excite praise and admiration should be humbly concealed; and how in all things and in all knowledge some useful fruit should be sought, together with the praise and honor of God. She wants no praise for herself or her doings, but desires that God may be blessed in His gifts, who out of pure love bestows all things.

One of the great things about grace is that it works inside of us to control our sensory inputs, which is usually how the devil attacks us (lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and pride of life).  One way to get extra grace, besides receiving the sacraments often, is continually to praise God for all that He has done for us. Sadly, not a lot of people do this, because they either don’t believe in Him, or they just choose to ignore Him.

Grace overcomes Nature

Grace is a supernatural light, and the special gift of God,( Eph. 2:8) the seal of His chosen and the pledge of salvation,(Eph.1:14) which raises man from earthly things to love the heavenly, and from the worldly makes him spiritual. The more, therefore, that nature is controlled and overcome, the richer is the grace bestowed, while man is daily renewed by fresh visitations after the likeness of God (Col. 3:10).

Here we learn that grace and nature cancel each other out: that is, the more of one means the less of the other. So many people short-circuit God’s grace by constantly giving into their natural selves. They very rarely do violence to their nature so as to imitate Jesus, who fasted, who sacrificed Himself for others, and who continually spoke out against evil, rather than just “going-along-to-get-along” with society. 

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