Chapter 21.—That Righteousness is Never Perfected in This Life.

Now, according to this righteousness of God, that is, which we have from God, faith now worketh by love. But it worketh that, in what way man can attain to Him on whom now, not seeing, he believes; and when he shall see Him, then that which was in faith through a glass enigmatically, shall at length be in sight face to face; and then shall be perfected even love itself. Because it is said with excessive folly, that God is loved as much before He is seen, as He will be loved when He is seen. Further, if in this life, as no religious person doubts, the more we love God, so much the more righteous we certainly are, who can doubt that pious and true righteousness will then be perfected when the love of God shall be perfect? Then the law, therefore, shall be fulfilled; so that nothing at all is wanting to it, of which law, according to the apostle, the fulfilling is Love. And thus, when he had said, “Not having my own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is by the faith of Jesus Christ, which is the righteousness from God in faith,” he then added, “That I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings.”232    Phil. iii. 9, 10. All these things were not yet full and perfect in the apostle; but, as if he were placed on the way, he was running towards their fulness and perfection. For how had he already perfectly known Christ, who says in another place, “Now I know in part; but then I shall know even as I am known”?233    1 Cor. xiii. 12. And how had he already perfectly known the power of His resurrection, to whom it remained to know it yet more fully by experience at the time of the resurrection of the flesh? And how had he perfectly known already the fellowship of His suffering, if he had not yet experienced for him the suffering of death? Finally, he adds and says, “If in any manner I may attain unto the resurrection of the dead.”234    Phil. iii. 11, 12. And then he says, “Not that I have already received or am already perfected.” What, then, does he confess that he has not yet received, and in what is he not yet perfected, except that righteousness which is of God, which he desired, not willing to have his own righteousness, which is of the law? For hence he was speaking, and such was the reason for his saying these things in resistance to the enemies of the grace of God, for the bestowal of which Christ was crucified; and of the race of whom are also these.

21. Secundum hanc autem justitiam Dei, hoc est, quae ex Deo nobis est, nunc fides operatur per dilectionem (Galat. V, 6). Id autem operatur , quomodo perveniat homo ad eum, in quem modo non videns credit; quem cum viderit, tunc quod erat in fide per speculum in aenigmate, jam erit in specie facie ad faciem (I Cor. XIII, 12): tunc perficietur et ipsa 0604 dilectio. Nimis quippe insipienter dicitur, tantum amari Deum antequam videatur, quantum amabitur cum videbitur. Porro si in hac vita, pio nemine dubitante, quanto amplius diligimus Deum, tanto sumus utique justiores; quis dubitet, piam veramque justitiam, cum fuerit dilectio Dei perfecta, tunc perfici? Tunc ergo lex, ita ut nihil omnino desit, implebitur; cujus legis, secundum Apostolum, plenitudo dilectio est (Rom. XIII, 10). Ac per hoc cum dixisset, Non habens meam justitiam, quae ex lege est, sed eam quae est per fidem Christi, quae est ex Deo justitia in fide; deinde subjunxit, Ad cognoscendum eum, et virtutem resurrectionis ejus, et communicationem passionum ejus. Haec omnia nondum plena et perfecta in Apostolo erant, sed tanquam in via positus ad eorum plenitudinem perfectionemque currebat. Nam quomodo jam perfecte cognoverat Christum, qui dicit alio loco, Nunc scio ex parte, tunc autem cognoscam sicut et cognitus sum (I Cor. XIII, 12)? Et quomodo jam perfecte cognoverat virtutem ejus resurrectionis, cui restabat eam plenius tempore resurrectionis carnis experiendo cognoscere? Et quomodo jam perfecte cognoverat communicationem passionum ejus, nondum pro illo passionem mortis expertus? Denique addit et dicit: Si quo modo occurram in resurrectionem mortuorum. Ac deinde ait: Non quia jam acceperim, aut jam perfectus sim. Quid ergo se confitetur nondum accepisse, et in quo nondum esse perfectum, nisi in ea justitia, quae ex Deo est, quam concupiscens noluit suam habere, quae ex lege est? Hinc enim loquebatur, et ista fuit causa ut haec diceret, resistens inimicis gratiae Dei , pro qua largienda crucifixus est Christus: ex quorum genere etiam isti sunt.