The Virtuous Life

Can one live the virtuous life apart from Jesus Christ? It would seem like this answer should be easy. After all we all know people who are “virtuous” who are not Christians, yes perhaps even not believers at all. Epicurus after all thought the life of study brought the greatest pleasure. Others have rigorously sought to be virtuous for the sake of being virtuous. The pagans had many such lovers of truth. Yet the answer of the church has always been that the virtuous life can only be found in Christ. This is not because acts of virtue are not seen in the world. Virtue is found not in the assent to dogma, but in the faithfulness of the Son. It is because the consummation of virtue is realized only in forgiveness.