Liberation And Grace

In reading about the Spirit of liberation in general, black liberation in particular, I find it next to impossible to proceed. Indeed, I know God's Spirit brings liberation (Liberation being freedom, liberty) and I am in agreement that we need more of a focus on liberation theology, but Black liberation theology in particular, because there are many issues that are unique to us as a people and our communities in general:

Isa 61:1  

The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

Jer 34:8  

This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

Luk 4:18 

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,

2Co 3:17 

Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

However, liberty does not stand on it’s own. The gospel doesnt begin and end with a message of liberty. Liberation is not the only thing the Spirit of God brings with salvation. It is only one aspect of salvation. Yet it is only through and by the grace of God is that allows us to see ourselves as God sees us. It’s only through understanding it's by His grace that Adam and Eve were allowed to live after their original sin. 

The soul that sins shall surely die.  

-Ezekial 18:20

It’s His Spirit that allows us to know and understand that God is no respecter of persons. 

Deu 10:17  

For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward

Col 3:25 

But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons

Act 10:34 

Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:

It was through Christ’s torture and death on the cross that we see the ultimate evidence and offering of His grace to all. 

Joh 3:15-16 

15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 6:40 

And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Every person has the same access to God’s grace, and His grace is extended equally to all not because of our standing or anything we have or have not accomplished. 

God causes His sun to rise on the just and the unjust. This is a definition of His goodness and grace that He shows us to model to others:

Matthew 5:44-48 

44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

We can only understand liberation when viewed through the lens of God’s grace. We can only truly begin to stand up and proclaim liberty when we understand that it is God that has given it to us and therefore is not subject to our terms nor our agreement. In other words, man is not the author, so man can not take it nor decide it’s parameters.