Liberation And Grace

Last updated on: December 8, 2020 at 9:15 am by William Hemsworth

Liberation And Grace 2020-12-08T09:15:10-07:00 William Hemsworth

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

In the New Testament there are many passages that speak of grace as liberation. Sin is a plague that has overtaken the world, and it enslaves us (Stevens 9). We are born in original sin, and though that is washed away through the sacrament of Baptism, concupiscence remains. Concupiscence is the tendency to still drift toward sin.

This concept of liberation is seen in Romans 5:17 where St. Paul writes, “because of the one man’s trespass, death exercised dominion through that one, much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness exercise dominion in life through the one man, Jesus Christ” (NRSV). St. Paul states this again in Romans 7:6 where he says we are no longer slaves and held captive.

Grace Through Christ Brings Liberation

In bestowing grace, the Blessed Trinity looks to the bounty, or freedom of the one who receives (Hardon). In the grace of God, we discover our true freedom. When we have a new life in Christ the destructive power that evil had over us is no more (Stevens 10). Some may call this being born again, and it is a concept that is discussed frequently throughout the New Testament.

When we have this new birth the bonds that held us captive to sin are now shattered. Just as God gave life to Adam in the garden of Eden, we are given new life through grace (Stevens 11). Adam sinned, and through his sin death came into the world.

Free From Bonds

Through Christ we are free from that and we can live. Regarding this Charles Journet writes, “Since the soul of Christ is so close to the person of the Word, grace finds there its true home, and there unfolds itself in perfect freedom” (Journet 2.12).

Freedom, Break, Handcuffs, Happiness, liberation

This liberation is also much more than being free from the bonds of sin. Liberation in the New Testament grace established a union between the Christian and Christ (Stevens 17). This is open to all men who are seeking the light of Christ and not seeking the attachment to sin (Stevens 17). Grace is thus liberation because it breaks the bonds of death and united us fully to the source of life.

Saint Quotes

This is the very perfection of a man, to find out his own imperfections. -St. Augustine

He who climbs never stops going from beginning to beginning, through beginnings that have no end. He never stops desiring what he already knows. –St. Gregory of Nyssa

You must ask God to give you power to fight against the sin of pride which is your greatest enemy – the root of all that is evil, and the failure of all that is good. For God resists the proud. -St. Vincent de Paul

In so far as divine love beautifies our souls. And makes us pleasing to His divine Majesty, it is called grace; in so far as it gives us strength to do good, it is called charity; but when it reaches such a degree of perfection, that it makes us not only do the good, but do so carefully, frequently and readily, then it is called devotion. –St. Francis de Sales

For I have learnt for a fact that nothing so effectively obtains, retains and regains grace, as that we should always be found not high-minded before God, but filled with holy fear. –St. Bernard

Works Cited

Hardon, John. History and Theology of Grace. Ann Arbor, MI: Sapientia Press, 2005.

Journet, Charles. The Meaning of Grace. Princeton: Scepter Publishers, 1997.

Stevens, G. The Life of Grace. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1963. 1-65. Print.

Previous Post

December 7, 2020

Incarnation And The New Law Of Grace

Next Post

December 11, 2020 Peter: Tend My Sheep

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz