Posted by
ValiantForTruth on Sunday, April 20, 2008 10:49:05 AM
“God does not will that people should be oppressed, and that was why he came in Jesus and why he is present as Holy Spirit today. God’s stand against oppression is his affirmation that all men have a common humanity in freedom. This means that I cannot be free until all men are free.” –James Cone on Black Liberation Theology
Mr. Cone says that the reason for Christ’s appearing and the sending of the Spirit is because of oppression. Now depending on your definition of oppression this statement might refer to Isaiah's prophecy…
“ The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me,
Because He has anointed Me
To preach the gospel to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives
And recovery of sight to the blind,
To set at liberty those who are oppressed…” [Luke 4:18; Jesus quotes Isaiah 61:1]
The question of interest is Christ’s meaning of oppression. Is He more concerned about the outward oppression of groups of people or is His primary focus on the inward oppression of individual people?
What says the Scripture?
‘Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you’ [Matthew 6:33].
His kingdom is made up of individuals that are concerned with righteousness above all else. The things of this world that are necessary for life are not to be our priority. God has promised to supply these things to those whose priority is pursuing the kingdom.
Now this statement comes at the end of the Sermon on the Mount. The sermon describes members of the kingdom in terms of the attitudes of their heart and the way they live. The Beatitudes describe the Christian heart. The new man has a radical change in thinking. He rejects his own wisdom and submits his thinking to the revelation of God in the Scriptures. His outward behavior is affected in praying, giving, kindness, self-denial and humility. Grace has put to death his pride. Christ addresses the individual person.
In this sermon Christ addresses the issue of persecution…
“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you” [Matthew 5:10-12].
This assumes that persecution will exist. The apostle echoes this teaching, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God” [Acts 14:22].
What is to be the Christians response to persecution?
“…love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you…” [Matthew 5:44].
‘Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse’ [Romans 12:14].
Now this is where the power of the gospel is demonstrated among men. Not only has the Son of God given us a perfect example of these things, but all those who walk in newness of life have power over sin and grace to do those things that are pleasing to Him.
Mr. Cone has misunderstood the concept of oppression. Christ came to deliver men from their bondage to sin and its penalty of death, having triumphed over sin and death at the resurrection. Mr. Cone settles for a hollow message of temporal and physical deliverance rather than the spiritual and eternal salvation offered by the gospel of Jesus Christ.