Christian Liberty. The latitude that we have to eat what we want, drink to what we
want, watch what we want etc, is not Christian freedom but an out working of it.
Christian Liberty
The latitude that we have to eat what we want, drink to what we want, watch what we want etc, is not Christian freedom but an out working of it. The liberty of the conscience is one aspect of christian liberty, not the whole of it. Christ freedom is what we talked last week and summarized well by Owen, "An holy and spiritual freedom from the slavery of sin, the bondage of death and hell, the curse of the law, Jewish ceremonies, and thraldom (slave) of conscience, purchased for us by Jesus Christ, and revealed to us by the Holy Spirit."
Foundation principle: 'God alone is the Lord of the conscience' (James 4:6; Romans 14:4; Gal 5:1) is also a confirmation of 'sola scriptura'
Implications of this principle: (Acts 4:19; 5:29; 1 Cor 7:23; Matthew 15:19) 1) freedom from the doctrines (belief) of men in anything contrary to God's word 2) freedom from the doctrines of men in anything not contained in God's word 3) freedom from the commandments (duty) of men in anything contrary to God's word 4) freedom from the doctrines of men in anything not contained in God's word A charge given concerning this principle: 1) to the Christian: to believe or obey is to betray true liberty of conscience (Col 2:20, 22-23; Gal 1:10; 2:3-5; 5:1) 2) To the teacher, to require: (Rom. 10:17; 14:23; Acts 17:11; 1 Cor. 3:5; 2 Cor. 1:24) 1) Implicit faith - to require someone to believe that a teaching is the Word of God without proof from the Scriptures 2) Absolute obedience - to obey as if the commands come from God himself 3) Blind obedience - to obey without Scripture proof that they are Is to destroy liberty of conscience
What about governing authorities (parents, bosses, civil authorities)? Rom. 13:5; Eph. 6:1; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-16. John Owen asks and answers a similar question, "Q. 7. Are we not freed by Christ from the magistrate’s power and human authority? A. No; being ordained of God, and commanding for him, we owe them all lawful obedience. Rom. xiii. 1–4; 1 Tim. ii. 1, 2; 1 Pet. ii. 13–15."
The Corruption of Christian liberty 1) its essence - using Christian liberty as a license to sin - Romans 6:1-2 2) Its fruits (Luke 1:74-75, Romans 14:9, Gal 5:13; 2 Peter 2:18, 21) 3) It's not a freedom to do nothing, but to serve.
"True liberty is not the right to live as we please, but the power to live as we ought. It is being delivered from the bondage of condemnation, Satan, sin, and men, so that the Christian is now free to serve God." - A.W. Pink
Duty of believers 1) To maintain Christian liberty 1) Regarding the law: Refuse to look to the law for justification or condemnation 1) It is the rule of our sanctification 2) Regarding man 1) Beware of those who may deceive (Eph 5:6, 2 Corinthians 4:8, 2 Thess 2:3)
2) Test all things (1 Thess 5:21) 3) Even the best of men are imperfect in knowledge (1 Corinthians 13:12). Let us not 'tie our boat to their ship'. Let us not place our faith in their authority. 2) Not to abuse Christian liberty. We abuse it when. . . 1) In the use of it, we cause grief to others (Gal 5:13; 1 Cor. 8:11) 2) Make void the law of God - we have been set free to serve God, not to be exempt for m such service. (1 Peter 2:16) 3) When we deny obedience to lawful authority, in things lawful. 4) When we only do what we feel like doing.
In closing, let us repeat, that Christian liberty is not only emancipation from sin and Satan, but it is deliverance unto the service of God: "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God * * he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant," that is, "bond-slave" (1 Cor. 7:19- 22). Freedom that does not issue in "keeping the commandments of God" is a delusion. "As free, and not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the bondslaves of God" (1 Pet 2:16). The greatest freedom is enjoyed by him who is most subject to the Law of God which is "holy and just and good." That is why God's Law is termed "the Law of liberty" (James 2:12), an expression which must be utterly unintelligible to the carnal mind, but one that is perfectly simple to the man who is controlled by the Holy Spirit. Anything short of this complete subjection to the Law is bondage. Let us not be deceived, then, by those who promise a spurious liberty, for "they themselves are the slaves of corruption" (2 Pet 2:19). Let us not be found "turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness" (Jude 4). Rather let us heed that word of the apostle Paul, "For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another" (Gal 5:13). Be these the breathings of our soul: Lord, my sweetest liberty is obedience to Thee; my highest freedom wearing Thy yoke; my greatest rest bearing Thy burden. O, how love I Thy Law after the inward man! I delight to do Thy will, O my God! The Lord grant unto us that we "being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life" (Luke 1:74, 75). - A.W. Pink
http://thirdmill.org/newfiles/aw_pink/aw_pink.Christian.Liberty.html
Nevertheless, it does mean that the believer is free from human authority when it usurps the place of divine authority (Matt. 15:9; Acts 4:19; 5:29; 1 Cor. 7:23). Two implications follow. First, we may believe human doctrines and obey human standards only insofar as they are consistent with God’s word (Gal. 1:10; 2:3-5; Col. 2:20, 22-23). Second, we should not require others to render implicit faith or blind obedience. That is, we should not demand another man believe and obey our teaching as biblical and divinely authoritative without seeking to demonstrate that such doctrines and commands are based on God’s word (Isa. 8:20; Acts 17:11; 2 Cor. 1:24; 1 John 4:1-6). - Robert Gonzales
The design and goal of Christian liberty is, rather, freedom to do what pleases God. The liberated Christian has become the “servant of righteousness” (Rom. 6:18, 22). . .To the contrary, the believer must as a matter of conscience acknowledge God-ordained human authority (Rom. 13:5; Eph. 6:1; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-16). - Robert Gonzales
