A few thoughts on liberty in Christ

Following on our earlier conversation, it occurs to me that I used the expression "liberty in Christ" without really talking about is as a principle. I just sort of assumed it. We should probably take a few moments to consider what scripture says about about liberty in Christ.

Galatians 5:1 tells us we are to "stand fast"  in the liberty we have in Christ. It sounds odd to say it, but liberty in Christ is non-negotiable. As men and women in Christ Jesus, we may or may not actually practice certain liberties. But we don't have the right to abandon the liberty of our position: we have been set free in Christ, and we do not have the right to allow ourselves to fall into bondage.

Galatians 5:13 goes on to say that we have been called to liberty. If we are not living as free men and women in Christ Jesus, we are not living up to our calling. I don't think we appreciate this enough: a gospel that doesn't include liberty in Christ Jesus is false gospel.

Galatians 5:13 then tells us that we're not to use our liberty as an "occasion to the flesh."  So here's a line we cannot cross: we must not allow ourselves to fall into the false gospel of liberty-less Christianity. At exactly the same time, we must not allow ourselves to use our liberty in Christ to give the flesh opportunities to do what it does.

There is a connection here with Romans 6:14–16. If we obey sin (and remember that "sin" in Romans 6 doesn't mean "sins," but is a master who wants us as slaves), then we find we become the slaves of sin. It is possible for us to take the liberty we have in Christ Jesus and use it in such a way that we find ourselves enslaved. 

Of course, Christians who take that as an excuse to deny liberty in Christ Jesus are really denying the Gospel. So we need to walk very, very carefully here. On the one hand, we mustn't disobey Romans 6:14–16 and lose our liberty in slavery to sin. On the other hand, we mustn't disobey Galatians 5:1, denying the Gospel by not standing fast in liberty.  

We've said this so many times, but it bears repeating: law is no remedy for lawlessness. Legalism born of fear that someone might use liberty as "an occasion to the flesh" is like burning down a barn to remove a rat infestation, or amputating a finger because of a hangnail. It's a cure that's much, much worse than the disease. It's denying Christ.

Whatever sin we fear someone might fall into, denying the liberty we have in Christ Jesus is worse. We should meditate very carefully on this. The one is a sin to be repented of, the other is spitting in the face of the Son of God. There is nothing worse than that.

Romans 14:1–3 clarifies that being called into liberty doesn't mean we must practice our liberty all the same way. Notice that it's possible for our individual practices to vary: some might eat meat, some might not, but both are to do it "to the Lord."  Some might drink alcohol, some might not, but both are to do it "to the Lord." 

To put it another way, Christ has set us free both to practice and to not practice our liberty. A believer might not drink alcohol, another believer might have no problem drinking. We are forbidden from saying that the one is more spiritual than the other (Romans 14:3, 13). 

Having liberty in Christ to smoke a cigar doesn't mean we must smoke cigars, to go back to Spurgeon's example.

I have known Christians who celebrated holidays like Christmas and Easter. I have known other believers who did not. We are free to "regard a day," and we are free to "esteem every day alike" (Romans 14:5–6). But we are not free to deny the Lord.  If one believer regards all days alike, he must not judge those who regard one day over another. If another believer regards one day over another, he must not look down on the one who esteems all days alike.

See, it's not sin to eat meat, or drink wine, or celebrate holidays. It is sin to deny our liberty in Christ.

Romans 14:14 makes two different statements, and we should be careful to observe them: " I know, and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean of itself." There is no excuse for a Christian not to know that nothing is unclean of itself. But don't always find ourselves persuaded. So if I recognize that something isn't unclean in itself, but I just can't find myself free before God to do that thing, then I shouldn't do it. But I mustn't sin by saying it's unclean in itself.

And many others have pointed out, if we can't do something in the name of the Lord Jesus, it's not one of the "all things" we should be doing.

So those are a few thoughts about liberty in Christ Jesus. Denying liberty in Christ is sin, but we aren't obligated to practice our liberty: we might find ourselves "not eating to the Lord" or "not drinking to the Lord."  

We must not allow ourselves to be enslaved once more by making liberty in Christ Jesus an occasion to the flesh.

We must not allow ourselves to be goaded into denying the Gospel by fear that someone might take liberty in Christ too far.

And above all, whether we eat or don't eat, whether we drink or don't drink, we must do it "to the Lord." We are to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him (Colossians 3:17).