“Hast thou faith? Have it to thyself before God.”  (Romans 14)

“All things are lawful unto me but all things are not expedient”  (1 Corinthians 6)

 

Christian liberty is an important topic in the Christ-ian’s life and experience.  A large number of Christ-ians begin their experience in a fundamental Baptist church. There is a reason for this.  The Independant, fundamental, King James only group, camp, or circle are one of the last churches that go door to door with their style of witnessing. Therefore it makes sense that they would have the greater amount of persons attending their services.
The fundamentalist church has a main focus on standards and thou shalt nots.  These standards, for the most part are not Biblical but man made.  They have replaced the laws of God with the traditions of man, thereby limiting a Christ-ians liberty, that was established by Christ Himself,  “Standfast in the liberty, wherewith Christ has made us free”  (Galatians 5).

Since many of us began in the church described above, it is important to write upon the believer’s liberty.  The truth is, the effects of the fundamentalist church can remain with a person for years and they will not be aware of it until it pops up out of nowhere.

In our texts above we find Paul teaching on this subject of Christ-ian freedom.  In Romans 14, the entire chapter is dedicated to liberty.  In the end of this chapter Paul asks us, Do you have faith (liberty)? Have it to thyself before God.  Augustine said something similar, “Love God and do as you will.”  The point in both is God. Paul tells us to enjoy of freedoms, keep them to thyself (as in they are no one’s business but your own…and God’s.  Augustine exhorts us with the same counsel,  Love God…and then do as you will.
Paul in 1 Corinthians 6 makes a bold proclamatiom, “All things are lawful unto me…”  “But all things are not expedient unto me.”  All things are allowed to Paul as they are to you and I…however they are not in our best interest.  If you have an addictive personality, you must limit yourself…but it is you that is limiting yourself out of a desire to serve and please God.

John the apostle also lays down a principle.  If your conscience does not bother you then all is well.  However, before one applies this principle one must make certain all is well between you and God; God and you.

Christ taught the same liberty.  Often time in the Gospels the Pharisee would seek to limit much of what Christ and His disciples did in their day to day activities.  Christ would eat with sinners and the Pharisee were on hand to judge.  Christ and the disciples would pick and eat corn on the Sabbath and the Pharisee were on hand to judge.  Christ and the disciples would eat with unwashen hands and guess who was present to condemn?
Christ’s reponded the same in each situation, He would correct the Pharisee in public and then go on doing as He was doing.

Before ending our study on liberty, let me speak on Peter and his dire warning.  Do not use your liberty as a cloak of lasciviousness [paraphased]. Our liberty is to show what Christ has won for us and not an opportunity to abuse it with sin.
As much as liberty allows us to act freely before God and man, it also allows us to NOT do things. Liberty allows us not to sin so freely but to obey God and to sin-less before Him in love.

Godspeed.