Soul Liberty/Priesthood

Text: 1 Timothy 2:3–6

Soul Liberty, Separation of State and Priesthood of the Believer - The holy trinity of the Free Soul.

Soul Liberty really ties into Priesthood of the Believer and Separation of Church and state. We have Soul Liberty because before God we are Responsible to him. Which then leads us to Separation of Church and state.

Individual Soul Liberty

Definition: Individual Soul Liberty (or “soul competency”) is the belief that each person has the right and responsibility to respond to God directly, according to the dictates of their own conscience, without coercion from others (including church or government).

Key ideas:

• Every individual is morally and spiritually accountable to God.

• No human authority (pastor, priest, church, or government) can force belief or dictate personal faith.

• This liberty does not imply that all beliefs are equally true—it means each person is free to believe, but also accountable to God for what they believe.

• Closely tied to religious freedom and separation of church and state.

The Doctrine of Soul Liberty means we are free from the traditions of men, personal opinions and judgments of others, and coercion from state or religious authorities.

This doctrine also known as freedom of Conscience. Worthy religion rests on the conviction that the individual soul is competent to deal directly with God, and has the right and need of this direct dealing. To deny any soul the full exercise of this privilege is to deprive the individual of his inherent and most sacred right, and to violate his dignity and worth as a human being. Every form of coercive restraint or constraint of man in his converse with God is both a sin against the individual and a hindrance to human welfare.

- Henry Cook

Priesthood of the Believer

Definition: The Priesthood of the Believer is the belief that every Christian has direct access to God through Jesus Christ, without the need for a human mediator (such as a priest), and can perform spiritual functions like prayer, Bible study, worship, and even intercession for others.

Key ideas:

• All believers are spiritual priests with direct access to God.

• Emphasizes responsibility in ministry—believers can teach, witness, pray, and serve one another.

• Encourages active participation in the life and mission of the church.

• Undermines hierarchical clergy systems.

Scripture references often used:

• 1 Peter 2:5, 9 — “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood… Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood…”

• Revelation 1:6 — “[Christ] hath made us kings and priests unto God…”

• Hebrews 4:14–16 — Believers have access to the throne of grace through Christ, our High Priest.

How They Work Together in Baptist Theology:

• A Baptist might say: “I am free to read the Bible and believe as I am convicted by God (Individual Soul Liberty), and I can do so because I have direct access to God through Christ (Priesthood of the Believer).”

• Together, these doctrines defend both religious freedom and spiritual equality within the church.

CIT:  God Wants You — Not Religion, Not Ritual, But a Relationship Through Christ

Text: 1 Timothy 2:3–6 (KJV)

Theme: God desires a personal relationship with each person through Jesus Christ—not through religious systems, state coercion, or human mediators.

Proposition: Salvation is available to all, and each person must freely respond to the truth of Christ for themselves.

Have you ever had someone try to speak for you, or make a decision on your behalf—without even asking what you really wanted? It’s frustrating. And when it comes to your soul, your faith, and your eternity, God does not let anyone else make that decision for you.

In 1 Timothy 2:3–6, we find one of the clearest, richest declarations of God’s heart—His desire to know you, redeem you, and have a relationship with you directly through Jesus Christ.

I. God Desires a Relationship with Every Person (v. 4)

“Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”

This is no hidden will. This is the heart of God laid bare. He desires all men—not just the educated, not just the moral, not just those born into Christian families or under Christian governments. All means all.

He doesn’t want robots or rituals.

He doesn’t demand a national religion or church attendance without faith.

He wants a relationship.

Not through compulsion.

Not through tradition.

But through truth—“the knowledge of the truth.”

Each person must come to this knowledge freely. God does not save nations—He saves souls.

II. There Is Only One Mediator Between God and Man (v. 5)

“For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

This is the doctrine that changed the world at the Reformation—and it’s still under attack today.

Notice what it does not say:

It doesn’t say there are many ways to God.

It doesn’t say there is one church as mediator.

It doesn’t say you need a priest, pastor, saint, or system.

It says there is one Mediator—the man Christ Jesus.

You don’t need permission from a priest to talk to God.

You don’t have to confess to a man to be right with God.

You don’t need the government to legalize your faith.

You need Jesus, and Jesus alone.

This is the priesthood of the believer. You have direct access to God because of Christ’s finished work.

III. Christ Paid the Price to Make the Relationship Possible (v. 6)

“Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

There’s no other ransom. No payment plan. No works to complete it.

He gave Himself—voluntarily.

He paid for all—completely.

He finished the work—fully.

And this gift is not passed down by family, or guaranteed by the state, or received by ritual. It must be testified—personally believed and proclaimed.

The cross wasn’t for an institution. It was for individuals. For you.

Application: What Does This Mean for You Today?

You must respond personally.

Your parents, pastor, or government cannot believe for you. You must come to the truth of Christ yourself. That is individual soul liberty—your soul belongs to God, not to another man.

You can go to God directly.

You don’t have to go through a priest or a religious system. You have a living Mediator—Jesus Christ. That’s the priesthood of the believer.

You are accountable.

Because you’re free to choose, you are also accountable. You must give an account for what you do with the truth.

The God of the universe wants you. Not through religion, not through ritual, and not through someone else’s faith—but through Jesus Christ, who died and rose again to ransom your soul.

There is one God.

There is one Mediator.

There is one ransom.

And there is one you—whom God loves and calls to Himself today.