I - Individual Soul Liberty

Introduction

Please turn with me to Romans 14:12. Romans 14:12.

As we do, let us do a quick review.

The Baptist are a back to the Bible People and because of that “B” we believe in Biblical authority in all matters of faith and practice. All creeds, councils, hierarchies, synods, popes, etc. The Bible is our only rule of faith and practice. The NT is the constitution for NT church government. The Bible must be interpreted in its historical-grammatical-cultural context.

“R” regenerate and immersed church membership. Before a person can become a member they must have asked Jesus to be their Savior and followed the Lord in believer’s baptism.

“A” our church is directly accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ as the churches of Asia in Revelation 2 and 3. We do not have any authority over us. We conduct our own business, worship, outreach, finances, etc. We answer to the Lord, not a fellowship. etc.

“P” priesthood of the believer. Each believer has equal standing before God in Christ.

“T” Two offices: Pastor and Deacon.

“I” Individual soul liberty.

“Individual soul liberty” sounds like a mouthful and perhaps an unusual combination of words. What does it mean.

Individual - each person no matter who they are.

Soul - conscience, what you believe before God to be right according to His Word

Liberty - freedom to choose what you do or believe.

The passage that encapsulates this teaching best is Romans 14:12 “12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

We have freedom of choice, but ultimately everything we believe and do will one day be judged by Jesus Christ. The final responsibility for what we do lies with ourselves, not anybody else.

In the Baptist Confession of 1611, we have this emphatic declaration: “The magistrate, by virtue of his office, is not to intermeddle with religion, or matters of conscience, nor to compel men to this or to that form of religion or doctrine; but to leave the Christian religion to the free conscience of every one, and to meddle only with political matters.… Christ alone is the King and Lawgiver of the Church and conscience.”

George C. Lorimer, The Baptists in History (Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1893), 85.

The idea that the state could not interfere with how a person was to practice his or her faith was foreign to the world at that time was unheard of and unconceivable to most. People were burned at stakes, drowned, tortured, and hunted like animals for not conforming to the doctrine of the established church whether Catholic or protestant.

So completely were the Baptists identified in the ecclesiastical mind with the doctrine of soul liberty that Dr. Some, a clergyman of the Elizabethan period, charges them with holding “that ministers ought to be maintained by the voluntary principle; that the civil magistrate has no right to make and impose laws on the consciences of men.” And Whitgift accuses them of teaching, that “the civil magistrate hath no authority in ecclesiastical matters; that he ought not to meddle in cases of religion and faith; and that Christians ought to punish faults, not with imprisonment, nor with the sword, nor corporal punishment, but only with excommunication.”

George C. Lorimer, The Baptists in History (Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1893), 87.

The teaching of individual soul liberty so ignored by some finds its foundation in Scripture and forms the bedrock of our nation. While initially scoffed at even by John Adams as a concept compared to asking the stars to change their courses, religious liberty found its way into our nations Bill of Rights. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” This enactment is so fully in keeping with a resolution adopted by the Baptist General Committee of Virginia in 1785, as to leave little question as to its source;”

George C. Lorimer, The Baptists in History (Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1893), 89.

Of the definitions of Soul Liberty, Kevin Bauder’s is the best I’ve found.

Soul liberty is not liberty to believe whatever one wishes to believe. It is liberty to believe what Scripture teaches. It is liberty to obey God.

Kevin Bauder, Baptist Distinctives and New Testament Church Order (Arlington Heights, IL: Regular Baptist Press, 2012), 84.

Soul liberty is not license to sin as the Apostle Paul strictly forbids. It is the personal responsibility to understand and obey God’s Word according to the dictates of their conscience.

P. The concept of soul liberty is a Bible principle.

D. As a Bible principle, Christians should respect each other’s right to believe the Bible how they believe it should be taught.

T. How do you as a member of Lake Baptist Church exercise soul liberty? Recogize you have...

Personal responsibility before God for your beliefs.

Perception from the Holy Spirit to understand God’s Word.

Pastors and People given by God to assist people in learning God’s Word.

Punishment by a local church may be practiced only to the extent of separation from the erring believer.

1. Personal responsibility before God for your beliefs.

Acts 17:11 “11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.”

Romans 14:12 “12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”

Explain

There are three major spheres of government: family, civil, and church of which every Christian is under. There is a responsibility every other person must exercise so that he need not be under the disciplinary judgment of any. That is self-government whereby we realize that we are individually responsible for our choices. We cannot blame or rely on another for our choices before God. (Ephesians 5:25; 6:1-4; Romans 13:1; Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18)

Not a forced conformity to a confession of faith or creed, but on that which is found in the New Testament Scriptures.

The teaching believes not a forced belief or conformity to any religion. However when the exercise of religion would do physical harm to another the civil magistrate has the God-given responsibility to execute justice. Romans 13:4 “4 For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

Paul called people who searched the Scripture noble. Why?

They were eager to learn what Paul taught them. The Bereans were excited to hear and took to heart what Paul said.

They judged what Paul said by the Scriptures. The Word search means to judge. The Bereans compared what Paul taught to their Bibles.

If we all stand accountable to God for what we hear and learn, we need to be attentive and put into practice what God’s Word says. Remember soul liberty is not the freedom to believe what I want, but is to believe the Bible the way.

Argue

In the day of judgment you will not be able to blame your upbringing, religious background, personality for the choices you made. God will hold you personally accountable for what you knew and judge you.

Illustrate: John the Baptist

A number of the Baptist authors of years past have recognized personal responsibility taught through the preaching of John the Baptist.And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.” Parental goodness, even parental covenant relationship to God, is not sufficient; the relation to God must be individual and personal.

“And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees; therefore, every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (Matt. 3:9, 10). Perhaps John had never heard the old saying, “Every tub stands on its own bottom,” but he was teaching that principle, nevertheless. John’s statement is in harmony with these other New Testament statements, “To his own Master he standeth or falleth,” and “so then every one of us must give account of himself to God.”

No recognition there of proxy religion!

William Dudley Nowlin, Fundamentals of the Faith (Roger Williams Heritage Archives, 1922), 209.

Apply

You will not be able to blame your pastor as a scape goat for your personal responsibility. I have a responsibility before God to lead you in truth, but you will one day ultimately you will give personally give account of what you did for God. I will not.

Dig into God’s Word for yourself and make it a habit to read and study his Word daily. Start small. Set a timer five minutes and read God’s Word and write a sentence that captures what God used to speak to you.

Memorize Scripture. (Psalm 119:11)

Don’t plead ignorance. You will be held accountable to know what the Bible on your shelf taught because you had the opportunity to read it. Oh the responsibility to God this generation will be held as many have access to God’s Word, but do not read it or obey it! (James 1:22-24)

Weigh what the Pastor and Sunday School teachers teach against the Word of God.

Ask questions if you don’t understand or write them down to ask at a convenient time.

Trust the Bible - Proverbs 30:5 “5 Every word of God is pure: He is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.”

You will not be able to blame your parents as your scape goat for personal responsibility. While yes, your parents are responsible to bring you up right, ultimately you are going to personally give account to what you did with Jesus and how you practiced your faith. (Eph. 6:4; Rom 14:12)

You will not be able to blame politicians for why you did not do this or that. The apostles stated boldly. Acts 5:29 “29 ...We ought to obey God rather than men.”

You will not be able to blame your peers.

Do not hang around people that encourage you to sin. (1 Cor. 15:33)

Get around wise people that will help you do right. (Prov. 13:20)

Please take personal responsibility like the Bereans for your soul’s destination.

Remember the words of John the Baptist. Repent! Turn from your sin, excuses, past guilt and throw yourself on the mercy of our gracious God. Psalm 145:18 “18 The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth.”

You must personally admit you are a sinner.

You must believe Jesus died for your sins and rose from the dead three days later.

You must confess him as your Savior.

John believed each person is individually responsible to God for what they did with the truth. Are you being responsible to follow God’s Word?

T. While we are all individually responsible for ourselves, God does not leave us without help. God gives us the Bible to guide us and the Holy Spirit to help us understand God’s truth.

2. Perception from the Holy Spirit to understand truth of God’s Word.

1 John 2:27 “27 But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.”

Explain

The Holy Spirit indwells every believer.

The anointing abides.

John 14:16 “16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;”

The Holy Spirit illuminates the Word of God to every believer.

Teaches you of all things.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit starts bringing conviction even before you have a chapter and verse for why. Then as you seek to follow him in his Word, he brings you to the

That is because he is the Spirit of truth.

John 16:13 “13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.”

James Rosscup nos four practical applications.

The Christian is not enslaved to tradition or dogma. The Holy Spirit is a personal resident truth-teacher who illumines and instructs believers. No longer are they stuck with whatever the church in the past decided to make authoritative. They can examine everything in the light of Scripture.

Every Christian can understand Scripture. One of the monumental accomplishments of the Reformers was the giving of the Bible back to the man in the pew. Through the preceding centuries, it was in the exclusive domain of the Roman Catholic Church and its priesthood. The story is told of a horrified Roman Catholic priest who said to Luther, “Martin, don’t you realize what would happen if every plough boy and shoemaker were permitted to read the Bible?” To which Luther replied, “Yes; we’d have more Christians!” Scripture is not a closed book to be understood only by the spiritually elite. Every believer can understand Scripture.

Through illumination, Bible study becomes personal communion with God. Scripture is God’s propositional revelation to man. It does not become revelation through illumination. The Spirit does, however, make the Word come alive through illumination.

Illumination produces joy. The hearts of the two disciples on the road to Emmaus burned with joy when Jesus explained the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:32). The Spirit’s enlightening work has the same effect.

Argue

The Catholic Church argued in the Dark Ages that only the clergy could understand God’s Word. The common people were forbidden to read it because supposedly they may misinterpret and misapply it. While it may have originally been a misguided attempt to guard the purity of the church it later became a vice to hide atrocities behind.

A non-believer does not have the Holy Spirit of God to understand Scripture. (1 Cor. 2:14)

However, God’s Word is powerful awakening and drawing those in the flesh to make a decision to trust Christ.

God through the Word bids whosoever will to believe His Son.

A person who is not saved can intellectually know what the Bible teaches, but they may not personally have Jesus as their Savior.

Illustrate

Apply

Personally take time to get to know God through His Word.

God will help you understand his Word.

Enjoy getting to know God through the Bible.

You will find joy as you learn what the Bible says and live it out in your life.

T. Sometimes though as you read there will be difficulties understanding passages. This is normal. God has given people to help us learn Scripture. The most significant person on a weekly basis may be your pastor. Teenagers, if you have Christian parents it will likely be them.

3. Pastors and teachers given by God to assist God’s people in learning God’s Word.

Ephesians 4:11–15 “11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; 15 But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:”

Explain:

The office of the Pastor is to help lead and guide the flock in the word

By Word and teaching (Eph 4:11, 14)

To effective Christian service in the church. (Ephesians 4:12)

By example he is followed with a prudent foresight of his direction, maturity in Christ. (Eph. 4:13; Heb. 13:7)

By moral responsibility the flock should follow their pastor as he follows Christ. (Eph. 4:13-15)

During the early church Apostles and prophets aided as well (1 Tim 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:11)

Fellow Christians are expected to exhort others daily using Scripture and teach.

Colossians 3:16 “16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”

Hebrews 3:13 “13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.”

It builds up each other.

It makes the simple wise.

Argue

To help understanding you must first understand yourself.

Illustrate: Parent birds often feed their babies through regurgitation. The food is put into digestable form for their babies.

Apply

Don’t be an island to yourself. God gave us the local church as a gift to every Christian. Go to church and be faithful to all its services. Make church a priority in your life.

I need church fellowship. It encourages me in my walk with Jesus.

We all need our church family more than we realize.

Pride and self-sufficiency will keep you from getting much out of the preaching. Be eager as the Bereans to learn.

Value the spiritual counsel of your pastor through the preaching of the Word, but as aforesaid do not blindly receive it, search the Scriptures in conjunction with the teaching.

Take notes on the preaching.

Follow along in your Bible.

Put into practice the teaching of God’s Word.

Put Scriptural principles to work in your life with personal convictions.

I may have different entertainment standards than you have.

I may have different dress standards than you have.

We all have the same scriptural principles and we must seek to be in submission to the Scriptural principles of God's Word.

Be encouraged by the Godly lives of other faithful Christians to live a life pleasing to God.

T. However, we know we live in a fallen world, sometimes a fellow believer falls into sin. What do we do to help them get right?

4. Punishment may be practiced only to the extant of separating from an erring Christian.

1 Corinthians 5:3–5 “3 For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, 4 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, 5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Explain

They will be disciplined out of the local church.

Unable to participate in communion.

Unable to rejoin the church fellowship until there is repentance of the moral wrong.

Unable to receive a favorable recommendation to another church for membership.

There will be desired restoration and prayer for the erring.

2 Corinthians 2:5–7 “5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all. 6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many. 7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.”

There is a deliverance of the erring one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh.

There is not a loss of salvation, but a loss of fellowship. 1 Corinthians 5:5 “5 To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”

Sometimes those disciplined out of the church may have been false professors even though the purity of the church is sought through a admitting to membership who have a salvation testimony and in obeyed the Lord in believer’s baptism. It appears this may have been the case with Hymenaus and Philetus because they taught there was no resurrection. (2 Tim. 2:17-18)

When is church discipline needed?

When a member is no longer living according to the articles of faith as held by the church. (Titus 3:10)

When a Church membership is intolerant of deviations from a church's doctrine, else membership is useless.

When a member is living in sexual sin. (1 Cor. 5)

When a member is walking disorderly or irresponsibly. (2 Thess. 3:6, 11)

What does church discipline do? It delivers a person to realm of Satan for the destruction of their flesh and helps encourage repentance so that the former may be escaped. (1 Cor. 5:5; 1 Tim. 1:20)

The problem with discipline historically in churches. They overstepped separation to torture and killing.

Those who believed in believers baptism were martyred for teaching that and not baptizing their babies.

There was not liberty to join a church that they felt was more Biblically aligned with what they believed. There was only the state church.

Baptist preachers were killed in England up to 1611.

In Colonial America Baptist preachers were exiled, imprisoned, and beaten for not being under the state church.

People were taxed to support the state church.

Giving is not to be coerced.

Giving is to be voluntary. 2 Corinthians 9:7 “7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver.”

More on the separation of church and state will be later as this is a baptist distinctive.

Argue

Doesn’t the person have the right to believe what they believe the Bible states. Yes. Therefore, membership in baptist churches are voluntary. Membership requires agreement with the doctrinal statement of the church.

Jude 3 “3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

What about 1 Corinthians 6 where Paul says church members should not take their wrongs to court, but before the church?

We should be willing to take wrong. 1 Cor 6:7

We should not be defrauding/stealing from a brother. 1 Cor. 6:8

In a case of persistent unlawfulness and unrepentance the believing offender should be disciplined out of the church.

What scriptural basis against violent discipline.

Roger WIlliams, the apostle of soul liberty gave the following scriptures.

Tares and Wheat (Matt. 13:30, 38)

Blind leading the blind. (Matt. 15:14)

Fire on the Samaritans (Luke 9:54-44)

The Gentle servant of the Lord. (2 Tim. 2:24)

Swords to plowshares (Mic. 4:3-4)

Bless persecutors (Matt. 5:44)

Illustrate

McDaniel “The People Called Baptists” “Baptists contend that there can be no coercion in matters pertaining to conscience. God himself does not force men. Religion is purely voluntary. The civil power can make a nation of hypocrites and infidels, but not one Christian. What havoc has been wrought by a disregard of this principle! Calvin burned Servetus at the stake near Geneva and Melancthon approved the crime. Luther persecuted the Baptists of Germany. Louis XIV revoked the edict of Nantes, closed all the Protestant churches, and outlawed the Hugenots. No sooner had the Netherlands repelled Philip II and the Catholic persecution than the Protestants turned upon each other. The Calvinists, led by Prince Maurice, executed the venerable John Barneveldt, and condemned to life imprisonment her greatest historian, Hugo Grotius, upon the charge that he supported religious toleration. England kept John Bunyan twelve years in prison because he would not conform to the established worship. The most shameful chapter of American history is that which records the persecutions of Baptists for conscience sake. In Massachusetts, Obadiah Holmes was whipped on Boston Common; Clark was imprisoned and Roger Williams was banished. In Connecticut the choicest lands of the Baptists were sold to build a church and support a ministry in which they did not believe. In Virginia they imprisoned Lewis Craig in Spotsylvania, William Webber in Chesterfield, James Greenwood in King and Queen, John Shakleford in Essex, John Waller in Middlesex, and John Ireland at Culpeper for preaching the gospel. Yea, they confiscated the property of Baptists to support a worldly and profligate ministry of the (Episcopalian) establishment. The Baptists have ever fearlessly denounced the unholy union of Church and State and proclaimed the right of every man to worship God as he chooses. Their principles will not allow them to persecute. They have never shed any blood but their own, nor can they ever shed blood if they have the power. The moment one began to persecute, that moment he would cease to be a Baptist.”

Apply

In all things not contrary to his conscience, the member should submit to the Church, but in all questions of faith and conscience he should do what he honestly believes to be right, whether the Church, in the exercise of administrative function should commend, or condemn him. - Hiscox, Note 17, 151-2.

There may be people you must choose not to be around because they cause you to fall into sin instead of helping you avoid the deceitfulness of sin.

If discipline is needed in a church, people are not to gossip, but to bring it privately to the offender. If that doesn’t work then with another witness or two. If that doesn’t work, it is brought to the church.

Be gracious with people who don’t believe identical to you.

There is broad applications to the principles of God’s Word. Not everyone is going to fit into your cookie cutter.

Yet, as you follow Christ and do so graciously you will likely be used of God to help people walk in a more godly fashion.

Always strive to live as holy as you can for God while at the same time being very gracious to those around you.

Conclusion

Soul Liberty is a great Baptist principle that recognizes we each will give account of ourselves to God. This principle has encouraged led Bible study with the promise of the Holy Spirit’s aid in understanding. It encourages us as believers to help one another in our Christians walks and to listen to the pastor and teachers at church. It also reminds us that as a church we can not punish members who walk disorderly greater than separation.

Take your walk with God seriously. Know what your Bible says. You don’t have soul liberty to disobey God’s Word. You will be judged by God for that. You have liberty to obey God’s Word according to your conscience.

Salvation, baptism, church-membership, personal sin to confess. Come to God and deal with it in prayer and then tell your decision to someone who can help keep you accountable.