On Christian Liberty

Introduction: “You keep using that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”

Body:

Some Definitions

What Christian Liberty Is and Isn’t

“God alone is Lord of the conscience, and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it.” 1689 London Baptist Confession Chapter 21 Paragraph 2.

Commandments

Doctrines

Christian liberty does NOT pertian to doctrines and commandments that are expressly laid out and defined in the scriptures.

First-order doctrines

Essential doctrines

You are not free to believe whatever you want to believe about the doctrine of the Trinity. God is one God who has eternally revealed Himself in 3 Persons, the Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit. You are not free to reject that teaching.

The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus

Justification by Faith.

There is no freedom with regard to the plain core teachings of the Christian faith. You are commanded to believe them, surrender yourself them, and embrace them with all of your heart.

Even some second-order doctrines

For example, christians of good will can dissagree about the meaning practice of speaking in tongues.

But despite those disagreements, you cannot disrupt our worship by standing on your chair and babbling loudly in the middle of the service, because God’s word is clear in 1 Corinthians that the worship service is to be carried out decently and in order.

For example, Christians of good will can disagree about who specifically can and cannot receive communion on a given Lord’s Day.

But you cannot serve communion to your unbelieving children here. Again, 1 Corinthians is clear that communion is for believers, and elders of our church have a duty to guard the table. It’s a second order doctrine, not required for salvation, but continuity with regard to that doctrine is required for the unity of our church.

Clear Commandments

You are not exercising Christian liberty of you are committing adultery on your wife. You don’t have the freedom to do that because scripture has made clear that to do so is a sin.

You are not free to live a life of drunkenness and rank sexual immorality.

YOu are not free to exercise self righteous judgemnt over your brother.

You are not free to skip the assembly of the saints on the Lord’s Day.

THese are things that are explicitly either commanded or forbidden in the scripture.

Christian Liberty pertains to:

Most Second and Third Order Doctrine

For example, end times theology.

Christ will return, physically, bodily, and there will be a future resurrection.

But the specific details of when, where, and how this will happen are one of the more complex aspects of Christian theology.

Christians of good will have disagreed over the years, and there is much room for freedom here.

Matters of Christian living that are not explicitly laid out in scripture

Head Coverings

Secular Music

Consumption of Alchohol .

Who is the Weaker brother

Misinformed conscience

Insists others come into alignment with his personal theology or scruples with regard to matters on which the scripture is not clear.

Who is the Stronger Brother

Rightly informed conscience

Mature enough to allow space for the weaker brothers scruples.

Requires both of these things.

The Tyranny of the Weaker Brother (5 Things)

The Weaker brother is prone to pass judgment (v13)

The Weaker Brother is More Strict Than Christ (v14)

The Weaker Brother is Prone to Confusing The Kingdom of God with Eating and Drinking (v17)

The Weaker Brother Struggles to Approve Those who Reject their Scruples as Approved by God (v18)

The Weaker Brother seeks to Bind the Conscience of others

The Tyranny of the Stronger Brother (6 Things)

When the stronger brother is being tyranical with this freedom he is not actually being the stronger brother.

The Stronger Brother is prone to set a stubling block

The Stronger Brother is prone to sacrifice the spiritual wellbeing of his brother for the sake of his liberty (v15)

The Stronger Brother is sometimes causes that which is good to be spoken of as evil

When a brother is scandalize by our liberty, and they begin to question their faith, or the conscience is seared on account of our liberty, we have allowed the good gift of God, our liberty, to become a tool in the hands of the Enemy.

The Stronger Brother is tyranical when he does not accept the weaker brother, even thought weaker brother is accepted by God ( v18)

The stronger brother is tyranical when he destroys the work of God for the sake of his liberty.

It is WRONG, the Apostle says here, to make another stumble for the sake of your liberty.

Principles for Walking in Liberty

Judge yourself first (13)

Seek the Truth First (v14)

Put your brother first (v15)

He’s accepted by God (v18)

Put the Kingdom first (v17)

Prioritize righteousness, peace, Joy, and walking in the Spirit.

Don’t major on the minors. Focus on the things that matter most FIRST.

Prioritize Love and Faith (vv22-23)

Conclusion: