Gospel Gal Mama Bear Monday: Christian Liberty, the Weaker Brother or the Pharisee

Gospel Gal Mama Bear Monday: Christian Liberty,

the Weaker Brother or the Pharisee

Compiled by Joy Dudey and Marissa Namirr

Gospel Gal YouTube episode: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTwqK1LtTyE&t=414s&ab_channel=Marissa

This past weekend, Joy and I recorded an episode on Christian liberty. The topic is often misunderstood in the larger evangelical community. The focus is most often on behavior, conscience, preferences, what is allowed, what is indifferent? However, the Reformers' view was not primarily on the thoughts, motives, behavior of the Christian, but was first of all focused on the heart of Christ for sinners, union with Christ, and justification. It is from justification and union with Christ that our hearts change and flow forth with obedience to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who gave us so great a salvation. So in this episode, we first cite Calvin and Luther on justification leading to newness of life and freedom of conscience, liberty to obey for the first time. Then we moved into what it means to express Christian liberty, and how we exercise it in relation to our neighbors, the weaker brother, and the legalist.

Listen to Calvin, Luther, and the Apostle Paul on the liberty of the Christian being grounded in our justification.

Calvin: "Christian Liberty, the explanation of which certainly ought not to be omitted by any one proposing to give a compendious summary of Gospel doctrine. For it is a matter of primary necessity, one without the knowledge of which the conscience can scarcely attempt any thing without hesitation, in many must demur and fluctuate, and in all proceed with fickleness and trepidation. In particular, it forms a proper appendix to Justification, and is of no little service in understanding its force. "

Luther: "Justification is the key to Christian Liberty: “Therefore the first care of every Christian ought to be, to lay aside all reliance on works, and strengthen his faith alone more and more and by it grow in the knowledge, not of works, but of Christ Jesus, who has suffered and risen again for him.” Luther: Concerning Christian Liberty

Justification by faith alone in Christ alone is the key to understanding Christian liberty. In

justification we understand that Christ’s righteousness has been imputed to us. By being justified by faith alone in Christ alone, we are now free from the tyranny of sin and the condemnation of the law. We now understand that the primary way to please the Lord is to believe Him when He says that our sins are forgiven.

Luther says: "Now since these promises of God are words of holiness, truth, righteousness, liberty, and peace, and are full of universal goodness, the soul which cleaves to them with a firm faith, is so united to them, nay thoroughly absorbed by them, that it not only partakes in, but is penetrated and saturated by, all their virtue. For if the touch of Christ was healing, how much more does that most tender spiritual touch, nay absorption of the word, communicate to the soul that belongs to the word. In this way, therefore, the soul through faith alone, without works, is from the word of God justified, sanctified, endued with truth, peace, and liberty, and filled full with every good thing, and is truly made the child of God as it is said “To them gave he the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name” John 1:12"

Apart from justification by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, there is no Christian liberty. But with the benefits of Christ to us we are set free for new obedience as beloved sons of a most generous and gracious Father.

With this truth in view, we moved on to fleshing out this concept of Christian liberty in matters of conscience, matters indifferent and undefined for the New Covenant believer. Here, we made clear that these matters are not matters of the Moral Law or the ten commandments which are in perpetuity. For the believer, we always receive the Law in its first (moral) and third (normative) use. The second (civil/ceremonial) use has been fulfilled by Christ. Listen to the White Horse Inn episode cited in this Gospel Gal episode on this particular connection with Christian liberty.

With regard to Christian liberty and the weaker brother, Calvin and Luther have some very helpful direction.

Luther discusses the way in which we view our liberty as we consider our neighbors, both the weaker one and the legalist: "“A Christian man is the most free lord of all and subject to none; a Christian man is the most dutiful servant of all, and subject to everyone” - Martin Luther

“As Christ by His birthright has obtained these two dignities, so He imparts and communicates them to every believer in Him, under that law of matrimony..., by which all that is the husband's is also the wife's. Hence all we who believe on Christ are kings and priests in Christ, as it is said: "Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light." (1 Pet. ii. 9.) These two things stand thus. First, as regards kingship, every Christian is by faith so exalted above all things, that, in spiritual power, he is completely lord of all things; so that nothing whatever can do him any hurt; yea, all things are subject to him, and are compelled to be subservient to his salvation. Thus Paul says: "All things work together for good to them who are the called" (Rom. viii. 28 ); and also; "Whether life, or death, or things present, or things to come: all are yours; and ye are Christ's. (I Cor. iii. 22, 23.)”

And Calvin compares two ways of erroneous ways of thinking of Christian liberty. "...those who seriously fear God will hence perceive the incomparable advantages of a doctrine which wicked scoffers are constantly assailing with their jibes; the intoxication of mind under which they labour leaving their petulance without restraint. This, therefore, seems the proper place for considering the subject. Moreover, though it has already been occasionally adverted to, there was an advantage in deferring the fuller consideration of it till now, for the moment any mention is made of Christian liberty lust begins to boil, or insane commotions arise, if a speedy restraint is not laid on those licentious spirits by whom the best things are perverted into the worst. For they either, under pretext of this liberty, shake off all obedience to God, and break out into unbridled licentiousness, or they feel indignant, thinking that all choice, order, and restraint, are abolished. What can we do when thus encompassed with straits? Are we to bid adieu to Christian liberty, in order that we may cut off all opportunity for such perilous consequences? But, as we have said, if the subject be not understood, neither Christ, nor the truth of the Gospel, nor the inward peace of the soul, is properly known."

Finally, we discuss that from which we have been freed, in order to comprehend our liberty in Christ. It is in Christ that we have been delivered from all the power and penalty of sin. And further, we have been set free to obey the God who has loved us and given Himself for us. In light of this love, we go on to serve God and neighbor with a free and good conscience.

And we remember Paul's words to us on the liberty to which we have been called, and admonishes us to throw off the legalism that so readily undermines what Christ has accomplished for us.

"5:1 For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Take note! I, Paul, am telling you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. 3 Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to do the entire law. 4 You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. 5 For we eagerly await through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness. 6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love. (Epistle to the Galatians)

Sources:

1. Michael Horton: White Horse Inn episode: "The Law and Christian Liberty" 2. Martin Luther: Concerning Christian Liberty 3. John Calvin: The Institutes of the Christian Religion