What does liberty in Christ mean? Are there restrictions to how I exercise my Christian liberty?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

Christian liberty means the freedom believers have in Christ to live by faith, guided by the Holy Spirit, rather than being bound to the law for salvation. We can securely enjoy our Christian liberty, knowing that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross for our sins was and still is sufficient; we live under the law of grace now. In the New Testament, we see a lot of discussion surrounding Christian liberty and the ways in which it should and should not be used. Paul later communicates that Christian liberty means freedom from the Jewish law and its sacrificial system. Christian liberty also involves eternal life in Jesus, freedom from our former enslavement to sin , and the ability to do things in good conscience that are not against Scripture. While we have been given the incredible gift of Christian liberty, our goal should be to live a Christ-like life that is characterized by loving and serving other people, not seeking the fulfillment of our fleshly desires).

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• Liberty in Christ is specifically mentioned in the New Testament.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• Jesus commanded us in John 13:34, "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another." Our love for one another will cause us to want to restrict our own behavior so as not to hurt others, or "cause them to stumble."
• Christian liberty can be taken to mean freedom from the constriction of the Jewish law and sacrificial system. Romans 3:20 says that "through the law comes knowledge of sin." But the law can only expose sin and make us aware of it. The beginning of verse 20 says, "For by works of the law no human being will be justified," so it is clear that the law can take us to the knowledge of our sin but not do anything permanent about it.
• Christians are also freed from the power of sin. Romans 6:14 says, "For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace." We no longer are controlled by sin, but by the righteousness of God (Romans 6:18). Romans 6:23 also says: "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Our Christian liberty is ultimately eternal life in Jesus, freedom from the normal consequence of sin: death.
• Christian liberty also means that we have been freed to engage in any activity not expressly forbidden in the Bible. First Corinthians 10:23 says, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up." Verse 24 goes on to add the restriction, "Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor." In other words, in exercising our freedom, we must temper our actions with love.
• Galatians 5:13 makes it clear that our freedom should be used for Christ-like building up, not for self-centeredness or sinful actions: "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
• The law provided the sacrificial system whereby sin was covered, but the sacrifices had to be made every year. Jesus, on the other hand, shed His blood once for all—there is no need for a repeating sacrifice (see Hebrews 9:18–28). Christians are free from the structure of the law and the sacrificial system.

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Rather than leading a balanced life, we Christians often go to extremes with our freedoms. On one hand, we can be so reckless with our freedoms that we bring shame on Christ and His church by our actions. On the other hand, we can be so careful to avoid shaming Christ that we become legalistic and invent rules of behavior that are also not biblical. Both licentiousness and legalism are sinful. We must continually seek the will of God to determine what is the right way to exercise or voluntarily balance our liberty in each situation. Our goal as Christians should be to glorify God, build up the church, and draw others to Christ. The exercise of our freedom must support these goals.

UNDERSTAND

• Christian liberty means freedom from the constraints of the Jewish law and sacrificial system.
• Christian liberty frees believers from the bondage and consequences of sin, living under grace.
• Christian liberty is not a license to sin or live however we want; rather it frees us to live for God’s glory, to build up the church, and to reflect Christ to others so they might come to salvation.

REFLECT

• What does it mean to you to be freed from the bondage of sin and the restrictions of the law?
• How do you personally balance the freedom you have in Christ with the responsibility to live in a way that reflects His character and will?
• Have you ever used your Christian liberty in a way that caused harm to someone else’s faith or walk with God? What did you learn?

ENGAGE

• How can we encourage one another to exercise Christian liberty in ways that build up the church rather than give permission for selfish or sinful living?
• What are some examples of how our Christian liberty might conflict with cultural norms or expectations, and how should we respond?
• How can we better model a Christ-like use of freedom that leads others to salvation and glorifies God?