Topical Bible: Christian Liberty: The Gospel is the Law of

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Christian Liberty, as understood within the framework of the Gospel, is a profound concept that emphasizes the freedom believers have in Christ. This liberty is not a license for lawlessness but a call to live under the law of love and grace, as revealed through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Biblical Foundation

The concept of Christian Liberty is rooted in the New Testament, where the Apostle Paul articulates the freedom believers have from the Mosaic Law and the bondage of sin. In Galatians 5:1 , Paul declares, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be encumbered once more by a yoke of slavery." This verse underscores the liberation from the legalistic adherence to the Old Covenant, inviting believers to embrace the new life in the Spirit.

The Law of the Spirit

Romans 8:2 further elucidates this freedom: "For in Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set you free from the law of sin and death." Here, the "law of the Spirit" is contrasted with the "law of sin and death," highlighting the transformative power of the Gospel. The believer is no longer under the condemnation of the law but is guided by the Spirit, who empowers a life of righteousness.

Freedom from Sin

Christian Liberty also involves freedom from the dominion of sin. Romans 6:14 states, "For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace." This passage emphasizes that grace, rather than the law, governs the believer's life, enabling victory over sin through the power of Christ's resurrection.

Liberty and Love

The Gospel's law of liberty is intrinsically linked to love. In Galatians 5:13-14 , Paul writes, "For you, brothers, were called to freedom; but do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh. Rather, serve one another in love. The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" This teaching highlights that true Christian Liberty is expressed through love and service, fulfilling the moral essence of the law.

Liberty and Responsibility

While Christian Liberty frees believers from the ceremonial and civil aspects of the Mosaic Law, it also calls for responsible living. In 1 Corinthians 10:23-24 , Paul advises, "Everything is permissible, but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible, but not everything is edifying. No one should seek his own good, but the good of others." This guidance reflects the balance between freedom and responsibility, urging believers to consider the impact of their actions on others.

Liberty and Conscience

The Apostle Paul also addresses the role of conscience in exercising Christian Liberty. In Romans 14:22 , he states, "Keep your belief about such matters between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who does not condemn himself by what he approves." This instruction acknowledges the diversity of convictions among believers and encourages respect for individual conscience, provided it aligns with the Gospel's principles.

Conclusion

Christian Liberty, as the law of the Gospel, is a dynamic and liberating force that calls believers to live in the freedom of Christ. It is characterized by a life led by the Spirit, marked by love, and exercised with responsibility and respect for others. Through this liberty, believers are empowered to fulfill the law's true intent, which is love, while living in the grace and truth of the Gospel.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 1:25
But whoever looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

James 2:12
So speak you, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Jewish Christian Theology --I. James and the Gospel of Law.
... the harmony, the qualifying "perfect" and "liberty" to the ... Paul, on the contrary,
distinguishes the gospel as freedom ... and sums up the whole Christian life in ...
/.../history of the christian church volume i/section 69 the jewish christian.htm

Of Christian Liberty.
... us." "Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ ... to bring back into the
Christian Church those ... because the brightness of the Gospel was obscured by ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 19 of christian liberty.htm

On Christian Liberty
... the ceremonial law must be joined to the gospel, even by those Christians who had
previously been Gentiles. XI. To this Fourth degree of Christian Liberty we ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 1/disputation 20 on christian liberty.htm

The Institutes of the Christian Religion
... THE PROMISES OF THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL RECONCILED. CHAPTER 18. THE RIGHTEOUSNESS
OF WORKS IMPROPERLY INFERRED FROM REWARDS. CHAPTER 19. OF CHRISTIAN LIBERTY. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/

"For the Law of the Spirit of Life in Christ Jesus Hath Made Me ...
... raise up a Christian's heart to aspire to a freedom and liberty from sin ... A Christian
looks to the pattern of the law, and the word of the gospel without, but ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon ix for the law.htm

The Positive Side
... them that are without Law" (1:Cor.9:19-22). The central thought of this passage
is how the apostle forewent his Christian liberty for the sake of the Gospel. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/pink/the law and the saint/the positive side.htm

Article xxviii: of Ecclesiastical Power.
... of meriting grace, are contrary to the Gospel, it follows ... is necessary that the doctrine
of Christian liberty be preserved ... that the bondage of the Law is not ...
/.../the augsburg confession of faith/article xxviii of ecclesiastical power.htm

The Law Established through Faith
... most usual ways of making void the law through faith ... of preaching Christ and magnifying
the gospel though it ... it would have been; or, that Christian liberty is a ...
/.../wesley/sermons on several occasions/sermon 36 the law established.htm

General Index of Chapters.
... 17. The Promises of the Law and the Gospel reconciled. 18. The Righteousness of
Works improperly inferred from Rewards. 19. Of Christian Liberty. 20. ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/general index of chapters.htm

St. Paul Quite in Accordance with St. Peter and Other Apostles of ...
... brethren who were the spies of their Christian liberty must be ... words, that the
difficulties of the law might be changed into the facilities of the gospel. ...
/.../tertullian/the five books against marcion/chapter iii st paul quite in.htm