Christian Liberty #01

Driving home: God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it, that is, the conscience, free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it.

Martin quotes the church's confession of faith (Chapter 21, Paragraph 2) to define Christian liberty as freedom of conscience from man-made doctrines and commands, providing a theological framework.

Now it is for this very reason that when this salvation is embraced from the heart, that the biblical teaching concerning a believer's liberty in Christ becomes a very treasured, very treasured, commodity. Now while this liberty is many faceted and is a blessed reality in those many facets, there is one aspect of that liberty that is generally associated with the words Christian liberty. It is that aspect which is highlighted in our own confession of faith. In chapter 21, paragraph 2, God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it, that is, the conscience, free from the doctrines and comm...

4:00 - 5:26 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it, that is, the conscience, free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it.

He lists common questions about music, movies, beverages, places, recreation, clothing, and makeup to illustrate the narrow sphere in which Christian liberty is often considered.

in relationship to what is called things indifferent, the adiaphora, that is, matters of behavior which are neither commanded or forbidden in the scriptures. Things concerning which, every child of God must make moral judgments and be persuaded in his own mind as to whether or not he or she should indulge in this or that activity. And when we hear the words Christian liberty, for many of us, those words immediately bring to our mind such things as what kind of music am I free or not free to listen to? What kind of music am I free or not free to listen to? What kind, if any, movies am I free to...

5:26 - 6:24 Read in full sermon

Driving home: God alone is Lord of the conscience and has left it, that is, the conscience, free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it.

Martin recounts a previous 18-sermon series on Christian liberty, launched during Christmas season debates, to explain why he is revisiting the topic with a broader focus.

For many of us, the words Christian liberty most frequently bring us into that very limited, narrow sphere of concern. Now, granted, these and similar concerns are a subset of the biblical doctrine of Christian liberty, but they are certainly not the whole of it or even the major part of it, much less the foundation of it. Now it was nine years ago that I preached a series of 18 sermons followed by one adult class discussion on the doctrine of Christian liberty. That series was launched as we approached a Christmas season and we had people with differing convictions, should I or should I not c...

6:44 - 8:12 Read in full sermon

The point: Help me not to sin by being critical of sermon length, and I'll try to help you understand the Word of God.

He humorously anticipates and addresses potential listener complaints about the length of his sermon series, revealing his personal struggle with irritation when his commitment to thorough exposition is questioned.

And I'm constrained to enter into this series of sermons that at this juncture I think will be somewhere or other in the future. I've read around 10 or 12 messages. Now, I know what some of you are thinking. Oh, yeah, it'll end up 20.

8:35 - 8:47 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and address the growing misunderstanding and wretched, carnal abuse of Christian liberty in the church and school.

Martin mentions rereading Calvin's Institutes and John Brown's commentaries, noting that these treatises consistently recognize the doctrine of Christian liberty is often abused and made a license for sin.

And secondly, I'm doing so out of deep pastoral concerns that there is a growing measure of a misunderstanding and a wretched, carnal abuse of the biblical doctrine of Christian liberty in this church. And I understand you struggle with it in the Trinity Christian School as well. Now, this is no new thing. There is no treatise on this doctrine that I have read, and I reread Calvin's two treatises, his original Institutes, of 1536, and then his fuller treatment of 1559.

10:10 - 10:55 Read in full sermon

The point: Recognize and address the growing misunderstanding and wretched, carnal abuse of Christian liberty in the church and school.

He quotes his church's confession (Chapter 21, Paragraph 3) which warns against using Christian liberty as a pretense for sin, reinforcing the danger of misuse.

And then I've read some 60 pages of John Brown's treatment of it in his commentary on 1 Peter, and further his comments on it in Galatians, material that I've read in the past, reread it all, seeking to bring my mind afresh into contact with these realities. And not a one of these treatises, including our own confession, treats the doctrine without the recognition that it is often a doctrine that is abused and made a license for sin. Paragraph 2, I read to you, God alone is Lord of the conscience, and it is free from man-made doctrines and man-made rules of behavior. But paragraph 3 says this,...

10:55 - 12:21 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And I'm convinced that there are people sitting here today who sport their so-called Christian Liberty, who are doing nothing but cranking their gilt-colored etched chains of bondage.

Martin uses the Puritan analogy of Adam having a large belt to which all humanity is hooked, and his own imagery of being 'piggybacked upon Adam,' to illustrate humanity's solidarity and shared fall in Adam.

Verse 12, Therefore, as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death passed unto all men for all sinned. When did all sin? All sinned in our first father, Adam. As the old Puritan likened the illustration that Adam has a large belt and hooked onto it is every man, woman, boy or girl in the race of humanity.

17:10 - 17:41 Read in full sermon

Driving home: And I'm convinced that there are people sitting here today who sport their so-called Christian Liberty, who are doing nothing but cranking their gilt-colored etched chains of bondage.

He uses the metaphor of spray-painting and etching 'C.L.' (Christian Liberty) onto chains of bondage to illustrate how people falsely claim liberty while remaining enslaved, without truly breaking the chains.

Five massive chains by which every single one of us is bound by nature. And as we work through the biblical description of these chains, and you sit there and say, Well, I don't feel them. That's part of being chained. That you don't feel them.

19:06 - 19:27 Read in full sermon

The point: Never go back and serve your old master (sin) in any way after being liberated by Christ.

Martin provides vivid examples of how eyes, ears, mouth, hands, sexual organs, and feet are presented as instruments to serve sin, illustrating the 'existential slavery' to sin.

He says you presented your members instruments of unrighteousness to sin, your master. When sin said, give me your eyes to be the inlet of envy. We said, yes, master. Give me your eyes to be the inlet of lust.

26:41 - 26:59 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not worship the world or bow at its shrine to take moral dictates from it; take them from God's holy word.

He refers to 'the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the vain glory of life' (1 John 2:16) as the 'world's trinity' to illustrate the objects of worship in worldly slavery.

Slaves to the world. And in our slavery and bondage to the world, we swear our allegiance to the world's trinity. You know who the world's trinity is? 1 John chapter 2, verse 15.

32:55 - 33:13 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He argues that humanity, by sinning, aligned with the devil, becoming his slaves. This is evidenced by fulfilling the devil's desires and being influenced by the 'prince of the…

He gives the example of someone feeling compelled to see a movie to avoid the 'frown of my peers of the world,' illustrating how the devil uses worldly standards to maintain slavery.

When he's got you cowering and bowing, bowing to the world. Haven't lived if you don't see this movie, says the world. And when you say, oh, I dare not appear among my peers. And when they say, have you seen this movie?

42:30 - 42:49 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He argues that humanity, by sinning, aligned with the devil, becoming his slaves. This is evidenced by fulfilling the devil's desires and being influenced by the 'prince of the…

He uses the metaphor of 'the whole world is lying in the lap of the evil one,' like Samson on Delilah's lap, to vividly portray humanity's natural, unsuspecting slavery to the devil.

The whole world is lying in the lap of the evil one. The whole world is like poor Samson asleep on Delilah's lap. That's the picture. That's reality.

46:24 - 46:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He argues that humanity, by sinning, aligned with the devil, becoming his slaves. This is evidenced by fulfilling the devil's desires and being influenced by the 'prince of the…

He describes the devil coming to Adam and Eve with a promise of greater liberty while holding a chain behind his back, illustrating the deceptive nature of sin and the devil's true intent to enslave.

That's who you are by nature. That's who I am by nature. The devil who came to Adam and Eve in the form of a talking serpent came with the promise of a greater liberty than that which God had promised and given. All the while he held a chain behind his back seeking to take God's free son and make him his slave.

46:41 - 47:08 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not talk about Christian liberty regarding 'things indifferent' until you have confronted and been liberated from the foundational realities of slavery to sin, the world, the devil, self, and the fear of death.

He compares a drug addict's temporary, false sense of freedom to the bogus freedom offered by anything other than Christ, highlighting the return to harsh reality after the 'fix.'

It's fake. It won't do it. It may give you some sense of freedom. Like the person that sticks the needle in his arm and floats off into la-la land under his drug-impulsed dreams.

60:25 - 60:39 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not talk about Christian liberty regarding 'things indifferent' until you have confronted and been liberated from the foundational realities of slavery to sin, the world, the devil, self, and the fear of death.

Martin quotes a hymn (likely 'And Can It Be That I Should Gain') to express the experience of spiritual liberation from sin and nature's night, emphasizing the breaking of chains and finding freedom in Christ.

No good if misplaced. That's where they belong. It's only when we can say and I was thinking of the words long my imprisoned spirit lay fast bound by sin and nature's night. That's what it was.

62:24 - 62:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Yield up your sword and be made Christ's captive to truly know Christian liberty.

He quotes another hymn to illustrate the paradox that true freedom comes through yielding to Christ as captive, conquering self by surrendering to Him.

Make me thy captive Lord and then I shall be free. Force me to render up my sword and I shall conquer me. Ah, my friend until you've yielded up your sword and been made as captive you'll never know Christian liberty. You'll never know it.

63:09 - 63:31 Read in full sermon