Christian Liberty #08

Driving home: You see, in all of our hearts, even in those of us who are believers, there are two naughty, devious, clever advocates who are always pleading their cause.

Mr. Libertinism and Mr. Legalism are personified as 'naughty, devious, clever advocates' who constantly plead their causes in the believer's heart, illustrating the internal struggle with these two errors.

And I want us to consider together two great enemies of this exercise of our liberty in Christ. The two great enemies are libertinism or license or legalism. You see, in all of our hearts, even in those of us who are believers, there are two naughty, devious, clever advocates who are always pleading their cause. Did you know that?

8:15 - 8:43 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He distinguishes between internal freedom, which must never be surrendered, and the external exercise of liberty, which may be restrained for compelling reasons related to the…

Martin recounts his personal struggle with a broken dominant arm, detailing the frustration of simple tasks like washing hair, shaving, and tying shoes. This illustrates the internal knowledge of freedom (he was free to get a crew cut) versus the external restraint of exercising that freedom (he didn't, to avoid distracting from worship).

Anyone comes with shackles, I can look them straight and I say, Christ broke those things. Don't you dare put them back on me. Let me give you a silly illustration. I told my wife last night, I said, honey, I'm not sure if I'd use it.

20:26 - 20:36 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the negative injunction of Galatians 5:13, warning against using freedom as an 'occasion' or 'base of operations' for 'the flesh,' which refers to sinful human…

A quote from John Brown's exposition of Galatians 5:13 is used to highlight mankind's tendency to misapprehend religious truth and turn it to unintended purposes, setting the stage for the warning against abusing Christian liberty.

but through love the service of one another. Only here is the necessary exhortation. John Brown introduces his exposition of this verse with this very insightful comment. There's a strange disposition in mankind to misapprehend the meaning and tendency of religious truth, however plainly stated, and to turn it to purposes which it was never intended to answer, and which, when rightly understood, it obviously appears it was never intended to answer.

25:00 - 25:41 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin introduces the negative injunction of Galatians 5:13, warning against using freedom as an 'occasion' or 'base of operations' for 'the flesh,' which refers to sinful human…

The Greek word 'aphorme' (occasion) is explained using the analogy of a base camp for hunters or a military operation, illustrating how freedom can be used as an apparent legitimate 'base of operations' for something it was never intended to support (the flesh).

Now the two key words in this negative injunction are occasion and flesh. We've got to understand what they mean. The word occasion, aphorme, in secular Greek, is the word you would use if you were to describe that place where a group of of of of , hunters were going out for a hunt and they were setting up a base camp. The camp from which they would go out into the woods and to which they would return, that's the word you would use.

27:09 - 27:39 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Transitioning to the positive command, Martin explains that believers are to voluntarily 'enslave' themselves to one another, clarifying that this does not mean surrendering…

Before conversion, sinners are described as the 'lackey of the devil,' illustrating their complete enslavement to sin and Satan.

When you were in bondage to your sins, here you are, shackled with your sins, a slave of your lusts, and being a slave of your lust of the flesh and of the mind, Ephesians 2, you were the lackey of the devil. He's behind all of this, pushing the buttons. You are of your father, the devil, Jesus said. The lust of your father, it is your will to do.

40:22 - 40:44 Read in full sermon

The point: Voluntarily enslave yourself to fellow believers for their spiritual profit, even if it means denying legitimate desires and liberties.

The imagery of Christ breaking the chains of sin and throwing open the prison door is used to depict the believer's liberation, emphasizing that this freedom is for serving others outside the prison.

Every thou shalt not becomes, I will. That's the galling power of the law in an unregenerate heart. Slaves to a thousand things. Now Christ comes and he breaks the chains as we've seen.

40:58 - 41:12 Read in full sermon