Christian Liberty #10

Driving home: God in Jesus Christ, through the gospel, has procured and offered to us a liberty that makes any civil liberty possible. To pale into insignificance.

The historical anecdote of Patrick Henry's 'give me liberty or give me death' speech is used to introduce the concept of liberty, contrasting civil liberty with the far greater spiritual liberty offered by Christ.

I'm quite certain that some of you have had the privilege that I have had in standing in that very room in Virginia, where the fiery orator Patrick Henry uttered his, his famous words, give me liberty or give me death. And while untold multitudes have died in our country and in others, in order either to secure or to maintain civil and religious liberties,

3:29 - 4:02 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not use your freedom as a staging area for the flesh, but through love, be slaving for one another.

The analogy of 'Mr. Libertine' and 'Mr. Legality' as two attorneys within the heart is used to represent the constant temptations to abuse Christian liberty (license for sin) or denigrate it (inadequate for sin).

But then I said we have a problem. The human heart, being what it is, is constantly at work because of remaining sin in the believer who has been set free with the promised gospel liberty, is constantly tending to abuse the most precious of God's truth. And I use the analogy of each of us having within our hearts two attorneys who have set up an office within us, and they are constantly pleading their case. One of those attorneys is Mr. Libertine, and the other is Mr. Legality.

7:38 - 8:15 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: He unpacks the first part of Galatians 5:1, explaining that Christ's saving work freed believers from the condemning power of the law and the Mosaic covenant, a freedom meant to…

The example of a dangerous felon wrongly imprisoned, then freed, only to be re-shackled, illustrates the absurdity of Christ setting someone free for freedom, only for them to return to bondage.

You're doing something stupid. Let me illustrate. Here's a man who's been in prison. He's been considered a dangerous felon.

26:42 - 26:49 Read in full sermon

The point: Do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.

The metaphor of a 'yoke' (used for animals or carrying burdens) is explained to represent the heavy burden of legalism and rules that Christ has removed, replacing it with His light yoke of loving service.

Do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You see the picture? You know what a yoke was? With animals, it was that wooden bar that put them both together to plow the same furrow, to drag the same cart.

39:17 - 39:38 Read in full sermon

The point: If in answer to that question [how to deal with guilt] you put anything between your guilty soul and a direct faith embrace of Christ, you have fallen out of your liberty in Christ.

A hypothetical story of a man sinning by looking at inappropriate literature at an airport kiosk is used to illustrate the legalistic tendency to delay confession and self-punish before approaching Christ for forgiveness.

I should never have walked by that literature kiosk in the airport. I stood where I shouldn't stand and before long I picked something off the rack. I shouldn't have done. I let my eyes.

49:47 - 50:03 Read in full sermon

The point: When you've sinned, go directly to Christ as your advocate, without wallowing in grief or trying to earn forgiveness through other means.

A hypothetical story of a wife defiantly speaking to her husband, despite his gentle approach, is used to illustrate the legalistic tendency to delay confession and self-punish before approaching Christ for forgiveness after sinning.

Should I pick on one of the ladies? You really have been trying, really working. I'm being a sweet, compliant, submissive wife. And God's helping.

52:46 - 53:00 Read in full sermon

The point: Don't get your habits all sorted out first; go to Jesus who can get them sorted out.

The biblical example of the man full of demons, whom Jesus instantly liberated, is used to assure unbelievers that Christ can deal with their deepest habits and chains, and they don't need to fix themselves first.

You don't get your habits all sorted out. You go to Jesus who can get them. If he can take a man so full of demons that nobody could bind him with a chain. He runs around the hills and the caves cutting himself and screaming and hollering. And in a moment break his chains and he sits clothed and seated in his right mind. What are your habits to such a savior? He can deal with your habits. You don't get them all fixed up first. Ah, but I've got this and that. Forget all. You say, Lord Jesus, anything that needs fixing in me, fix it. Now you can't come to Jesus and say, well, I know this is off ...

60:27 - 61:07 Read in full sermon