Christian Liberty #19

The point: Unless you're doing what you're doing or not doing what you're doing in total privacy, you must always ask another question. What will the impact of this be in the context of the others before whom I am seen to be exerci…

Martin describes his personal struggle with sweating while preaching and his temptation to wear a more comfortable Nehru shirt instead of traditional clerical attire. He explains that while he has the liberty to do so, exercising it carelessly would cause 'evil speaking' and prejudice people against the doctrine of Christian liberty, thus illustrating the second directive.

and I must always take into consideration these two questions, and now, will it in any way harm my weaker brother? Will it in any way cause the truth of my liberty to be evil spoken of and thereby discredit the doctrine of Christian liberty? I wrestled with a way to illustrate this that you would never forget, but I didn't do it. But let me tell you what I was tempted to do, all right?

23:52 - 24:24 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: An illustration is given of an elder's counsel to a church member suspected of having an alcohol problem, challenging him to abstain for three months to prove his freedom…

Martin recounts a situation where elders counseled a church member suspected of having an alcohol problem. They challenged him to abstain for three months to prove his freedom from addiction, demonstrating that true liberty includes the ability to say 'no' for compelling reasons, and that the inability to do so reveals a lack of true freedom.

And if I find that I've got the freedom to say no, I've got to say yes, and that's the only way I can validate to myself that I'm free. No, I may be demonstrating that I'm really not free. I can remember one time years ago there was a man in the church. The elders were persuaded he had a problem with alcohol.

46:40 - 47:00 Read in full sermon