20.1 Section I
Section I.–The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; as also in their free access to God, and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love, and a willing mind. All which were common also to believers under the law; but under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish church was subjected; and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of.
Exposition
Civil liberty is justly esteemed an invaluable privilege and no sacrifice is deemed too great in order to recover it when lost, or to secure it when enjoyed. But valuable as civil liberty is, it cannot be questioned that the liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free is much to be preferred. In proportion to the value of the soul above the body, so must the liberty that respects the one surpass that which merely relates to the other. Those whom Christ makes free are free indeed.–John viii. 36. Christian liberty may be considered, either as common to believers in every age, or as a special immunity of the children of God under the New Testament dispensation. That liberty which is common to believers in all ages consists in their freedom–
1. From the guilt and the dominion of sin. By the guilt of sin is meant an obligation to suffer eternal punishment on account of sin. From this believers are freed by an act of pardoning mercy, which is passed upon the ground of Christ’s blood. "They have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."–Eph. i. 7. But sin is not only accompanied with guilt, it also exercises a rigorous dominion over the sinner. From the reigning power of sin Christ delivers his people in the day of their regeneration; and although sin still dwells in them, its power is gradually weakened in their progressive sanctification, and its very being shall in due time be abolished. Hence the Apostle Paul thus addresses believers: "Sin shall not have dominion over you." "Being made free from sin, and become servants unto God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life."–Rom. vi. 14, 22.
2. From the condemning wrath of God. To the wrath of God all men are naturally obnoxious. Being children of disobedience, they are also children of wrath.–Eph. ii. 2, 3. But, upon the ground of the righteousness of Christ imputed to them, believers are completely freed from divine wrath. "There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus."–Rom. viii. 1. God may hide his face from them, but his judicial wrath is for ever turned away from them.–Isa. liv. 9,10; Rom. v. 10.
3. From the curse of the law as a broken covenant. Under that curse all men lie naturally; for it is written: "Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them."–Gal. iii. 10. But Christ, having endured that curse as the Surety of his people, delivers from it all who are found in him. Hence the Apostle Paul saith: "Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us."–Gal. iii. 13. Though believers are under the moral law as a rule of life, they are completely freed from it as a covenant of work - freed from both its commanding and condemning power; and, therefore, they cannot be subjected to its curse on account of their transgressions. "Ye are not under the law, but under grace."–Rom. vi. 14. "Now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held."–Rom. vii. 6.
4. From this present evil world. The world is another tyrannical master, under whose power and influence all men naturally are. But believers are freed from the power of this fascinating and destructive foe. This freedom Christ has obtained for them, and bestows upon them. "He gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." - Gal. i. 4. Through the powerful influence of his cross, believers are crucified unto the world, and the world unto them.–Gal. vi. 14.
5. From bondage to Satan. All men are by nature the captives of Satan, who is, therefore, called "the god of this world." Having taken them in his snare, they are become his prey, and are "taken captive by him at his will." But Christ "was manifested to destroy the works of the devil;" and "through death he destroyed him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." In the gospel he proclaims liberty to the captives (Isa. lxi. 1); and, in the day of their effectual calling, he actually delivers his people from the power of Satan.–Col. i. 13. While in the present world, indeed, they are exposed to the assaults of this adversary (1 Pet. v. 8); but he shall never regain his dominion over them, and, in due time, they shall be completely freed from his temptations, and placed beyond the reach of his influence; for the promise is: "The God of peace shall bruise Satan under your feet shortly."–Rom. xvi. 20.
6. From the evil of afflictions. Christ does not grant to believers an entire exemption from the troubles that are common to men, but he frees them from all the penal evil of afflictions. The cup of their affliction may be large and deep, but there is not one drop of judicial wrath mingled in it. Their afflictions are designed for their profit; and, through the divine blessing, they are rented, in various aspects, highly beneficial to them. Hence the children of God have often acknowledged that it was good for them to have been afflicted (Ps. cxix. 71); and, though they may sometimes be at a loss to perceive how their trials are to be rendered profitable to them, yet they have the fullest assurance that all things shall work together for their good. - Rom. viii. 28. See also Heb. xii. 6-11; 2 Cor. iv. 17.
7. From the sting of death. As death means the dissolution of the union between the soul and the body, believers are not exempted from its stroke.–Heb. ix 28; Ps. lxxxix. 48. Christ, however, delivers his people from death, considered as the effect of the law-curse, and the harbinger of everlasting destruction.–John xi. 25, 26. He has extracted the sting of death, and rendered it powerless to do his people any real harm.–1 Cor. xv. 56. Instead of doing believers any real injury, death has a commission to confer upon them unspeakable good. It is the termination of all their sorrows, their release from warfare, and their departure to be with Christ.–Phil. i. 21, 23.
8. From the victory of the grave. The bodies of believers must be laid in the grave, and see corruption. To them, however, the grave is not a prison, but a bed of rest; and they shall not always remain under the power of corruption, but shall be raised up, glorious and immortal, at the last day.–Job xix. 26, 27. "Now is Christ risen from the dead, and is become the first-fruits of them that slept."–1 Cor. xv. 20. His resurrection is the pledge and earnest of the resurrection of all that sleep in him. In due time the promise will be fully accomplished: "I will ransom them from the power of the grave; I will redeem them from death (Hos. xiii. 14); and "then the saying shall be brought to pass, Death is swallowed up in victory."–1 Cor. xv. 54.
9. From everlasting damnation. The full punishment due to sin is never inflicted upon any in this life, but at last "the wicked shall be turned into hell."–Ps. ix. 17. At the great day, a sentence of condemnation shall be solemnly pronounced upon them, and they shall be led away "into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels."–Matt. xxv. 41. But believers are secured against coming into condemnation, and are delivered from the wrath to come. - John v. 24; 1 Thess. i. 10. When the great day of God’s wrath is come, they shall behold and see the reward of the wicked; but it shall not come nigh unto them.
10. Believers have also free access to God. They have liberty of access to God as a gracious Father, and may pour out their hearts, and vent their complaints unto him, with filial freedom. "In Christ Jesus we have boldness and access with confidence, by the faith of him."–Eph. iii. 12.
11. Believers have freedom of spirit in the service of God. The obedience which wicked men pay to God is like that of slaves to a tyrant, whom they hate, and whose only motive to obedience is a fear of punishment. But believers are delivered from a slavish fear of wrath, and serve God from a generous principle of love, and with a willing mind. "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty."–2 Cor. iii. 17. See also Luke i. 74, 76; 2 Cor. v. 14; l John iv. 18. The liberty which has now been described, belonged to believers under the law, as well as under the present dispensation; but, under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians has been enlarged in several particulars, which are next to be briefly noticed.
1. Christians are now freed from the yoke of the ceremonial law. The Jewish Church was kept "in bondage under the elements of the world" (Gal. iv. 3); but that burdensome yoke is not imposed on the Christian Church.–Acts xv. 10. The ancient ceremonies were abrogated, in point of obligation, by the death of Christ; and though, for a time, the use of them was indifferent, yet, upon the full promulgation of the gospel, and the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem, the observance of them became unlawful; and the Apostle Paul exhorted Christians to "stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ had made them free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage."–Gal. v. 1.
2. Christians have now greater boldness of access to the throne of grace. The Apostle Paul frequently mentions liberty, confidence, and boldness, in their access to God, as an especial privilege of believers under the New Testament, in opposition to the state of those who lived under the Old.–See Heb. iv. 16, x. 19; 1 John iii. 21, iv. 17, v. 14.
3. Christians enjoy fuller communications of the free Spirit of God than were ordinarily granted to believers under the law. The Spirit had, no doubt, been dispensed to the Church under the Old Testament; but the more extensive and copious effusion of the Spirit was reserved to New Testament times. Hence the Spirit is said not to have been given before that Jesus was glorified.–John vii. 39. The plentiful effusion of the Spirit was frequently foretold as the great privilege of gospel times. Isa. xliv. 3; Joel ii. 28, 29. Accordingly, upon the ascension of Christ, and the commencement of the Christian dispensation, the extraordinary and miraculous gifts of the Spirit were communicated, not only to the apostles, but often to common believers; and the ordinary gifts and gracious influences of the Spirit are still conferred in richer abundance than under the former dispensation. Hence the Apostle Paul represents it as an eminent part of the glory of the New Testament dispensation, that it is "the ministration of the Spirit."–2 Cor. iii. 8.
How excellent is that liberty we have been describing! If civil liberty be highly prized, sure the glorious liberty of the children of God is eminently precious. Flow highly are believers indebted to the Lord Jesus Christ, who obtained this freedom for them at the incalculable price of his Own precious blood! Sure their hearts should overflow with gratitude to their generous Deliverer, who gave his own life a ransom for them. Since he has emancipated them from the most degrading servitude, and set them free from those cruel masters who formerly tyrannised over them, ought they not to take upon them his yoke, which is easy, and his burden, which is light? Every true Christian will reckon it his highest privilege, as well as his incumbent duty, to be the devoted servant of Christ, whose service is perfect freedom.