No. A thousand time NO (I seriously considered copy/pasting "no" 1,000 times.)
Liberty is about Removing Chains
The biggest problem with people's view of Christian liberty, is that they view it as a license to do things that other Christians might not approve of. For example, they use this title as an excuse to watch raunchy movies, read books that satisfy their sex drive, get drunk, or "little things" like use their time how they wish and talk to/ignore whomever they wish.
Liberty is about being set free from chains. It's not an excuse to do things.
Galatians 5:1 says, "Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do nto be entangled again with a yoke of bondage."
That was the New King James Version. Here is the average person's paraphrase:
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has given us the right to do whatever we want, and try not to sin while you are having fun."
Paul speaks of bondage. He states that Christ set us free so that we would no longer be weighed down by the world's way of life. Our goals and desires would no longer be fame and sex and money and pride.
Paul does not use the word "license." He doesn't say that when Christ saved us we were given a 3X5 "Christian Liberty" card with our name and a caption reading: "This card gives the holder the legal right (given by God based on the death and resurrection of Jesus) to do whatever they want, as long as it isn't a really bad sin."
Christian Liberty is NOT about the Flesh
Galatians 1:13-15 says, "For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another."
Paul sums it up much better than I can. Liberty has nothing to due with fulfilling our desires. It has everything to do with loving others (something we could not truly do before we received liberty).
Liberty (or lack of) Without the Spirit
No doubt many unbelievers you have spoken with look down on Christianity as a bunch of rules. They think we are the ones in chains, and that they are the ones free to do as they choose. In a sense, this is true. We are in chains, and we are less free - but so are they, and our slavery is much better.
Galatians 5:17 says, "For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish."
A person who is not led by the Spirit is consequently led by his or her flesh. One cannot be led by both.
So as you are reading this, you are either a slave to your flesh or a slave to the Spirit.
If you aren't sure which you are, let's take a look at the fruits of the flesh based on Galatians 1:19-21. The fruits of the flesh Paul includes are:
- Adultery (which according to Jesus includes lust - Matthew 5:27-28)
- Sex outside of marriage
- Idolatry (putting anything above God)
- Sorcery
- Hatred
- Arguing (the unfriendly kind)
- Jealousy
- Outbursts of wrath
- Selfishness
- Envy
- Murder
- Being drunk
- and more...
Do any of these sound familiar on any level? My guess is that most of you fall into just one of the more "minor" of these categories. Though, some of you may be guilty of many. It matters little, because my fear is that many fall somewhere between this and the next list - a place of complacency.
Liberty With the Spirit
Here is Paul's list of the fruits of the Spirit:
- Love
- Joy
- Peace
- Longsuffering
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-Control
Let's look at this list a little more practically.
- Love: Not to be confused with lust or attraction. This is completely putting every single other believer's need above your own - whether you like them or not.
- Joy: This means not complaining about every little area in your life. This means not getting caught up in gossip. This means smiling when life stinks because you don't need the world's happiness to keep joy.
- Peace: This means not gossiping. This means not cutting others down. This means giving up mindless arguing and just letting others be right.
- Longsuffering: Suffering a long time. Patience.
- Kindness: Hopefully self explanatory, but it's for everyone - not just people you like.
- Goodness: Refer to kindness.
- Faithfulness: If you are part of something (like a relationship) stick to it. Don't dump your boyfriend because he has a weird habit. If you continually bail on relationship after relationship, nothing will change when you are married. You will continue to remarry.
- Gentleness: Just be nice to people. Don't get on their case so hard.
- Self-control: This falls into so many categories in life. Be in control of your body and mind. Make sure you aren't addicted to anything.
Liberty with the Spirit is being free enough to stop the life you once lived, and living a pure life that the people in your life will want.
Let Me Sum Up
So here is my definition of Christian Liberty.
"Christian liberty is when a human is set free from their own flesh by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. They no longer are slaves to the their own desires, but have been given the freedom to live in the Spirit of God, in which they will (not might) bear the fruits of that same Spirit, which include only good things - with love at the core. "
Remember that you must fall in one category or the other. You are either a slave to the flesh or a slave to the Spirit. If, after looking at the two lists, you feel that you fall somewhere in the middle, you admit to being a slave to the flesh. Being set from the flesh doesn't mean being set mostly free.
It means being set free. Let us continually examine ourselves to make sure we are slaves of the Spirit.
God Bless.
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