For Brethren, you have been called to liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. Galatians 5:13
There were two things that seemed very important to the apostle Paul, the first was the centrality of the cross for salvation and its attendant liberty to all who believe, and the second was his concern that this new found liberty in grace will not be used as an excuse for sinful behavior. As important as this concern was for Paul, one thing he was not going to do was to minimize the truth of this liberty as a means of restraining its abuse. So, he warned and taught that the freedom of grace must be distinguished from the freedom to sin. And this is the hallmark of his teachings, which many mistook, and still mistake as a license to sin. Nothing can be further from the truth than this.
In his letter to the church, the apostle John wrote that those who are born of God do not deliberately sin, and that only those who are children of the devil do this. But the question must then be asked, what is this freedom to which we are called if it is not a freedom to sin? It is a freedom from slavery to sin, satan, the world, and the law. Writing in Romans 7:6, Paul said, "But now we have been delivered from the law...".
The law was a heavy yoke which no one could bear except Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28, He invited all who are heavily burdened to come to Him for rest. Unfortunately, many who came to Him for rest in the Galatian church were returning again to the yoke of the law from which they had been delivered just as many are doing today. The law does not give rest to anyone because there is a continuing striving to do what will satisfy the law of God but in Christ there is rest because all that was needed to satisfy the law of God was done on the cross.
There were two things that seemed very important to the apostle Paul, the first was the centrality of the cross for salvation and its attendant liberty to all who believe, and the second was his concern that this new found liberty in grace will not be used as an excuse for sinful behavior. As important as this concern was for Paul, one thing he was not going to do was to minimize the truth of this liberty as a means of restraining its abuse. So, he warned and taught that the freedom of grace must be distinguished from the freedom to sin. And this is the hallmark of his teachings, which many mistook, and still mistake as a license to sin. Nothing can be further from the truth than this.
In his letter to the church, the apostle John wrote that those who are born of God do not deliberately sin, and that only those who are children of the devil do this. But the question must then be asked, what is this freedom to which we are called if it is not a freedom to sin? It is a freedom from slavery to sin, satan, the world, and the law. Writing in Romans 7:6, Paul said, "But now we have been delivered from the law...".
The law was a heavy yoke which no one could bear except Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28, He invited all who are heavily burdened to come to Him for rest. Unfortunately, many who came to Him for rest in the Galatian church were returning again to the yoke of the law from which they had been delivered just as many are doing today. The law does not give rest to anyone because there is a continuing striving to do what will satisfy the law of God but in Christ there is rest because all that was needed to satisfy the law of God was done on the cross.
Toni
