Liberties And Lowliness In Christ
By Nicky McCall
A few months after the miraculous rescue of His own people, accompanied by “mixed multitudes” (Exodus 12:38), foreigners who were impressed by the recent miracles and anxious to escape the tyranny of the kings, God readies His nation for a pivotal event in human history. With the memory of the ten plagues and the parting of the Red Sea still fresh in their minds, in the midst of thunder, lightning, and thick clouds, God’s voice rang at Mount Sinai and rendered to the newly formed nation the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3-17). The code of the Ten Words, or the Ten Commandments, was a set of religious and moral principles - simply stated, yet so remarkably comprehensive and universally valid. With the elaboration of ceremonial and social laws, theTorah revealed God’s holy nature and His demands for the creature to achieve fellowship with Him.
This covenant was only extended to the sons of Abraham with the intention of making them “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation…a special treasure above all people” (Exodus 19:5-6). Surrounding nations would have to see the wisdom of God in the greatness of this people: “What great nation is there that has such statutes and righteous judgements as are in this Law?” (Deuteronomy 4:8). The Law was also meant to be a wise provision so that the Israelites could enter into a life of joyful fellowship with their Redeemer, to be a source of blessings, to keep them distinct and separate from the rest of the nations of the world, to preserve them from their impieties and idolatries.
A thousand years later, Apostle Peter described the Law as a “burdensome yoke that our fathers were not able to bear” (Acts 15:10), and Apostle Paul lamented that the name of God was blasphemed among the Gentiles (Romans 2:24). How did a Law that was meant to give them freedom bring them into slavery, that was meant to bring them blessings turned in a curse? The answer lies in man’s nature to disobey and pervert. Regarding disobedience, the covenant stated “Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them” (Deuteronomy 27:26). James reiterated this requirement in chapter 2 verse 10, “For whoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.” By one count, the Law was comprised of 613 commands. To observe the whole law perfectly was not humanly possible.
To make matters worse, over the centuries, there was a tendency for the Torah to be perverted into legalism, through addition of human traditions and interpretations, emphasis on external rituals to the exclusion of the internal faith and character. The oral Torah became equally binding to the written Torah to the detriment of the common people who had difficulty keeping up with all the rules and regulations.
There is little wonder that Simeon, a just and devout man, was waiting for the Consolation, the Parakaleo of Israel (Luke 2:25). To the true and spiritual Israel, the heirs of the promise given to Abraham, Jesus will be that Comforter. To the rest, He will be a sword that will punish their unbelief and rejection of Him. The Law that could not be honored in its entirety by any human being, was fulfilled by the Son of God (Matthew 5:17), and the curse that was meant for the children of Israel, befell on the Son of Man (Galatians 3:13). Through His life, He fulfilled all the requirements of the Law. Through His death, He paid the penalty acquired by all those found under the Law. Therefore, He truly nailed the Law to the cross and replaced it with the law that carries His name, the Law of Christ, the Law of Liberty.
Early on in His ministry, Jesus entered the Synagogue of Nazareth where He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah.
Providentially, the passage that He read was a prophecy about Himself that gave Him the opportunity to identify with the Anointed One and to declare the goal of His mission, namely “to proclaim liberty to the captives” and “to set at liberty those who were oppressed” (Luke 4:18). It was not a physical liberation from the Romans, but a deliverance from the bondage of sin and from the demands of the ceremonial Law (animal sacrifices and offerings, circumcision, feasts).
The liberty that we have been granted should be governed by divine principles; otherwise it will become a stumbling block to those who are weak (1 Corinthians 8:9). In his analysis “Personal Liberties and the Brethren,” Bob Dickey notes the following:
Our knowledge must be kept in check by love. Knowledge alone will lead to pride and cause us to defend our rights, instead of considering the conscience and the edification of a brother who might not possess the same level of understanding.
Our abuse of personal liberty can lead us to sin. Our personal convictions can become so strong as to bind them on others, resulting in friction and division among the body of Christ. Differences in personal opinions do not always lead to harm or to sin. They can be held personal, in humbleness and reverence toward others.
Sacrificing our personal liberty may save others. Accommodating the customs, the traditions, the peculiarities of others might lead to their conversion. Apostle Paul is the quintessential example of this principle: “to the Jews, I became a Jew…for though I was free from all men, I brought myself under bondage to all, that I might gain the more” (1 Corinthians 9:19). Instead of insisting on his rights, he was willing to adapt and accept the needs of others and to give up on his privileges.
Our liberty cannot be used to fellowship that which is false. This is one of the greatest dangers at present. Our willingness to accept, accommodate, and honor the opinion of others could be extended to the point that we might encourage false teachings and practices. Many such false doctrines, like homosexuality, abortion, gambling, women preaching at the pulpit, divorce and remarriage, have been embraced by congregations in the name of “unity in diversity” or “coexistence.” There are absolute statements of revelation concerning these topics, and there is an absolute “right” and “wrong”. When that is the case, no concessions should be made to erroneous teaching.
The overarching principle should be “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). Self must be sacrificed to the good of others and to the glory of God. The Law of Liberty finds its fulfillment in faith working through love.
How could you not marvel when you flip the tapestry and see the beautiful design that God weaved all along? God used the Law as a tutor invested with authority to control his young student, to safeguard him, to report any disorderly or immoral habits. The Law regulated outward habits, enforced order and decency, and maintained a standard of morality until the fullness of time, when humankind was mature enough to be granted spiritual freedom and a new status, as sons and daughters of God. As heirs of the King, we have the privilege of being set free and the responsibility to use the freedom for His glory and in service to others.