Christian liberty is often a disguise for Christian corruption. Dear friends of mine have inhaled the world’s succulent drink, smoked the mighty pipe of the devil’s tricks, and told one another our liberty is at stake. I’ll take a drink, a smoke, a kiss, a movie, a song at the expense of myself, my neighbor, and my love for God. Dont’ get me wrong, all those things done rightly can be glorifying to The Lord. However, so often, these things are done out of selfish motivations. A kiss is not wrong within marriage, but could lead to sin outside of marriage. A beer can taste good in the privacy of dear brothers, but could lead many to stumble into sin(Rom 14:13-23).A smoke can be done to the glory of God as long as it is not destroying the body and is not an addiction. A movie can be appreciated for its artistic nature, but when it produces any sort of internal sin it should be avoided(check out pluggedin.com). Music should be listened to in way that someone’s art can be appreciated, but not at the expense of demeaning any of God’s creation.
Liberties should not superintend any law. Sure, I can go 65 in a 55 and not get caught by a police officer, but does that make it right to break the law? I currently live under a covenant at Seminary. This Covenant prohibits me, while I’m a student of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, to consume alcohol. When I agreed to this covenant I knew that I would not drink until my graduation day. When this covenant is read fully and accurately, it prohibits consumption of alcohol over all breaks because of my enrollment status. I see friends who find ways to bend and stretch rules so that their “liberties” can be appeased. This, my friends, is when our liberties become corrupt. We begin to justify the things we want to do against the rules that are in place. Some may say, “The rules are unbiblical.” To that I would simply say, “You don’t have to go to school at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.” You have the liberty to move to India where there are no speed limits. If you can not in good conscience agree to certain policies, then, by all means, fight for what you think is right, but do not blame these policies for your sin.
So what do we do with our liberties? The answer is not simply foregoing anything that the world would deem pleasurable(though at times that is a very wise thing to do). Don’t get me wrong, I love the fact that I am free from the condemnation of the law. When rightly thought through, I am in favor of what some of my closest friends would call their “Christian Liberties.” I would have a drink if I were not under covenant or causing another brother to stumble. I watch really good movies, but I try to be aware of anything that might cause me to sin.
Friends flee from anything that would cause you to sin or lead others into sin. Embrace the good things God has given us to embrace with a mindset of glorifying the Father through your actions.
Beloved friends, the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5 that our “freedom” or “liberty” is meant to serve one another. Are your liberties serving or corrupting the overall good of the Bride of Christ?
Heaven Awaits 