Christ The Liberator                                         

John 8:36

Jesus Christ alone is the great liberator of men. No one ever comes to enjoy true liberty before God, true liberty of heart and mind, true liberty in his soul, until he is set free by the merit of Christ’s blood and the power of his grace. It is this liberty of grace that I want and the liberty of grace I want for you.

I must first warn you to beware of false liberty. Everything good, every work of God’s grace is imitated by Satan. He is a master counterfeiter. Multitudes are deceived by him with a false liberty. Therefore, I warn you. The word “liberty” has been greatly abused by many. I have personally heard men use it to excuse and justify everything from Hollywood evangelism to homosexuality, and  from the ordination of women to the worship of idols. Do not be deceived. All is not liberty which men call liberty. May God graciously keep us from a false liberty that will bring us into eternal ruin. Here are three common refuges, refuges of lies, into which people run, in hopes of finding liberty.

A Profession of Religion - Multitudes are so naïve and gullible that they think a mere profession of religion is liberty from the curse of the law and the wrath of God. They think they are free because they profess that they are free! Self-righteousness - Many a man grows weary of his evil ways and seeks freedom by making an outward moral reformation. Really, most of what passes for Christianity is nothing more than a reformation of life. Antinomianism - Antinomianism is a vile, atrocious thing. It says, “Since salvation is by grace, it does not matter how I live, or what I do.” We are frequently called antinomians, just as Paul was (Rom. 3:8). Do not allow that slander to bother you. It is impossible to preach salvation by grace alone and not be charged with that evil by slanderous legalist. However, we must always be on guard against that form of licentiousness. Freedom from the law is not a license to do evil. May God the Holy Spirit keep us from a false liberty. It is far better to be in bondage and know it than to be in bondage and think your bondage is liberty.

            However, I do want you to see that the Lord Jesus Christ truly does make sinners free (John 8:32-36; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6-7; 5:1). True liberty, the liberty of grace, the liberty of life and peace in Christ, is obtained only by the power and authority of God’s eternal Son. Only the Son can make you free. During the days of our Lord’s earthly ministry there was a custom among the Greeks and Romans. When a man died, if he left slaves they became the property of his eldest son. If the son said, “I proclaim these slaves, left to me by my father, free men”, those slaves were forever free and could never be taken into slavery again. Under Greek and Roman law, that was the one, certain way by which a slave could obtain his liberty. If the son proclaimed freedom, the slave must go free. Thus it is that our great and glorious Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the great Heir of promise. He purchased liberty for us (Gal. 3:13). He proclaims liberty to his captive ones in the gospel (Isa. 61:1-3). And he performs liberty in us, sitting us free by the power and grace of his Spirit (Rom. 8:15). If he, the Son of God, makes you free, you shall be free indeed!

Don Fortner