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The Paradox of Liberty

The Paradox of Liberty: Upholding the Law Through Faith

Introduction: The Tension of Grace and Commandment

The New Covenant believer lives in a glorious paradox: liberty from the bondage of sin and death, yet simultaneously obligated to a standard of obedience higher than ever before. This presentation explores the tension between Christ’s promise of freedom and the clear biblical directive to uphold the Law (Torah), arguing that Christian liberty is not freedom from God’s commandments, but the freedom and power to obey them perfectly.

I. Defining Eleutheria: Freedom from Condemnation

The Apostle Paul’s pronouncements on freedom must be understood through a precise legal and theological lens: liberty is granted from the Law’s curse, not its instruction.

A. The End of the Curse

  • Galatians 3:13: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.” The Law’s primary function under the Old Covenant was to define sin and pronounce a just penalty (a curse) for failure.
  • Judicial Freedom: By satisfying the penalty for sin, Christ secured judicial freedom for the believer. We are no longer under the Law’s authority to condemn us, which Paul calls the “yoke of slavery” (Galatians 5:1). This is the freedom necessary for salvation.

B. The Upholding of the Command

  • Romans 3:31: The critical counter-balance to liberty is found here: “Do we then overthrow the law by this faith? By no means! On the contrary, we uphold the law.”
  • The Law as God’s Nature: This statement establishes that faith validates, establishes, and requires the Law’s continuation. The Law is a reflection of God’s holy and righteous nature (Romans 7:12), and its standards cannot pass away simply because we are saved by grace.

II. The Power Deficit: Fulfilling the Law’s Requirement

The Law’s failure to produce righteousness was not a flaw in the Law itself, but a limitation of the human agent—a “power deficit” addressed only in the New Covenant.

A. The Law’s Purpose (Romans 7)

  • The Law is Good: Paul stresses the Law is holy, righteous, and good (Romans 7:12). Its purpose was to define sin and point the way to God’s standard.
  • The Flesh is Weak: The human flesh (sarx) was unable to perfectly obey the Law, leading only to condemnation and death. The Law was broken because the person was broken.

B. The Solution of the Spirit (Romans 8)

  • The Righteous Requirement: Romans 8:4 identifies the core purpose of Christ’s work: “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”
  • Obedience by Power: The New Covenant grants the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9), which empowers the believer to succeed where the flesh once failed. True liberty, therefore, is the power to actively obey the holy standards of the Law.

III. Obedience: The Manifestation of Grace

The Law, when viewed through the lens of the Spirit, transitions from a terrifying list of requirements to a joyful standard of consecrated living. Obedience becomes the necessary, visible evidence of saving faith.

A. The Law of Christ

  • Galatians 6:2: The moral structure of the Law is summarized and transcended in the “Law of Christ,” which is centered on love for God and neighbor. However, the Law’s moral instruction still provides the definition of that love (e.g., love does not lie, love does not covet, love is clean).
  • The Greatest Commandment: Love is not an abstract feeling; it is expressed through adherence to God’s perfect will as revealed in His commands.

B. The Test of Love

  • 1 John 5:3: The relationship between love and obedience is made explicit: “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments; and his commandments are not burdensome.”
  • Joyful Obedience: Because the condemnation of the Law has been removed by Christ, the remaining commandments are no longer a crushing burden, but a joyful, freely chosen guide to a life that pleases God.

Conclusion: The Purpose of Liberty

Christian liberty is ultimately a purposeful gift: it frees the believer from the penalty of failure so that they can be sanctified (made holy) and devote their lives to fulfilling God’s Law—His perfect blueprint for living.

The paradox is resolved: Grace justifies the sinner and empowers the believer to embrace obedience as the highest expression of love and gratitude. The Law stands, upheld by faith, as the enduring standard of a life dedicated to the Lord’s return.