Let us go to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father. Once again we come before you. Asking that you would help us. To speak forth the word. In a way that. First and foremost, honoring to you Also, that it is in harmony with your word. For we believe if there's one, there will be the other. And then pray our God that. It might be beneficial. To each and every soul. That hears. We must have. the blessings of your Holy Spirit. Or it will be just so many words. Thank you for the promise of your presence. In the Assembly of the Saints. And we pray this in Christ Jesus. Amen. This morning we spoke somewhat about Christian liberty, more from the negative side of it. But we want to look at it more so this afternoon from hopefully a more positive side. As we said, Christian liberty is spoken of in Galatians 5 verses 1 and 2 in verse 13 has to do with being free from the law regarding salvation. It begins with stand fast. Therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. The word stand fast is that the idea to be stationary, to persevere, and to look at it in that sense, it's only used eight times. Let's look at at least some of them. We might look at all. First of all, Mark chapter 11. Mark chapter 11. It's in verse 25. And when you stand praying. Forgive. If you have ought against any that your father also, which is in heaven, may forgive you your trespass. Next in. Romans chapter 11. And the problem there is I don't think I wrote. The scripture down for that. I don't think. Let's look in Chapter 14. Romans Romans 14. First for who are now that judges another man servant to his own master, he standeth or follow. So you get the idea there. First Corinthians. Chapter 16. First Corinthians chapter 16. First 13. I beseech you brethren, excuse me. Now watch you stand fast in the faith. Quit you like me and be strong, but watch you stand fast in the faith. The idea of just standing and being. Persevering in the faith as it were. First Thessalonians. Chapter 3. In verse 8, Paul writes to them, he said, For now we live if ye stand fast in the Lord. And then in 2 Thessalonians 2, verse 15, Notwithstanding, ye shall be saved if they continue in faith, charity, and holiness, and sobriety. No, I'm looking at 2 Timothy. No wonder it didn't look right. 2 Thessalonians 2 verse 15. Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you have been taught, whether by word or our epistle. So when Paul writes to the Galatians here to stand fast, it means to kind of like a sentinel to be on guard and just stay there. Don't don't don't turn loose. of Christian liberty. And the idea is to keep on standing. Keep on standing. And therefore. In doing so and being in this Christian liberty, we're not only free from the law, but we're also free from the power of sin. And we're free from this present evil world. And we're free from the ruling power of the devil. And we're free from death. We're free from the wrath to come. Let's look at some passages on this. We're free from the ruling power of sin. First of all, while we're here in Galatians, in the 24th verse of chapter 5, Paul writes, And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. In other words, we are free from the ruling power of sin. Romans chapter 6 teaches this also. Romans chapter 6 verse 14. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for ye are not under the law, but under grace." You're not under law, but under grace. And you remember in Galatians chapter 1 and verse 4, Paul said that Christ has died to redeem us from this present evil world or this present evil age. I won't turn and read that. since we've already looked at it. We are also free from the ruling power of the devil. Look in 1 John chapter 4. And as you know, we could preach a sermon on each one of these points. And we're just quickly looking at this. 1 John chapter 4, verse 4. You are of God little children and have overcome them because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world. And you remember that. Jesus told Martha at the tomb of Lazarus, if you believe in me, you shall never die. We're free from death in that sense. And so we see that we are also free from the wrath of God. Romans 5 9 much more being now justified. We shall be saved from wrath through him. I don't know about you, but that's a great consolation. To be saved from wrath. From death. From the ruling power of the devil. From the ruling power of sin. From this present evil age. That's a lot of liberty, is it not? And if Christ shall make us free, then we are free indeed. And then there's also a freedom. And a liberty of conscience. Look at Hebrews Chapter 9. Hebrews Chapter 9. Well, let's begin in verse 7. Kindly hard to find a good place to start. But into the second went the high priest alone once every year, not without blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people. You remember on the day of atonement that the high priest had to go in first to make an atonement for himself, and then he had to go back in to make an atonement for the people. That's what they mean that he had to go in twice. Verse 8. The Holy Ghost, this signifying that the way into the holiest of all was not yet made manifest. While the first tabernacle was standing, in other words, while they still had to go year after year after year after year It caused them to still know that they had sin to contend with. We read that if you remember this morning that yearly they did that. Verse 9, which was a figure. In other words, that Old Testament sacrifice was a figure for the time present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect has pertaining to the conscience. In other words. Not only were the people's conscience not clear. But the high priest conscience wasn't clear. Because. Year after year after year that had to make another sacrifice. Not only that day and night. Morning in an evening they had to A sacrifice. So the conscious was not made clear. Was not cleansed. Verse 10, which stood only in meats and drinks in diverse washings and carnal ordinances imposed upon on them until the time of Reformation. But Christ that time of Reformation is the time of Christ. But Christ being come in high priest of good things to come by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, neither by the blood of goats and cows, but by his own blood, he entered him once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, now notice this, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal spirit offered himself without spot to purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God. Our conscience has been made free from dead works. We don't have to worry about dead works. And I'll read it again. We read it this morning, Hebrews 10, 1 and 2. For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sin. Therefore, drop down to verse 22 of chapter 10. Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. You know why you can't feel consciously as bad for sin as you want to? Because God has given us a freedom of conscience and purged our conscience to serve the true and the living God. There's a liberty of conscience. While we still labor against sin and have this sinful nature, There is still a freedom in the conscience that can only be produced by the imputed righteousness of Christ sealed in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. Though our consciences are free in part now, eventually we will have a pure conscience. If indeed we have a conscience then. In other words, in the glory world. I don't know whether we'll have a conscience then or not. But if so, we'll have a we'll have a conscience that I mean impeccable. Through the blood of Christ. Seeing. Will not bother you anymore. In the glory world. In that in that a glorious liberty. Sin will not bother you. Sin will not bother you. However, if one is seeking salvation by the law or any other way than through the person and work of Christ, he is in the yoke of bondage. He is in the yoke of bondage. There in that first verse again in Galatians. Stand fast, therefore, in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. This yoke of bondage is spoken of not only here, but time and again in the book of Galatians. In Galatians 2, In verse 4, Paul said, And because of false brethren, unawares brought in, who came in privately to spout our liberty which we have in Christ Jesus, that they might bring us into bondage. In Romans chapter 4 verse 3, Even so, when we were children, were in bondage, Under the elements of the world. Verse 9, but now after you have known God or rather or known of God, how turn you again to the weak and beggarly elements were until you desire again to be in bondage. And then in verse 24 of Chapter 4. Which things are an allegory for these are the two covenants The one from Mount Sinai, which gendered to bondage, which is Hagar. For this Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia and entered to Jerusalem, which now is and is in bondage with their children. And I must read one other in the Book of Acts. Where they had the Jerusalem Council there. But Peter speaking in verse 10. Well, let's go back. Let's just start at verse 6. No, verse 7. Act 15, seven. And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, men and brethren, You know how that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel and believe. And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us, and put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith. And therefore, why tempt ye God, and put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear." Going back under the law is to put a yoke upon people that they're not able to bear. And he who is in bondage to the law is equally in bondage to sin. He's in bondage to the world. He's in bondage to the devil. In other words, just as we saw earlier, that if you're free from the law, then you're free from the ruling power of sin. You're free from this present evil age. You're free from the ruling power of the devil. You're free from death. You're free from the wrath of God. But if you're in bondage to the law, then you're in bondage to these things. You're in bondage to sin. You're in bondage to the ruling power of the world. You're in bondage to the devil. You're in bondage to death. You're in bondage to the wrath of God. And therefore, they do not have a freedom of conscience. And Christ is of no profit Christ is of no profit for anyone who seeks salvation by the works of the law. Verse 2 Galatians 5 verse 2 Behold, I, Paul, say unto you, that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. Verse 4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law." In other words, anybody that's trying to be justified by the law, Christ is no benefit to them. I'm going to try your patience and read from the 1689 London Confession of Faith. Chapter 21 on Christian liberty. They have a lot of verses. Listed. And we won't look at all of these verses. We may look at some. I'm planning on looking at some of them. Because we could preach on Christian liberty quite a while, but. I thought that. Our Baptist forefathers. Down through the centuries. Who have adopted this confession? Which is also our confession? That it talks about Christian liberty and explains it very well. I know reading is not always that. Entertaining, I guess. But nevertheless, here goes. This is Chapter 21 of Christian liberty and liberty of conscience. And I'm still mixed up as to whether to stop and look at some of these passages. Or to go back and look at them after I've read the article. Maybe got a fling of craving in the middle. I don't know. I don't know. It's kind of hard to know how to do this. Article one, the liberty which Christ has purchased for believers under the gospel. consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the rigor and curse of the law, and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan and dominion of sin, from the evil of afflictions, the fear and sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation, as also in their free access to God and their yielding obedience to him, not out of slavish fear, but a childlike love and willing Mind. I think some of these statements would pretty much you realize. By being delivered from the curse of the law that was in Galatians 313 from this present evil world, Galatians 1, 4 and so on from death. First Corinthians 15. But I do want to read. Two passages. This is only one paragraph of Article One. Where it talks about how that we serve God, not out of slavish fear, but of a childlike love and willing mind. First of all, Romans 815. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear. But you have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. One of the things about Christian liberty is that we desire to serve and obey the Lord. And we do that out of a willing mind, not out of a slavish fear. Look in Luke chapter one. Luke chapter one. We'll reverse is 74 and 75. This is Zacharias talking about. The Lord coming. Verse 74 that he would grant unto us that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear. In holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our life. That's what Christian liberty is. It's a delight. In serving the Lord. It's a delight in coming to the house of God. It's a delight in listening to sermons. It's a delight in reading good literature. It's a delight in reading the Scriptures daily. It's a delight in in having and spending time with fellowship with our God and Savior. He goes on to say in this article one. All which were common also to believers under the law for the substance of them But under the New Testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of a ceremonial law in which the Jewish saints were subject subjected and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace and in fuller communication of the free spirit of God that believers under the law did ordinarily take off. Article two. God alone is the Lord of the conscience. And have left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his word or not contained in it. So that to believe such doctrines or obey such commands. Out of conscience is so betrayed true Christian conscience. And the requiring of an implicit faith in absolute and blind obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also. In other words, we enjoy reading and studying the Word and desiring to obey the Word to the honor and to the glory of the Lord. I've got four or five scriptures here, but I believe I'll bypass them, go to Article 3 for time's sake. They who, upon pretense of Christian liberty, do practice any sin or cherish any sinful lust, as they do thereby pervert The main design of the grace of the gospel to their own destruction. So they wholly destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is that being delivered out of the hands of all our enemies. We might serve the Lord without fear and holiness and righteousness before him all the days of our lives. I do want to look at a few of these. First part of that, they who notice this, our forefathers said, which I tried to say this morning quite a bit. They who upon pretense of Christian liberty, that is those who claim to be exercising Christian liberty. If they practice any sin. That is living in sin practice again. or cherish any sinful lust. As they do, thereby in doing that they pervert. The main design of the grace of the Gospel. To their own destruction. To their own destruction, Romans Chapter 6. Romans Chapter 6. Verses one and two. What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid, how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein? How can an individual that is born again by the grace of God, who has been given a new will, Psalm 110 verse 3, thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power. When God regenerates an individual, He opens their eyes, He opens their understanding, He gives them a new heart, He gives them a new desire, and all of that. How is it that they shall continue in sin? They can't. They may fall. They're still sinners. And we sin daily. But we don't practice any particular sin on a regular basis. You might get angry. I get angry at somebody at home someday. But you don't live a life of anger 24 seven. You might say something that you shouldn't say. But you don't say that continually. So who? How can anybody that is dead to sin? Live in it. How can a person that is dead physically, live in a physical world. He can't, can he? And if a person is dead in sin, excuse me, dead to sin, he can't live in sin, can he? See, if I'm dead to this world, I can't live in it. Why? Because I'm dead. All I'm doing is rotting. So if I'm dead to sin, I can't live in it. I can't practice it. And as Paul said in Galatians 5, verse 13, For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty, only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. In other words, we are to live out our lives in a way that is honoring and pleasing to the Lord. Second Peter, chapter two. In other words, if they don't do this. Then they. Practice to their own destruction. Will break into the context of 2nd Peter. Let's start at verse 18. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity. They are lured through the lust of the flesh. Through much wantonness. Those that were clean escape from them who live in error. While they promised them liberty. They themselves are the servants of corruption. For of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought to bondage. For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein and overcome, the latter end is worse than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than after they have known it to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it happened unto them according to the true proverb, the dog is turned to his own vomit again, and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire. The legalist as we say again, is one who trusts other things than the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation. They can trust a whole lot of different things. They might trust their personal belief. They might trust their own faith. They might trust their baptism. They might trust their attending in congregational worship. They might trust in the Lord's Supper. Might trust in giving that they give and they're charitable. Might trust in their Bible reading. Might trust in their prayers, their devotions, their good works. Or who knows what? Who knows what? I remember several years ago I had the habit of sometimes having difficulty going to sleep. And so I would listen to a talk radio at night. And sometimes listen to another in the daytime when I was going about doing other things. But I remember, I don't even know what the conversation was about, what the subject was. But this woman called in. And her testimony was that she was a Christian. She said, I'm a Christian and I know that I'm a Christian because I was born an Episcopalian. But what she meant was that her mother and father were Episcopalians and she was sprinkled as an Episcopalian and was a member of the Episcopalian religion all of her life. And therefore, that was her salvation. Trusting in her works. Trusting in her denomination. I'm a Baptist. I am a Presbyterian. I'm a this, that or the other. Therefore, I know that I'm right and everybody else is wrong. Well, trusting in such works as that. You might even believe the truth. But if you bring it, believe the truth with a spirit of self-righteousness and bragging about it. You're trusting in your own works. You're trusting in that truth. I believe the doctrine of election, therefore, blah, blah, blah, blah. So my hope is in election. My hope is not in election. My hope is in Christ. In the person and work of Christ. My hope is not in the doctrines of grace. My hope is in Christ. I'm trusting in Christ. I believe the doctrines of grace. I believe we ought to hold to them tenaciously. I believe in election. I believe in total depravity. I believe in particular redemption, irresistible grace, perseverance and preservation of the saints. I believe all of those things. But I'm not trusting in that. I'm trusting in Christ. Because if I believe those things, I'm still in bondage. I'm in bondage to religious teachings. And therefore, I thought our forefathers summed it up quite nicely in those articles, and therefore I imposed upon your patience by reading them. Again, Paul said, Behold, I say unto you that if ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. If you're trusting in anything other than the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, it profits you nothing. If you're not trusting in Christ. And are arguing for the doctrines of grace. Then it profits you nothing. See, even good things can be a detriment. Anything that gets in the way of trusting in the person and work of Christ. Beloved, I'm free. I'm free from conscience. I'm free from sin. I'm free from death. I'm free from guilt. I'm free from all of that. Only in Christ. Only in Christ. I share one thing with Charles Spurgeon. If I go to hell, I go to hell trusting in Christ because I don't have anything else. I don't have anything else. And then he says in verse three. For I testify again to every man that is circumcised that he is a debtor to do the whole law. If you're trusting in anything. Other than the. Then then Christ. You know what you're obligated to do? To go back. And keep. All of the Old Testament law service. You want to do that? You can't do that. You can't do that. No more than you can love God all your heart, soul, mind, body and strength 24-7. You can't do that. So I do a pretty good job. All right. Let's say that you're so blinded that you don't think you sin while you're awake. What about sometime when you're asleep? some of the things you think of and dream about. And you wake up and say, what in the world was I thinking? Where did that come from? I'll tell you where it came from. It came from your sinful flesh. You say, well, maybe the devil made me do it. Well, the devil might have had some influence in it, but I'll tell you what, you're responsible for it. You'll never get to, no one will ever say before God, Well, it wasn't my fault. The devil made me do it. And he who is. Of such. Has fallen from grace. Now, I'm going to say what this is. But I'm going to come back, Lord willing, next Lord's Day and take up this point of falling from grace, because if I bring in everything that I think I'm going to bring in, I think it'll make us go too long. This is not saying that a person can be saved by grace and then be lost. We're talking about the principle of grace. You remember back in Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 and probably did it in Chapter 4. We've talked about the law of works and the law of grace. The principle of works and the principle of grace. The Old Testament and the New Testament. That's what he's doing here with the fallen that you're fallen from grace. In other words, he's saying that you have. You're you're you're going back under the law and not living under this economy of grace. That's what He means by grace here. And we're going to see, Lord willing, next time, we're going to see how that grace and works are put in contrast the one to the other. In other words, He's saying that you have fallen from this New Testament worship and you're going back to the Old Testament worship. You've fallen from the worshiping under grace and going back to worshiping under law. You've fallen from grace. You're not trusting in grace. You're trusting in works. So it's not talking about somebody that lost their salvation. And we're going to see all through this contrast that's throughout the book of Galatians. Let's pray. Gracious Father, once again we come before you and thank you for the freedom that's in Christ Jesus. Help us to know it. More consciously in our hearts and souls. That we might rejoice. In this liberty. Wherein we stand, in Jesus' name, amen.