The Spirit of Liberty
Posted: Fri Aug 07, 2020 5:58 pmIn all things, our Father teaches us to know the freedom we have available from now on in the Lord Jesus (but you’ve got to appropriate it in your conscience and walk). That is, the release of the old man’s incurred guilt and “dominion.” It’s the possession of the sin nature (“old” or original “man”) and not the sinning that incurred guilt; and it’s not the sinning that determines dominion. Dominion is the ability of which the sin nature had to cause us to willfully desire sin (but never again – Phl 2:13). It was our source of sin (though being in us, we are no longer in it (Ro 8:9) that incurred condemnation—and it is our source that was “condemned” (Rom 8:3) and “crucified” (Ro 6:6), never again to “reign.” Nowhere is it written in Scripture that we can be lost more than once; nor that we can be saved more than once!
To the degree our conscience experiences freedom in Christ will be the degree to which we “Walk in the Spirit.” Where there is doubt of our innocence there is misunderstanding of His expiation. When there is disappointment, there is failure not only in recalling what we have in Him, but also, somewhere in our walk, we have placed “confidence in” ourselves (Phl 3:3) and not in Him, because He never fails to provide all necessities, at all times (Ro 8:28).
NC
The Spirit of Liberty
There are many Christians who more or less understand that the Lord Jesus has brought them liberty in the matter of righteousness, or the standing of justified ones in the sight of God; but they do not know liberty in their daily walk with Him. Practical growth, in such cases, invariably suffers. Where there is along with this much conscience, it necessarily takes the legal form of ordinances, restraints and the like (“the legal form” meaning works attempting to produce righteousness—NC). Or where souls have not the same internal exercises, it takes the shape of laxity to a greater or lesser extent. That is, they see that they are delivered by the grace of God, and they consider themselves free to use the world, and to allow, to no little degree, the inclinations of nature; because as they say, there is evil in the nature, and as they suppose, God in His tender mercy, makes allowance for it.
Now both of these attitudes are totally wrong. One cause of all this mistake lies in the misapprehension of a very important truth—the effect of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Yet, in Acts, the Epistles and all the exhortations, the walk that is set forth is built upon the presence of the Holy Spirit. Where this is not entered into, the consequence is that believers must either suppose that there is a certain latitude allowed them by God, which is only another word for indifference, or they must fall back upon the righteous curb that God has put upon our nature, and that is only another expression for the law of God.
But the Gospel insists that, good and holy and perfect as the law of God is, it is entirely powerless either to justify or to sanctify. It cannot in any way make the old man better; neither is it the rule of the new life (it has been said that Christianity is not “the old man” restoration society—NC). The old man is not subject to it (Rom 8:7), and the new man does not need it. The new creation has another object before it, and another power that acts upon it, in order to produce what is lovely and acceptable to the Father—the Lord Jesus as the object, realized by the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2Co 3:18).
Of course, the Spirit can use every bit of the Word. I maintain that the law does not give the form, nor the measure, nor the character and the power for Christian growth (nor Christian birth—NC). It is a misunderstanding of the Father’s design in giving it, and of its present uses, to suppose that therein is the mold in which the Father is now fashioning the souls of His saints.
We might well suppose that Paul had said enough to the Galatians about the law, after having charged them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free, and not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. But no. In the domain of growth this liberty is needed, just as much as for justification; and therefore he says, “Brethren, ye have been called into liberty” (Gal 5:13). That is, it characterizes our calling. Only, Paul says, it is not liberty for an occasion to the flesh (which manifests unregeneracy—NC), or you are not to use license: do not turn this liberty for an occasion to the flesh (which sinful will is now absent if reborn—NC), but by love serve one another.
It is not for the purpose of putting you under the law, but that you may serve one another; “for all the law is fulfilled in one way, even this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Had they not been trying the law? What had been the result? He says, You have been biting and devouring one another: that is not fulfilling the law, but lusts. When persons talk about the law, or desire to be its teachers, do they ever fulfill it? It begins with confident words, and ends without deed or truth. Whereas, on the contrary, when the Lord Jesus is the object of the soul, though the law does not occupy the mind, yet it is fulfilled. The Lord Jesus is the power of God (no condemnation – Ro 8:1—NC); the law is the strength of sin (condemnation - 1Co 15:56—NC).
—Wm. Kelly (1821-1906)
August 6 MJS online devotional excerpt:
“To walk in the Spirit is not self-occupation, nor even occupation with the Spirit. Walking according to the Spirit is occupation with the Lord Jesus. When the believer looks to the Lord Jesus, depends upon Him, draws all he needs from Him—if the Lord Jesus is his all, then the believer walks in the Spirit.” -A.C.G.
“To be Spirit-controlled does not mean the loss of free-agency. A free agent acts as he pleases, and the Spirit-controlled individual pleases to act in accordance with the mind and will of the Spirit.” -A.McC.
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/
To the degree our conscience experiences freedom in Christ will be the degree to which we “Walk in the Spirit.” Where there is doubt of our innocence there is misunderstanding of His expiation. When there is disappointment, there is failure not only in recalling what we have in Him, but also, somewhere in our walk, we have placed “confidence in” ourselves (Phl 3:3) and not in Him, because He never fails to provide all necessities, at all times (Ro 8:28).
NC
The Spirit of Liberty
There are many Christians who more or less understand that the Lord Jesus has brought them liberty in the matter of righteousness, or the standing of justified ones in the sight of God; but they do not know liberty in their daily walk with Him. Practical growth, in such cases, invariably suffers. Where there is along with this much conscience, it necessarily takes the legal form of ordinances, restraints and the like (“the legal form” meaning works attempting to produce righteousness—NC). Or where souls have not the same internal exercises, it takes the shape of laxity to a greater or lesser extent. That is, they see that they are delivered by the grace of God, and they consider themselves free to use the world, and to allow, to no little degree, the inclinations of nature; because as they say, there is evil in the nature, and as they suppose, God in His tender mercy, makes allowance for it.
Now both of these attitudes are totally wrong. One cause of all this mistake lies in the misapprehension of a very important truth—the effect of the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven. Yet, in Acts, the Epistles and all the exhortations, the walk that is set forth is built upon the presence of the Holy Spirit. Where this is not entered into, the consequence is that believers must either suppose that there is a certain latitude allowed them by God, which is only another word for indifference, or they must fall back upon the righteous curb that God has put upon our nature, and that is only another expression for the law of God.
But the Gospel insists that, good and holy and perfect as the law of God is, it is entirely powerless either to justify or to sanctify. It cannot in any way make the old man better; neither is it the rule of the new life (it has been said that Christianity is not “the old man” restoration society—NC). The old man is not subject to it (Rom 8:7), and the new man does not need it. The new creation has another object before it, and another power that acts upon it, in order to produce what is lovely and acceptable to the Father—the Lord Jesus as the object, realized by the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2Co 3:18).
Of course, the Spirit can use every bit of the Word. I maintain that the law does not give the form, nor the measure, nor the character and the power for Christian growth (nor Christian birth—NC). It is a misunderstanding of the Father’s design in giving it, and of its present uses, to suppose that therein is the mold in which the Father is now fashioning the souls of His saints.
We might well suppose that Paul had said enough to the Galatians about the law, after having charged them to stand fast in the liberty wherewith Christ has made them free, and not to be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. But no. In the domain of growth this liberty is needed, just as much as for justification; and therefore he says, “Brethren, ye have been called into liberty” (Gal 5:13). That is, it characterizes our calling. Only, Paul says, it is not liberty for an occasion to the flesh (which manifests unregeneracy—NC), or you are not to use license: do not turn this liberty for an occasion to the flesh (which sinful will is now absent if reborn—NC), but by love serve one another.
It is not for the purpose of putting you under the law, but that you may serve one another; “for all the law is fulfilled in one way, even this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Had they not been trying the law? What had been the result? He says, You have been biting and devouring one another: that is not fulfilling the law, but lusts. When persons talk about the law, or desire to be its teachers, do they ever fulfill it? It begins with confident words, and ends without deed or truth. Whereas, on the contrary, when the Lord Jesus is the object of the soul, though the law does not occupy the mind, yet it is fulfilled. The Lord Jesus is the power of God (no condemnation – Ro 8:1—NC); the law is the strength of sin (condemnation - 1Co 15:56—NC).
—Wm. Kelly (1821-1906)
August 6 MJS online devotional excerpt:
“To walk in the Spirit is not self-occupation, nor even occupation with the Spirit. Walking according to the Spirit is occupation with the Lord Jesus. When the believer looks to the Lord Jesus, depends upon Him, draws all he needs from Him—if the Lord Jesus is his all, then the believer walks in the Spirit.” -A.C.G.
“To be Spirit-controlled does not mean the loss of free-agency. A free agent acts as he pleases, and the Spirit-controlled individual pleases to act in accordance with the mind and will of the Spirit.” -A.McC.
http://www.abideabove.com/hungry-heart/