21.2 Free Indeed: Power of God

Table of Contents

The Text

Romans 6:1–4 (CSB) What should we say then? Should we continue in sin so that grace may multiply? Absolutely not! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life.

The Chapter

God alone is Lord of the conscience, and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it. So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also.

The Confession

God alone is Lord of the conscience

James 4:12 (CSB) There is one lawgiver and judge who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?

Romans 14:4 (CSB) Who are you to judge another’s household servant? Before his own Lord he stands or falls. And he will stand, because the Lord is able to make him stand.

and has left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in any thing contrary to his word, or not contained in it

Acts 4:19–29 (CSB) Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done. For this sign of healing had been performed on a man over forty years old. After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David your servant: Why do the Gentiles rage and the peoples plot futile things? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers assemble together against the Lord and against his Messiah. “For, in fact, in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, to do whatever your hand and your will had predestined to take place. And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness,

1 Corinthians 7:23 (CSB) You were bought at a price; do not become slaves of people.

Matthew 15:9 (CSB) They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.”

So that to believe such doctrines, or obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience

Colossians 2:20–23 (CSB) If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

and the requiring of an implicit faith, an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also

1 Corinthians 3:5 (CSB) What then is Apollos? What is Paul? They are servants through whom you believed, and each has the role the Lord has given.

2 Corinthians 1:24 (CSB) I do not mean that we lord it over your faith, but we are workers with you for your joy, because you stand firm in your faith.

We have the perfect law of God that has commanded us to obey perfectly. And because our original father, Adam, sinned and disobeyed the law of God, we are born in sin and thus can only sin from birth. We cannot perfectly obey the law of God because we have disobeyed the law of God and therefore broken the law of God.

And maybe we fool ourselves that we have done something good in the sight of God but God sees all the way to your mind, soul, and heart. God knows the source of the good things we do and know it is sin against him.

But God has not left us to suffer and die.

Romans 5:8 (CSB) But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

In his great love for us, God saw our terrible state and sent his Son to live and die for us so that we would die and live unto him forever.

To that end, the law of God does not cover every single aspect of what we do.

Whom to marry? Other than explicitly commanded to marry believers of the opposite gender (2 Corinthians 6:14; Matthew 19:5; Genesis 2:24), God does not instruct on how to do it. Arranged marriages? Dating apps? Blind dates setup by your friend who thinks this one is so perfect for you? No explicit instruction.

How to earn a living? So long as it is not unlawful or immoral and whatever you do, you do to the glory of God.

Lets go one step further: baptism. Shall we baptize babies or believers? Shall we sprinkle water or dunk them into a body of water. As a Baptist, my conscience cannot bear to sprinkle my children before God saves them. For a Presbyterian, they cannot bear to think of not bringing their newborns to the next possible Sunday Service to present their child unto the Lord in the sight of the church. Both views are convicted by Scriptures. But since the Lord is the Lord of the conscience, both the Baptist and the Presbyterian--the credo and the paedobaptist--can only do what our conscience allows. To force one to do the other is a sin. Plain and simple.

What about alcohol? Drinking and consuming alcohol is not a sin. But to try to get a believer to drink when they have abstain from alcohol pierces their conscience and therefore is a sin. And in reverse is true: to forbid the drinking of alcohol on a believer whom has no issue drinking is a sin.

The conscience is a result of the power of God freeing his sons to enjoy the goodness of God. Where to go to church, what songs to sing, what passages to preach--all is bear down on the conscience of the believer. Dare I say, instead of trying to get believers to act and believe the same in order to falsely unify believers together, but rather, would it not be our consciences, dictated by Scriptures, empowered to understand by the Spirit, by the precious life and death of His Son given to us by God that actually unify us?