WHERE THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS THERE IS LIBERTY

2 Cor. 3:17

Morning Meditation 2/1/2013

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

I have probably commented on this verse before in my morning meditations and I do not promise not to do it again. There are certain passages of Scripture that draw me back to them over and over again. It may be the mystery about them. It may be my own personal inadequacy to explain them that call for a new attempt. Do you ever feel when you have explained a Scripture that you have left something important unexplained? I do that a lot of times. Someone will write me and add something or point out something that I left unexplained, and I say to myself “Why didn’t I think of that?” I feel I send my meditations to people who could be teaching me. But If I waited until that would change, you would never hear from me. So, I guess I will continue to share with you the things the Lord is showing me.

We are living in a time when Christian liberty is emphasized and defined in such a way that one dare not suggest rules lest someone claim that you are infringing on his freedom in Christ. This text says, “Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” This settles how the Lord exercises his Lordship in this age. The Holy Spirit is the Lord to us today. He has been sent by the Father in the Name of the Son to do the work of the Son in us and with us in this age while we wait for his coming (John 14:26).

Then he adds: “and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” The “is” is present indicative. The Spirit indwells all believers. It is a present tense experience and the absence of the Spirit simply means one is not saved (Rom. 8:9). So this verse is saying that all believers have liberty. The word “there” (ekei) means “in that place.” The word “liberty” (eleutheria) means “license, the liberty to do as one pleases.” We know because of the whole teaching of the Bible that liberty is not license to do wrong but license to do right. It is not only license to do right but power to do right. Every Christian has liberty but most do not use liberty. Now when Christian liberty becomes bondage one of two things is wrong.

First, an unsaved person who has professed to be a Christian is going to feel that his liberty to do wrong is being infringed upon when you tell him that Christian liberty is not to be used to do wrong. He uses grace as a license to sin and defends his right to do wrong theologically! He does not fear and tremble as he claims God’s endorsement of his wrong under the guise of Christian liberty. This man is under bondage in a church that teaches holiness in a practical way.

He feels comfortable in a church that never deals with what is right and wrong. Homosexuals feel comfortable in liberal churches who can make room for them in their theological framework. As Vance Havner used to say, “That’s too much room.” People who live together outside of marriage feel comfortable in a church that never questions their life style. The many who desecrate “The Lord’s Day” feel comfortable in a church that never suggests that God is not pleased with people who turn his day into a picnic and forsake the assembly of the Saints (Heb. 10:25). The pro ball player making his millions feels completely comfortable in a church that glories over having him as a member of its congregation and turns its face and ignores his ungodly life style. An unsaved person in the church wants liberty to live a life of license. He does not want his freedom infringed upon. He would be completely uncomfortable in a church that taught the Truth about personal holiness. This is not liberty. This is bondage. This is not where liberty can be found.

Second, a carnal Christian who is operating on the philosophy of this world (1 Cor. 3:3) and misuses liberty will scream when you suggest that he does not have the liberty to do wrong. Especially when you dare to name the wrong. The church is literally filled with these kinds of people today. I am not judging their salvation. I am saying that Christian liberty does not make it right to do what the Bible says in wrong. The carnal Christian does not only do what the unsaved man is doing, he claims that grace allows him to do it. He defends his so-called right to do what the Bible says is wrong.

Now lets see what the Bible says about the grace that the carnal Christian claims that gives him liberty to do wrong and call it right. Titus 2:11-12 says, “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, TEACHING (all caps mine) us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;” When I explain what godliness is and suggest what this is the way one should live, the carnal Christian will scream that his liberty is being taken from him. Wait a minute. Grace is the teacher here. Grace is what sets us free, yet grace teaches us that we are to deny ungodliness and abstain from worldly lusts and live soberly, righteously, and godly IN THIS PRESENT WORLD.

Our text says, “Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.” Again the word “there” means “in that place.” I want to ask “Where is there?” If you can find out where “there” is and get “there” you will have liberty according to our text. May I mention a few places? “There” is the church. He is it’s Head and foundation and indweller (Eph. 2:21). “There” is in a life of separation from the world (1 Cor. 6:14-18). “There” is in the prayer meeting. “There” is with those who take a stand against abortion. “There” is with those who hate what he hates. “There” is with those who love what he loves. “There” is with those who obey him in marriage and do not live together outside of marriage. “There” is with the Christian who believes Romans One and rejects a homosexual life style as legitimate.

“There” is not in a liberal church that denies His virgin birth, the inspiration of the Scriptures and endorses the modern situation ethics. “There” is not in the gay movement. “There” is not in a rock concert. “There” is not in a bar. “There” is not reading or viewing pornography. “There” is not in a Masonic lodge. “There” is not in the hate movements including all the anti government organizations. “There” is not in the KKK. “There” is not in the big church movements that employ man’s ways of getting a crowd and use the Bible just enough to make it appear to be of the Lord. Pages could be added. You just add your own.

Liberty, Christian liberty, is to be found where the Spirit of the Lord is. If that puts a cramp in your style then you need to come by the way of the cross and get your Christianity “Styled.”

May God bless each of you.

In Christ

Bro. White