NOT LEGALISM, NOR LICENSE, BUT LIBERTY
In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, he taught them that true liberty came not from legalism, nor license, but from the Spirit of the Lord. The law is external to man, written on stone tablets, it has no power to overcome the sin nature. It reveals man’s sinfulness, but does not set him free from it. As a result, it only condemns the sinner.
But those who believe the gospel find that the law of God is “written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart” (2 Cor. 3:3). As a result, the one who trusts in Christ has been born again of the Spirit (John 3:6) and set free from condemnation (Rom. 8:1). For the “the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life” (2 Cor. 3:6).
Does this liberty in the Spirit mean that the believer is free to sin? Paul answered this question saying, “Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” (Rom. 6:2). In other words, those who are born again of the Spirit, have died to sin. Why then would they return to slavery to sin? For license to sin is not liberty, but servitude. Sin always enslaves.
There is a narrow path called love. It is the way of liberty. On either side there are two ditches, the one is license and the other is legalism. They both claim to be the way of freedom, but in the end they both lead to bondage and death (See Prov. 14:12).
PRAYER: Dear Father, You have given us liberty through faith in Your Son, who sets us free from sin, death and the grave. He is the Way, Truth and the Life. Through faith in Him, we have been born again of the Spirit. Thank You, Lord! Strengthen us to walk by faith today. In Jesus’ name, amen.