The Law of Liberty
The apostle James writes about the law of liberty, “But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does” (James 1:25). And He adds, “So speak and so do as those who will be judged by the law of liberty” (James 2:12 also Romans 2:12; 7:12).
The apostle points to God’s moral law or the Ten Commandments as the law of liberty (Exodus 20: 3–17). And he elaborates that the “whole duty,” for Christian living is contained in God’s law. Solomon summes the whole duty of man saying, “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all [whole duty]” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
God’s moral law (the law of Liberty) is a reflection of His character—the ultimate standard of morality—and shapes the right relationships between the Creator and man, also the relationships between man to man. Both God and the law are summed up in the word “love” (1 John 4:8; Romans 13:10).
Liberty From Sin
The person that breaks the law finds his freedom constricted. The phrase, “obedience to law is liberty,” is often seen in courthouses where justice is administered. When, by the grace of God, a person accepts the Savior’s yoke as his own (Matthew 11:28–30), then he looks upon the will of God as liberty, and upon sin as slavery. When he acknowledges the defects of his character, that the law points out to him (Romans 7:7 3:20), and turns to Christ for cleansing, he finds that the law leads to genuine liberty.
The Law Doesn’t Save
No one can be saved by keeping the law. Salvation comes only through grace, as a free gift of Jesus Christ. And a person receives this gift by faith, not by our works. The Bible declares, “By grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast” (Ephesians 2:8, 9). “By the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Romans 3:20).
The law serves only as a mirror that points out the sin in a person’s life. “By the law is the knowledge of sin” (Romans 3:20). The law is the standard of right, and whatever fails to act in accordance to the law is sin, for sin is lawlessness or disobedience to law (1 John 3:4). The more a person becomes familiar with the standard, the more his sense of sin is increased. That is why no one can be justified by works of law. This leads the sinner to proclaim, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” (Romans 7:24). Thus, the law reveals the guilt but cannot remove it.
Christ the Savior
The good new is that Christ is the One that cleanses the sinner, grants him forgiveness and power to obey the law of liberty (1 John 1:9). And He promises, “I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts” (Hebrews 8:10). God does the work of transformation that the “law might be fulfilled in us” (Romans 8:3, 4). Paul affirms this truth, “I can do all things through Christ” (Philippians 4:13).
Therefore, the Lord urges the believers, “Sin shall not have dominion over you: for you are not under law but under grace. What then? Shall we sin [break the law] because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!” (Romans 6:14, 15). And He adds, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law” (Romans 3:31).
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
