Liberated But Loving-Romans 14:14-23

It is a dangerous & fearful thing when one uses fear, manipulation, abuse of authority, etc., to bind someone’s free conscience so that they are guilted into doing that which God does not require, or made to feel guilty for doing what God has given liberty to enjoy. It’s a form of legalism, that goes beyond Scripture. Too often Christians go beyond Scripture on issues that it does not command, nor forbid, whether it be how you school your children, whether to celebrate holidays, or a host of other "Romans 14 Issues" or "Christian Liberty subjects". The Westminster Confession has a good paragraph on this: 1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; (a) and in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin, (b) from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; (c) as also in their free access to God, (d) and their yielding obedience unto him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. (e) All which were common also to believers under the law; (f) but under the New Testament the liberty of Christians is further enlarged in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected; (g) and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, (h) and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of. (i) a. Gal 3:13; 1 Thes 1:10; Titus 2:14. • b. Acts 26:18; Rom 6:14; Gal 1:4; Col 1:13. • c. Psa 119:71; Rom 8:1, 28; 1 Cor 15:54-57. • d. Rom 5:1-2. • e. Rom 8:14-15; 1 John 4:18. • f. Gal 3:9, 14. • g. Acts 15:10-11; Gal 4:1-3, 6-7; 5:1. • h. Heb 4:14, 16; 10:19-22. • i. John 7:38-39; 2 Cor 3:13, 17-18. 2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, (a) and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men which are in anything contrary to his Word, or beside it, in matters of faith or worship. (b) So that to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience; (c) and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also. (d) a. Rom 14:4; James 4:12. • b. Mat 15:9; 23:8-10; Acts 4:19; 5:29; 1 Cor 7:23; 2 Cor 1:24. • c. Psa 5:1; Gal 1:10; 2:4-5; 5:1; Col 2:20-23. • d. Isa 8:20; Jer 8:9; Hosea 5:11; John 4:22; Acts 17:11; Rom 10:17; 14:23; Rev 13:12, 16-17. Join us this coming Lord's Day as we continue our current study of the subject as we look at "Liberated But Loving" (Romans 14:14-23).