Doctrines That Bring Gratitude
The Doctrine of Freedom
Dr. Randy White
A Reminder of Dispensations After the Fall
From Adam to Noah: man lived seeking to please God by living morally, knowing good from evil by their own experience.
From Noah to Abraham: man lived morally, seeking to please God by living morally, constrained by the threat of capital punishment.
From Abraham to Moses: man lived morally, looking to Abraham and his promised descendants for blessing.
From Moses to Paul: man lived morally according to the dictates of the Law of Moses.
The Age of Grace is an Aboslute and Total Removal of the Requirements Under Moses
Acts 13:38-39 is the first time this dispensation is voiced, and it announces freedom from Moses.
The Apostle Paul explains freedom from the Law from those who were under the Law in Romans 7:1-6.
He gives a legal illustration of marriage to the Jews (who knew the Law) -- vv. 1-3.
He explains to the Jews that in Christ they are dead to the Law -- v. 4.
They now have a newness of spirit rather than the oldness of the law -- vv. 5-6.
Galatians 2:16 nails down a complete freedom from the Law.
The freedom from the Law is absolute and total and no piece of the law can become a requirement for justification, sanctification, or glorification.
“salvation," then each of these three things must be by grace, through faith, and accomplished in Christ alone.
If the freedom is indeed absolute and total, then the Law can never become the basis for any doctrine of Christian living.
The law was only lawful within its jurisdiction. We are not within that jurisdiction!
The Human Heart is Continually On A Quest for Law
We fulfill this quest when we make all the law apply to the Christian life today.
Many“Reformed" tradition teach that the law is applicable in three ways:
The Civil Use: God's law is a bridle restraining from sin.
The Gospel Use: God's law is a mirror pointing out our need for the Savior.
The Christian Living Use: God's law guides the Christian in daily living.
See The Gospel Coalition -
This persuasion never even considers a dispensational view of the Law.
We fulfill this quest when we separate unto ourselves portions of the Law which are then taught as applicable to believers.
The most common is the three-fold division of the Law among the Evangelical tradition:
The Civil Law: the portion that applied only to the nation of Israel
The Ceremonial Law: the portion that was fulfilled in Christ on the cross.
The Moral Law: the portion that applies to everyone.
This persuasion never considers that the Bible itself declares that the Law is indivisible (Dt. 27:26, James 2:10).
We fulfill this quest when we substitute a new law for an old law.
“checklist" pushes us to create bondage when God has given liberty.
“Biblical" laws --
The Institute in Basic Life Principles lists 49 commandments of Christ we are supposed to keep.
“list of laws" that the faithful should keep (written or unwritten).
Even those who profess freedom from the Law often find a substitute for legalisms: exchanging one for another.
“Moral" laws --
“10/20/70" principle of financial management, for example.
The morning quiet time.
