The Perfect Law Of Freedom - James 1:23-25 Series

Law of Freedom

James calls it that here and again in 2:12. I think James is trying to correct a problem that existed in his time and that still exists in our day. There are some Christians who seem to think the Law is a bad thing. They think it is this oppressive system that used to exist back in Old Testament times, and it was a failure, and now we have been set free from the tyranny of that bad system. Many times you hear people pit law against grace. People tell me, “You preach too much law – you need more grace,” as if law and grace were opposites.

And that creates a lot of confusion, because if you define law as anything God commands, then those people are, in essence, saying we shouldn’t put forth effort to obey God. And the whole doctrine ends up being self-contradictory, because they say, “Instead of striving to obey God’s commands, we should just rely on the Holy Spirit.” And that is a contradiction because God commands us to rely on the Holy Spirit. So when they tell you to rely on the Holy Spirit, they are telling you to obey one of God’s commands!

So all that to say there are a lot of people who are very confused about the role of God’s law in the Christian life. And that same problem existed in the time of James. Some Christians were evidently thinking of the law of God as a burdensome restriction on their Christian freedom. So James is going to set them straight by calling it the law of freedom.

Freedom from What?

That is definitely an attention-getting phrase, because normally we think of a law as restricting freedom - by definition. The speed limit restricts your freedom to drive faster. Laws against stealing restrict your freedom to take other people’s stuff. Laws restrict freedom. But James is letting us know that the law of God is different. Rather than restricting freedom, it gives us freedom.

Freedom to do what? Freedom to disobey God? No. Glance through the rest of the book of James and you can tell he is not a fan of disobedience.

James 2:12 Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law of freedom, 13 because judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful.

One of the commands in God’s law is that we must love our neighbor and be merciful. And in the same sentence where he calls it the law of freedom he warns us not to break it or we will be judged without mercy. So it is not freedom to disobey.

So what kind of freedom does the law give us? What did Jesus say about freedom in relationship to His Word?

John 8:30 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you remain in my word, you are really my disciples. 32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

So there Jesus talked about the freedom that comes from remaining in His Word. Freedom from what?

34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.

What does His Word free us from? Sin. The law of God frees us from bondage to sin.

Freedom from Sin

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. … 11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.