 |  |
From this domination, those who are in Christ Jesus have been set free. Note the
emphasis on freedom in Rom. 6: 18, 20, 21, 22; 7: 1; 8: 2 and 21. The apex and
crowning glory of the eighth chapter is the central section, Rom. 8: 17-21 which
contains the words:
"The glorious liberty of the children of God."
We will reserve final comments on Rom. 8: until we reach the end of this study, for
the glorious liberty there revealed of the children of God is the goal to which we press.
For the moment, let us pause. We have seen how false brethren brought in unawares
could menace our liberty, but we shall only be partly guarded if we do not include the
salutary warnings that we find in the closing passages of Galatians, and to which we have
made a slight reference.
"For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty: only use not liberty for an occasion
to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even
in this: Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (Gal. 5: 13, 14).
The word translated "occasion" is found in Rom. 7: 8, 11 and means:
"the solid ground from which an impetus is derived: such as a place from which a spring
is taken, hence generally a basis of operation. Make not your liberty a position to be
taken advantage of by the flesh" (Glynne).
Instead of thus abusing your liberty, rather by love serve one another, and the reason
that Paul gives is remarkable, after what he has said concerning the law in the opening
verses of chapter 5:, namely that love "fulfils the law". The superficial believer would
take exception to this; he would object that if Paul had occupied four whole chapters in
repudiating the law, he would scarcely stultify his argument by now speaking of
"fulfilling" it. Such an objection however makes it manifest how little the Apostle's
teaching has been appreciated. True the law has been entirely set aside as a means of
justification, but it does not mean that the ensuing liberty of the believer is to be a state of
lawless license. Far from it. We have been partly prepared for this by the statement that:
"Faith worketh by love."
Let us hear the Apostle speak for and of his own attitude, as he does in ICor.ix.19-21:
"For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant
unto all, that I might gain the more.
And unto the Jews I became as a Jew,
that I might gain the Jews.
To them that are under the law,
as under the law,
that I might gain them that are under the law,
To them that are without law,
as without law,
(being not without law to God, but under
the law to Christ)."