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Transforming Grace
Discussion Guide, Chapter 6d: Called to be Free (Law, Legalism, Love, License, and
Liberty)
Central Idea: As followers of Christ we are free. Free from the drive to earn
God’s favor by our actions. Free from the oppression of trying to live up to manmade
religious rules and regulations. Free to let the Holy Spirit create in our lives something
beautiful and pleasing to God.
Review From Last Week (What Others Think):
- We should be more concerned about what God thinks than what man thinks (2 Cor
10:18).
- God only saves those who are approved by Him.
- God has approved Jesus (Jn 6:27).
- God has approved us because we gain access to God through Christ (Rom 5:1-2a).
- We are free from seeking the approval of men. We have every reason to seek the approval
of God, because God has the last word concerning our eternal lives, not men.
- Indicators that we are seeking the approval of God, rather than men:
- We stand up and fight for the things that have eternal significance (the things of principle,
rather than preference) (Gal 1:6-10, 1 Thess 2:2).
- We don’t flatter people for ulterior motives or in order to advance our own agendas
(1 Thess 2:5).
- We not only share the Gospel with people, but we share our lives to people (1 Thess
2:8).
- We don’t put ourselves in situations where we unnecessarily burden the people we
are serving (1 Thess 2:9).
- We are to model Christ’s example of being a servant to all men, as much as
possible, but our seeking of man’s approval should never go above or before our
seeking of God’s approval (1 Cor 10:19).
- A true servant’s heart can only come from those who are united with Christ (Jn
13:1-5, Phil 2:1-3, Rom 8:35-37)
- We know who we are (our identity is found in Christ).
- We know where we are going when we die (our security is found in Christ).
- We are now free to die to ourselves and not let our pride be threatened by the humility
that comes with being a servant.
Gracious Freedom: Tying it All Together
- Read Gal 5:13-14. You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your
freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law
is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself."
- There are five "L" words that Jerry Bridges uses to distinguish five concepts
that we’ve either studied in detail, or touched on. They are law, liberty, love,
license, and legalism.
- Bridges states that these five concepts are either stated or implied in this passage.
- Where do you find the concept of "law"
?
- "The entire law is summed up…"
- We spoke of God’s law as being an expression of His holiness.
- You cannot separate God’s law from God’s grace.
- To love God means to obey God (adhere to His law).
- Where do you find "love"
?
- "Serve one another in love"
- "Love your neighbor…"
- To love God means to obey God (adhere to His law).
- Where do you find "liberty"
?
- "…were called to be free"
- Where do you find "legalism"
?
- Maybe in the phrase, "serve one another in love." This might be a check
against the notion of "serving one another in order to earn God’s favor."
- Maybe also in the phrase, "the entire law is summed up in… love." This
may protect people from thinking that there is law outside the command to love.
- Where do you find "license"
?
- "Do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature."
- Draw Bridge’s "Road to Freedom"
- This diagram graphically demonstrates the interrelationship between all five of these
concepts.
- Law, Liberty, and Love are found on the solid road of Grace.
- License and Legalism are found off this road.
- Love.
Why is God’s grace necessary for us to properly have and demonstrate
love?
- Because God demonstrated His love for us by sacrificing His Son in our place.
- We forgive much because we have been forgiven much.
- We love because God first loved us.
- Law.
Why is God’s grace necessary for us to properly follow God’s laws?
- Properly following God’s laws implies following them out of a motivation of
gratitude.
- We cannot properly follow God’s laws if we are following for the wrong motivations
(earning or forfeiting God’s blessings based on our performance).
- We must have God’s unmerited favor and blessings if we are to obey out of
gratitude.
- Legalism.
Why is legalism found off of the road of Grace?
- Because the moment I obey out of the motivation to earn, I am outside the realm of
God’s grace.
- In this state, "we have unduly focused on God’s law [or man’s law] and
disparaged liberty" (TG, pg 133).
- Liberty.
Why is God’s grace necessary for us to be truly free?
- We are set free from the condemnation of the law (justification).
- We are set free from the mastery of sin (regeneration).
- We are given the ability (freedom) to serve God with the power and desire He gives us
(sanctification).
- If the above statements exhibit true freedom, then grace is necessary for this freedom,
because we didn’t deserve to be set free from the condemnation and mastery of sin (in
the negative sense), and we didn’t deserve to be given the power and desire to obey
and please God (in the positive sense).
- License.
Why is license found off the road of Grace?
- The phrase, "cheap grace" comes to mind. It’s the attitude that "I
may live as I please; I may sin as much as I want because God will still love me and
forgive me" (TG, pg 133).
- "It results from focusing exclusively on liberty and denigrating God’s
law" (TG, pg 133).
- Focus.
So out of all the concepts on this drawing, which one should we always
focus on in order to keep everything else in perspective?
- "When you focus on grace in the fullness of its meaning, you will keep the law,
liberty, and love in their proper relationship to one another. But if you focus on any one
of them instead of on grace, you will invariably end up in the swamp of legalism or
license" (TG, pg 133).
- In the course of studying Christian Freedom, what are some of the most impacting truths
that you’ve learned? How is this study in Christian freedom changing the way you
understand and serve God and people
?
- If time permits, read Ex 16.
- You’re now the teacher. How would you teach the concept of sufficient grace using
this chapter? What are some questions you could come up with? What does God tell us about
the sufficiency of His grace here
?
- Jn 6:48-51. I am the bread of life. 49 Your forefathers ate the manna in the desert,
yet they died. 50 But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which a man may eat
and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the
world.
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