What is the Royal Law or Law of Liberty?

  • Christian Chat is a moderated online Christian community allowing Christians around the world to fellowship with each other in real time chat via webcam, voice, and text, with the Christian Chat app. You can also start or participate in a Bible-based discussion here in the Christian Chat Forums, where members can also share with each other their own videos, pictures, or favorite Christian music.

    If you are a Christian and need encouragement and fellowship, we're here for you! If you are not a Christian but interested in knowing more about Jesus our Lord, you're also welcome! Want to know what the Bible says, and how you can apply it to your life? Join us!

    To make new Christian friends now around the world, click here to join Christian Chat.
Dec 9, 2011
13,740
1,728
113
#21
There is a popular tendency to tie the Ten Commandments "Moral Law" to the Law of Moses "Mosaic Law" for the purpose of getting rid of both of them at the Cross, per Colossians 2:13-14 KJV. Not so.

They existed before the Exodus 20 codification at Mount Sinai, as Exodus 16 proves -- before they even got to Sinai, God called out the people for refusing to obey "My law". Cain knew not to kill, Rachel, knew not to steal, Joseph knew not to sleep with Mrs. Potiphar, etc. Psalms 111:7-8 KJV says the commandments which God wrote with His hands - the Ten Commandments - will "stand fast forever and ever", while the Mosaic Law of ceremonies, sacrifices, feast days, etc., ended at the Cross.
Sure you can! We can do all things through Christ, right? God doesn't expect perfection - only a willingness to be made perfect. Never forget that.

The Just Man of Proverbs 24 might stumble into the pit of sin, but takes hold of Jesus' outstretched hand, climbs out, gets back on the Path of the Just, and follows the "shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day". This is the man who is willing to be made perfect.

The Presumptuous Man deliberately climbs down into the pit, takes a seat and gets comfortable, swats away the hand of Jesus, and waves a "Once Saved, Always Saved" license in His face. He thinks salvation will cover his deliberate, habitual, known sin while ignoring the plain words of Solomon: "He that covereth his sin shall not prosper, but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Proverbs 28:13 KJV There is no mercy for this man.
Even a saved man will break one of the ten commandments so I disagree that we can keep the ten commandments but Once we have been justified through faith In GODs WORD,GOD doesn't judge us by the ten commandments but by the law of liberty.🙂
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#22
I agree the Cross delivered humanity from the curse of the law, without which we all perish. It is no good to the one who refuses to take hold of that deliverance by inward faith, the outward evidence of which is obedience, just as the outward evidence of the apple tree's inward DNA is an apple.

But, OSAS License to Sin folks refuse to agree with 1 John 2:3-4 KJV, 1 John 3:7 KJV, Romans 2:13 KJV, 1 John 2:29 KJV, 1 Peter 1:15-16 KJV, Galatians 6:7-8 KJV, Romans 6:14-16 KJV, 1 Corinthians 6:9 KJV, James 1:22 KJV.
' licence to sin ' only applies if conditional salvation ' is true . If Eternal security is true ,your saying God has planned the Church to be encouraged and motivated by the worst decision ever. Man decided that the best way to increase production and of course to reduce the death rate ,was to construct nets under the building of the brooklyn bridge in Newyork. Productivity went up not down .
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#23
Well, that isn't what I said.

I said we're not judges by the 10 commandments, but rather judged by the law of liberty which is how well we love our neighbor as ourselves:

James 2:12
12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

If you break one of the 10 commandments, even secretly in your heart, or accidentally, then you're guilty of transgressing the whole law:

James 2:10
10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Given our inability to keep the law, Christ fulfilled the law for us so that by faith in His life death and resurrection we are justified by His righteousness. We access the grace of God by faith in Christ.

Romans 5:1-2
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We're not free to go on sinning as you suggested, nor do born again Christians want to sin, rather we are free to love our neighbor as ourselves in the law of liberty:

Galatians 5:13-15
13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Galatians 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Does Paul say the the church will be Judged by the law of liberty ?
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,678
113
#24
Does Paul say the the church will be Judged by the law of liberty ?
I'm not aware of any specific passages where Paul uses the term law of livery, but he discusses judgement and concludes that in light of the judgment seat of Christ we should walk in love, or charity, in regard to our neighbor. This describes loving our neighbor as ourselves as far as I can tell.

Romans 14:10-15
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#25
This is the best explanation I have ever heard on this subject of Christians liberty.

 

JaumeJ

Senior Member
Jul 2, 2011
21,235
6,530
113
#26
Let us be reasonable according to what we have been taught.

First, learn from Jesus-Yeshua just who our neighbor is.

Then learn to treat those who reject Him as non-believers.

As for hating anyone, we must love our enemies. This latter does not mean we pray for what they do for this would be participating in his, her, or their sin: pary for their salvation.
 

GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
Aug 10, 2019
9,103
3,971
113
mywebsite.us
#27
The phrases 'royal law' and 'law of liberty' are only found in the book of James, and represent two entirely different things.
The Royal Law is the Law of Christ - which is the 'love God and your neighbor' commandments.

The Law of Liberty is the concept and precept of having a privilege with an associated responsibility.

In James 1:25, "looketh into the perfect law of liberty" means understanding the privilege and accepting the responsibility.

The phrase "and continueth therein" is referring to a sincere committed "living out" of a proper use of the privilege to carry out the responsponsibility.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#28
I'm not aware of any specific passages where Paul uses the term law of livery, but he discusses judgement and concludes that in light of the judgment seat of Christ we should walk in love, or charity, in regard to our neighbor. This describes loving our neighbor as ourselves as far as I can tell.

Romans 14:10-15
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
Exactly ,he doesn't.And it would be an assumption that it means the same as you then write .
12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.

Judgement without mercy?
 

GaryA

Truth, Honesty, Love, Courage
Aug 10, 2019
9,103
3,971
113
mywebsite.us
#29
This is the best explanation I have ever heard on this subject of Christians liberty.
I find it interesting that he made sure to ask everyone to "stand for the reading of the Word of God" - and then cracked a joke while reading it...
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#30
” if it was Paul’s “law of the Spirit”? Can a Christian under the Law of Liberty get “judgment WITHOUT mercy”? That is what the text says, if the “ye” in verse 12 is the “he” in verse 13.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#31
I'm not aware of any specific passages where Paul uses the term law of livery, but he discusses judgement and concludes that in light of the judgment seat of Christ we should walk in love, or charity, in regard to our neighbor. This describes loving our neighbor as ourselves as far as I can tell.

Romans 14:10-15
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.
14 I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15 But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
So your turning the Judgement seat of Christ into a terror ?
13For he shall have judgment WITHOUT ! MERCY , that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Rather its the people who have no mercy on Jews from the “twelve tribes...scattered abroad” (1:1) will get “judgment without mercy” (2:13)—meaning absolute terror without any mercy whatsoever: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#32
I find it interesting that he made sure to ask everyone to "stand for the reading of the Word of God" - and then cracked a joke while reading it...
"A little levity never hurt anyone, Thelma".
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,678
113
#33
So your turning the Judgement seat of Christ into a terror ?
13For he shall have judgment WITHOUT ! MERCY , that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
Rather its the people who have no mercy on Jews from the “twelve tribes...scattered abroad” (1:1) will get “judgment without mercy” (2:13)—meaning absolute terror without any mercy whatsoever: “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
We will appear before the judgement seat of Christ and give account of ourselves whether it be good of bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

I don't think it'll be a terror. I don't know where you got that idea.

The Bible is clear that salvation comes from believing in Christ. We will not be judged according to our sin. We will not be condemned because we are forgiven.

1 John 2:2

2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 8:1-2
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The judgement seat of Christ seems like it'll involve receiving rewards based on what we've done:

2 Timothy 4:6-8
6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
#34
Well, that isn't what I said.

I said we're not judges by the 10 commandments, but rather judged by the law of liberty which is how well we love our neighbor as ourselves:

James 2:12
12So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.

If you break one of the 10 commandments, even secretly in your heart, or accidentally, then you're guilty of transgressing the whole law:

James 2:10
10For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

Given our inability to keep the law, Christ fulfilled the law for us so that by faith in His life death and resurrection we are justified by His righteousness. We access the grace of God by faith in Christ.

Romans 5:1-2
1Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
We're not free to go on sinning as you suggested, nor do born again Christians want to sin, rather we are free to love our neighbor as ourselves in the law of liberty:

Galatians 5:13-15
13For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 15But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.

Galatians 5:22-23
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
How can the Law of Liberty be a Law of Love but not the Law of God written in stone?

It is of a truth that "love" can be expounded to mean "love for God" and "love for neighbor", which both can be expounded to mean, "keeping the first four commandments" and "keeping the last six commandments", per 1 John 5:3 KJV:

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous."

Please stop insisting that we're not going to be judged by the Ten Commandments, because I've shown you that they are an exposition of what love is.
 
Aug 3, 2019
3,744
507
113
#36
Even a saved man will break one of the ten commandments so I disagree that we can keep the ten commandments but Once we have been justified through faith In GODs WORD,GOD doesn't judge us by the ten commandments but by the law of liberty.🙂
A man who habitually breaks the commandments is not saved "Just Man" who falls seven times but rises again, but is a "Presumptuous Man" and will go to hell. Don't tell me the same man that can go home to his own wife every night for 50 years can't obey a God to Whom He is infinitely more obligated to be faithful than her.
 
B

Blackpowderduelist

Guest
#37
I'm heading out the door so I don't have time to watch...can you sum up his position in a couple of sentences?
Basically that we have liberty, we don't cause others to be offended by our liberty but we also don't let the easily offended set the standards by which we operate the church.
 
Mar 4, 2020
8,614
3,678
113
#38
How can the Law of Liberty be a Law of Love but not the Law of God written in stone?

It is of a truth that "love" can be expounded to mean "love for God" and "love for neighbor", which both can be expounded to mean, "keeping the first four commandments" and "keeping the last six commandments", per 1 John 5:3 KJV:

"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous."

Please stop insisting that we're not going to be judged by the Ten Commandments, because I've shown you that they are an exposition of what love is.
You seem like you're almost getting it now. If someone is judged by the 10 commandments then they'll be judged by their failure to keep them.

Are you postulating that believers in Christ will be judged for their sins? Not what my Bible says. We cannot be saved by keeping the 10 commandments:

Galatians 3:24-28
24Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
26For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. 27For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Romans 3:20-26
20Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
21But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

I also never said "don't keep the 10 commandments." You projected that assumption into what I've said.

Don't take my word for it. Read the Bible and come to your own conclusion.

Again, if we love God and love our neighbor we'll follow His commandments, but again, we aren't justified by law keeping as you seem to be suggesting. We are justified by Christ.
 

throughfaith

Well-known member
Aug 4, 2020
10,467
1,593
113
#39
We will appear before the judgement seat of Christ and give account of ourselves whether it be good of bad.

2 Corinthians 5:10
10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

I don't think it'll be a terror. I don't know where you got that idea.

The Bible is clear that salvation comes from believing in Christ. We will not be judged according to our sin. We will not be condemned because we are forgiven.

1 John 2:2

2And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Romans 8:1-2
1There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

The judgement seat of Christ seems like it'll involve receiving rewards based on what we've done:

2 Timothy 4:6-8
6For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Yes but thats nothing to do with what James is saying .