THE PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY

God gave us the perfect law of liberty when He gave us The Ten Commandments with their statutes and judgments. The Ten Commandments define sin:

"Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law." 1 John 3:4

The problems and divisions in the church come when people "add to" or "diminish from" the Law of God and make judgments according to a false standard.

When a person changes the Law of God, they arrogantly question the wisdom and goodness of our Creator as they become a law-giver and unjust judge. Here, James warns the church about making unrighteous judgments:

James 4:11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.

James 4:12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

The scriptures warn about unrighteous judgement and teach us that righteous judgment is loving our neighbour as thyself:

Leviticus 19:15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU JUDGE THY NEIGHBOUR.

Leviticus 19:16 Thou shalt not go up and down as a talebearer among thy people: neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour; I am the LORD.

Leviticus 19:17 Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise REBUKE THY NEIGHBOUR, AND NOT SUFFER SIN UPON HIM.

Leviticus 19:18 Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF: I am the LORD.

It is a true act of love to correct sin in the church by using righteous judgment.

Donna Kupp

"Note, Friendly reproof is a duty we owe to one another, and we ought both to give it and take it in love. Let the righteous smite me, and it shall be a kindness, Psa_141:5. Faithful and useful are those wounds of a friend, Pro_27:5, Pro_27:6. It is here strictly commanded, “Thou shalt in any wise do it, and not omit it under any pretence.” Consider, (1.) The guilt we incur by not reproving: it is construed here into a hating of our brother. We are ready to argue thus, “Such a one is a friend I love, therefore I will not make him uneasy by telling him of his faults;” but we should rather say, “therefore I will do him the kindness to tell him of them.” Love covers sin from others, but not from the sinner himself. (2.) The mischief we do by not reproving: we suffer sin upon him. Must we help the ass of an enemy that has fallen under his burden, and shall we not help the soul of a friend? Exo_23:5. And by suffering sin upon him we are in danger of bearing sin for him, as the margin reads it. If we reprove not the unfruitful works of darkness, we have fellowship with them, and become accessaries ex post facto - after the fact, Eph_5:11. It is thy brother, thy neighbour, that is concerned; and he was a Cain that said, Am I my brother's keeper?" Matthew Henry.

dk