1. “For the anxious watching of the creation...the creation was made subject to vanity...in hope that the creation itself will also be freed from the slavery of corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God...We ourselves groan in ourselves, eagerly awaiting sonship, the redemption of our body” (Rom. 8:19-23).
Although the Lord’s salvation released us from slavery, bondage, and troubles and gave us the enjoyment of freedom, there is a form of slavery in us that will remain until the Lord returns and His salvation delivers us fully. This slavery is the slavery of the corruption of the old creation which comes to us through our body. Even though our spirit has been regenerated to become part of the new creation, our outward body is still part of the old creation. This body of the old creation is subject to vanity and is under the slavery of corruption; it groans and travails together with the entire old creation. Therefore, we have release and freedom in the spirit, but often our body is still in slavery and under corruption. Many times our body becomes weak, sick, crippled, and aged, so it brings us into bondage from which we cannot be freed. At such times, we feel the slavery of the corruption of the old creation and its vanity. We do, however, have the hope that when the Lord returns, He will use His power, by which all things are subjected, to transfigure our body of humiliation, which is subject to the slavery of the corruption of the old creation, into a glorious body (Phil. 3:20-21). This will be the redemption of our body. Although at the time of our salvation our spirit obtained the freedom of the new creation, our body must wait until the Lord’s return before it can experience the Lord’s redemption and escape the slavery of the old creation. At that time, our body will be transfigured into a glorious body just like the Lord’s glorious body, and it will be entirely in the new creation with the glorious freedom of the new creation. The glorious freedom of the new creation that God has prepared for us has not been seen or heard or even come up in man’s heart (1 Cor. 2:9). We will obtain the glorious freedom of the new creation and obtain the sonship of the children of God. Although today we have the life of the Son of God and have become sons of God, we will not obtain the sonship of God until the Lord’s return. This sonship, which is the redemption of our bodies, delivers our entire being—spirit, soul, and body—from within to without to fully release us from the old creation and the slavery of the corruption of the old creation so that we may enter the new creation and the glorious freedom of the new creation. Only this freedom is complete, absolute, glorious, divine, and therefore perfect, without any defect or lack. This is because this freedom is the freedom of God Himself and the freedom of God’s glory. At that time we and God will be in His glory together, enjoying His glorious freedom. As He is in glory, we also will be in glory. As He transcends all things, is above all things, and is perfectly free, we also will transcend all things, be above all things, and be utterly free. This is the sonship we will obtain. Hallelujah! Praise Him! Hallelujah! Praise Him for this marvelous salvation! How transcendent and glorious!
The release we obtain in the Lord’s salvation is a freedom, but this freedom does not imply looseness; it is a regulated freedom. Although this release is freedom, it has a law.
1. “Do not turn this freedom into an opportunity for the flesh” (Gal. 5:13).
Although the Lord’s salvation releases us from the bondage of the law and gives us freedom, we cannot turn this freedom into an opportunity for the flesh. If we turn the freedom we have obtained into an opportunity for the flesh, what appears to be freedom will only be another form of captivity and slavery to lusts. True freedom is not subject to the bondage of the law, and it is not a slave to lusts. It transcends all things without giving opportunity to the flesh.
2. “As free, and yet not having freedom as a covering for evil, but as slaves of God” (1 Pet. 2:16).
The freedom of the Lord’s salvation delivers us from all bondage so that we may serve God; we cannot use it as an excuse or a covering for evil. The more we are released from bondage and obtain freedom, the more we are God’s slaves. As we are restricted and regulated by God, serving others willingly for their benefit, we will offer no covering for evil, do nothing bad, and harm no one.
3. “Beware lest somehow this right of yours become a stumbling block to the weak ones”; “Why is my freedom judged by some other conscience?” (1 Cor. 8:9; 10:29).
We who were saved by the Lord are absolutely free and have no regulations or religious ordinances restricting us. But for the sake of others, for the weak ones, we should gladly be restricted in all matters. Concerning the matter of eating sacrifices offered to idols, they are nothing and can be eaten. But some brothers and sisters do not have this spiritual knowledge. Their consciences are weak, and if they see us eating something that was sacrificed to idols and then eat an idol sacrifice themselves, it will put a spot on their weak conscience and stumble them. Therefore, for the sake of the weak brothers and sisters, we should be restricted and not eat loosely so that our freedom does not become a stumbling block to them. This is not only true in the matter of eating but in other things as well. Although we are free in the Lord and are able to do many things, not all things build up others and some things may even stumble others. Therefore, we should restrict ourselves and not do them for the sake of others. If we love the Lord and the brothers and sisters, there should be many things that we would not do for the sake of the brothers and sisters. Often, for the profit of the brothers and sisters, we cannot wear certain clothes, say certain things, go to certain places, or live in certain ways. For the sake of the brothers and sisters, we cannot do anything that causes them to be concerned, to have questions, or to become critical, even if it does not involve sin and is clean. Despite the fact that we are free, we should be restricted for the sake of the brothers and sisters.
4. “For though I am free from all, I have enslaved myself to all that I might gain the more” (1 Cor. 9:19).
Although Paul was free and could do all things with no one controlling him, he willingly enslaved himself to others and was restricted in all things for the sake of turning others to the Lord. After receiving the Lord’s salvation, we can enjoy absolute freedom, but we should be restricted in all things because we love the Lord, because we love others’ souls, and because we want the Lord to gain more people. The Lord’s salvation makes people free, but those who have obtained the Lord’s salvation are willing to be restricted by the Lord. The more we enjoy the freedom of the Lord’s salvation, the more we enjoy being restricted for the Lord’s sake. Truly, the more we are restricted for the Lord’s sake, the more we enjoy real freedom.
5. “I am not without law to God but within law to Christ” (1 Cor. 9:21).
Although in other passages of the Bible Paul strongly asserts that those who are saved have been released from the law and are not under the law, he says in 1 Corinthians 9:21 that he was not without law to God but within law to Christ. Although he received the Lord’s salvation, was delivered from the bondage of the law, and had obtained freedom, he was not loose before God. He was restricted in the Lord for the sake of serving God and the Lord. Although he was delivered from the law of letters, God Himself was Paul’s law. Although he was released from the ordinances of the law, the Lord Himself was Paul’s regulation. He was walking before God and could not act loosely. He lived before the Lord and could not live loosely. He was governed by God in every matter and was restricted by the Lord in everything. This is the proper condition of one who is saved and who has obtained freedom. The normal condition of those who have received grace and are saved is that they are not loose, even though they are free. We should not be without law; rather, we should move and act before God under God’s governing, and we should live in the Lord under His restriction. Although we are not under the law, we live before God; although we are not in the letter, we are in the Lord. Although we do not have the restriction of the law, we have God’s governing; although we do not have the bondage of the ordinances, we have the Lord’s restricting. This is absolute freedom, but it is also an absolute restriction.
6. “The law of freedom” (James 1:25; 2:12).
The law of freedom is the commands and teachings in the New Testament. The Old Testament law is the law of letters outside of man, so what it commands and requires of man is the opposite of man’s fallen nature and will. Therefore, it makes man feel that he is under bondage. The commandments and teachings in the New Testament are the Lord’s word of life. Even though they are outside of us, their nature is the same as the new nature and new tendencies, which we have received from the Lord’s word and life. Thus, they cause us to obtain inward freedom. By receiving the Lord’s word, we were regenerated inwardly to have a new nature whose taste is to delight in what is commanded and taught in the Lord’s Word. The more we keep the commandments and teachings in the Lord’s Word, the more our new inward nature feels comfortable and free. The commandments and teachings of the Lord’s Word foster our new nature within, releasing and freeing it. These commandments and teachings are the law that enables this new inward nature to be free, for they are identical to the law of life in our new nature. We who have the new nature should not be under the bondage of the Old Testament law of letters; rather, we should live in the New Testament law of life, which is the law of freedom.