In Chapter 19, we learned that the Moral Law of God remains a permanent rule of life for the believer. But this immediately raises a tension: didn’t the Apostle Paul declare, “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1)? If we are still bound to obey the Ten Commandments, in what sense are we actually “free”?
In Chapter 20, the Westminster Confession addresses the glorious doctrine of Christian Liberty. This chapter contains some of the most famous and liberating words ever written in church history. It was forged in the fires of the Reformation, fighting a two-front war against the tyranny of the Roman Catholic Church (which added human traditions to God’s Word) and the chaos of radical sects (which used “freedom” as an excuse for sin and anarchy).
The Confession teaches that Christ has purchased our freedom from the curse of the law, the dominion of sin, and the ceremonial yoke; that God alone is Lord of the conscience, leaving it free from the unbiblical commandments of men; and that this liberty is never a license to practice sin or rebel against lawful civil and church authority.
The Scope of Christian Liberty (WCF 20.1)
The Confession begins by listing exactly what Christ “purchased” for us. Our liberty is multifaceted:
- Freedom from Condemnation: We are free from the “guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, and the curse of the moral law.” The law can no longer damn us.
- Freedom from Spiritual Tyrants: We are delivered from “this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin.” We are no longer slaves to our flesh.
- Freedom from Ultimate Harm: We are freed from “the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation.” Afflictions may come, but they can no longer destroy us; they only refine us (Rom. 8:28).
But liberty is not just freedom from negative things; it is freedom to enjoy positive things. We now have “free access to God” and yield obedience to Him “not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind.”
Furthermore, while Old Testament saints enjoyed this basic liberty, New Testament believers have an “enlarged” liberty. We are free from the heavy “yoke of the ceremonial law” (dietary laws, festivals, sacrifices) and possess a “greater boldness of access” to the throne of grace through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
God Alone is Lord of the Conscience (WCF 20.2)
This paragraph is the beating heart of Protestantism. It declares: “God alone is Lord of the conscience.”
What does this mean? It means your conscience is sacred territory where only God has the right to rule. God has left the conscience “free from the doctrines and commandments of men, which are, in any thing, contrary to His Word; or beside it, if matters of faith, or worship.”
No pope, no pastor, no politician, and no church council can invent a new sin, a new doctrine, or a new element of worship that is not found in Scripture. If a church leader commands you to believe or do something that goes “beside” (beyond) the Word of God in matters of faith or worship, you are not bound to obey them.
In fact, the Confession states that to obey such human commands “out of conscience” is to “betray true liberty of conscience.” We must reject the Roman Catholic demand for “implicit faith” (believing something simply because the Church says so) and “absolute and blind obedience.” Blind obedience destroys both liberty and reason. We are bound to the Word of God alone.
Liberty is Not a License to Sin (WCF 20.3)
Having established our radical freedom from human tradition, the divines immediately build a guardrail against Antinomianism.
“They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practice any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty.”
Christian liberty is not the freedom to do whatever you want; it is the freedom to do what you ought. If a person says, “I am free in Christ, therefore I can view pornography or cheat on my taxes,” they completely misunderstand the Gospel. The very end (purpose) of our deliverance from enemies is that “we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him.” To use freedom as an excuse for sin is to return to the worst slavery of all.
Liberty is Not an Excuse for Anarchy (WCF 20.4)
The final guardrail protects against Anarchism. Some radical groups in the 17th century claimed that because they were “free in Christ,” they didn’t have to pay taxes, obey the king, or submit to church discipline.
The Confession argues that “the powers which God hath ordained [government/church], and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another.”
Christian liberty does not exempt you from obeying the speed limit, paying your taxes, or submitting to the lawful discipline of your church elders. Those who oppose “lawful power” under the “pretence of Christian liberty” are actually resisting the ordinance of God (Rom. 13:1-2).
Conclusion
Christian liberty is a beautiful, delicate balance. We are completely free from the traditions and commandments of men, meaning we bow the knee to Christ alone. Yet, because we are subjects of Christ the King, we joyfully submit to His moral law and the lawful authorities He has placed over us. We are free from men, so that we might be perfectly bound to God.
Key Terms
- Christian Liberty: The freedom purchased by Christ for believers, freeing them from the curse of the law, the dominion of sin, and the ceremonial yoke, enabling them to obey God out of child-like love rather than slavish fear.
- Liberty of Conscience: The principle that the human conscience is subject only to God and His Word, and is entirely free from any human doctrines or commandments that contradict or add to Scripture in matters of faith and worship.
- Implicit Faith: The unbiblical requirement to believe a doctrine blindly, simply on the authority of the Church or a human leader, without understanding it or seeing it proven from Scripture. The Confession condemns this as destructive to reason and liberty.
- Antinomian Abuse of Liberty: The false belief that grace and freedom in Christ provide a license to indulge in sin or ignore God’s moral law.