The Perfect Law of Liberty

James, chapter one, verse 25, speaks of the perfect law of liberty, what an interesting concept, It seems like a contradiction in terms, does it not? We have always considered law to be restrictive and binding, so how can law and liberty be used in the same context?

The law being spoken of is the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul said, “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. “But we all with open face (unveiled) beholding as in a glass (mirror) the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord”. In both instances, James and Paul saw liberty or freedom, being the result.

They were both referring to the difference between the law of Moses and the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. The law of Moses, written in stone, was unto condemnation. It was never intended as an instrument of freedom but rather brought condemnation upon those who where in bondage to sin. I have heard it explained this way, the law was as a mirror that could tell a man he needed a shave, but you do not shave with the mirror, for that, you need a razor. Jesus Christ and the grace and truth that came by Him, is that razor.

There is no deliverance through the law of sin and death, it cannot set us free from sin. The best we can do under the law is an attempt at self-righteousness. We must be careful, because our first nature (carnal) desires law. It can be deceived into thinking that through the law it could please God, even be as God. It desires a works oriented approach to God, when in truth, the only way we can approach God, is by the grace provided in Christ Jesus. You see, it is the throne of grace that we may boldly approach. To approach the throne of God in any other way than by the grace of God, can only result in death.

Remembering what James said, “who-so looks into the perfect law of liberty, and continues therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed”. He is using the analogy of a man beholding himself in a mirror. One man beholds his natural face in the mirror and then goes his way and forgets what manner of man he is. This man does not believe what he sees. Though he sees his natural face, (the word “natural” in the Greek, means nativity and is the word genesis) his born again image, or that who he truly is, he sees it through the law because of unbelief. Condemnation is the result, and he becomes a hearer and not a doer of the word. The law does not set people free, unless it is the perfect law of liberty. This man, will not stand fast in the liberty where with Christ has made us free, but again will become entangled, with the yoke of bondage. Whom the Son sets free is free indeed and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.

On the other hand, who-so looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues therein, shall be blessed in his deeds. He is blessed in his deeds because he knows he is the blessed of the Lord in Christ. He sees his image as the image of the Lord, with whom the Father has made him one. He no longer sees through a glass (mirror) darkly, but rather face to face and as a result, he knows as he is known.

This blessed man who continues in the perfect law, is free to become who he is in the Lord. The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made him free from the law of sin and death, which only showed him what he is not. The law of sin and death kept him in a realm of condemnation and bondage to sin. Not that the law was evil, the law was good but because he was not, all the law served to do was reveal his evil. The law was weak through the fleshly nature and could not serve to change the man, it could only condemn the man. The man had to be set free by grace through faith in the finished work of God. He had to be delivered from the requirements of the law of sin and death, which is the realm of works that result in wages. He had to come under grace, the free gift realm, where his only glory is of the Lord.

The apostle Paul, in 2 Corinthians, chapter 3 explains it this way. It is the difference between the letter and the Spirit. The letter kills but the Spirit gives life. He calls the letter, the ministration of death, written in stones and says it was glorious, but also said it’s glory would be done away with. Paul went on to say, “How shall not the spirit be rather glorious? For if the ministration of condemnation be glory, much more does the ministration of righteousness exceed in glory. For even that which was made glorious had no glory in this respect, by reason of the glory of that which is greater”.

The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, is that which is the greater glory. It is the perfect law of liberty into which, if we look, we will be changed from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. The first glory was a ministration of death unto us because it was not attainable through works of self-righteousness. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”, because all were sinners. The glory that exceeds the first is a ministration of life in which we are set free from the first. Free from the fear of death, which all our life had us in bondage, to stand fast in the liberty where with Christ has made us free, to not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. We are to take His yoke, which is easy, and His burden which is light, for we have received His life as an incorruptible seed which is our hope of glory.

However the flesh desires laws and rituals, which give it a feeling of accomplishment. It is outward in its approach to God and the things of God. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the Kingdom because it seeks it through self-righteousness. “The flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary to one another so that we cannot do the things that we would. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law”.

Art Groesbeck