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. 

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.”

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