In every ideological arena there exists both “liberals” and “conservatives.” Additional terminology is sometimes used to distinguish the varying degrees of liberalism and conservatism — such as “progressives” (ultra-liberals) and “radicals” (ultra-conservatives).
We especially see this liberal/conservative divide in the areas of religion, social issues, politics and economics. The difference has to do with how standards are viewed and applied. Traditionally, a “liberal” is one who takes “liberties” with whatever standard is being considered, whether it be the U.S. Constitution, or the Bible. He views the standard as being flexible, not rigid. He handles the law loosely, as one intending to take a measurement, but who allows the tape measure to sag between the two points that he is attempting to measure. Liberals are typically more concerned with how they and others feel about a thing than they are about the rightness or wrongness of the thing.
While liberalism is problematic in many areas, it can actually be soul damning in religion. The Bible is the inspired, all-sufficient and infallible Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Its authority is divine (2 Peter 1:3, 20-21). Its standard is “forever settled in Heaven” (Psalm 119:89). As such, its message and meaning are not subject to the changing whims of human feeling and emotion. Its instructions are either believed and obeyed or they are not. The way a person “feels” about a particular point of law is irrelevant with respect to the application of that law. The Bible makes this very clear in the following examples:
1 Corinthians 5 — Tells of a church member at Corinth who had “taken (up sexual relations with) his father’s wife.” Liberals in that church accepted this fornicator into their church fellowship. Paul condemned their liberal approach to this sin and commanded them to withdraw from the fornicator in an effort to shame him into repentance (which it eventually did, see 2 Corinthians 2:6). According to 1 Corinthians 5:2, pride is a motivating principle for the liberal. He assumes that he is exempt from God’s fellowship regulations. Paul cautioned these liberals that they were spiritually culpable in this sin and that “a little leaven works through the whole batch of dough” (v. 6).
1 John 1 — John addressed 1st century liberals who thought that they could retain fellowship with God while practicing sin. John explained that “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth” (1 John 1:5-6). The liberal convinces himself that he is above God’s standard and that truth is not binding upon him.
Sadly, many professed Christians believe and practice the very error which John condemns in this passage. They believe that they can practice sin with impunity. In Romans 6:1-2, Paul addressed a common misconception about grace. He refuted the notion that sin is always and automatically pardoned on the mere basis of God’s grace. The Bible teaches that sin must be repented of before it can be forgiven (Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 2:38; 17:30). God’s grace is not an excuse for people to commit sin. Grace contains the conditions by which sin can be forgiven.
The safe course is obvious to every Bible reader: we must accept God’s word without adding to it or taking from it (Revelation 22:18-19).
Tim Haile