Sin Being Subjective As Well?

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Lately I've read in two places, Romans and James, where sin seems to be thought of as subjective. Meaning, if we do something against our conscience, or drink something we feel is wrong, it is sinning. How would we reconcile this to an understanding of normal objective sinning against God by breaking His commandmands?

If I tell myself it is wrong for me to eat something, and I eat it anyway, is this sin for me? If so, how is that sinning against God who allows me to eat anything?

Thanks!

 

[Ask Mr. Religion]

Ryan,

Perhaps the starting point is to come to a proper understanding of what liberty of conscience should mean and entail.

On conscience, we may view conscience to be a principle of our acting in order to what the Lord commands us in the Law and the Gospel. See Rutherford, Chapter 1:
https://archive.org/details/AFreeDisputationAgainstPretendedLib
http://reformedlayman.com/FreeDispHtml/ConvertedDisputation.htm

As to liberty, we may look to our Confession:

Spoiler: Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience, WCF XX

1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; (Tit. 2:14, 1 Thess. 1:10, Gal. 3:13) and, in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; (Gal. 1:4, Col. 1:13, Acts 26:18, Rom. 6:14) from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; (Rom. 8:28, Ps. 119:71, 1 Cor. 15:54-57, Rom. 8:1) as also, in their free access to God, (Rom. 5:1-2) and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. (Rom. 8:14-15, 1 John 4:18) All which were common also to believers under the law. (Gal. 3:9, 14, 11, 1 Cor. 5:7) But, under the new testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected; (Gal. 4:1-3,6-7, Gal. 5:1, Acts 15:10-11) and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, (Heb. 4:14,16, Heb. 10:19-22) and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of. (John 7:38-39, 2 Cor. 3:13,17-18)

2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, (James 4:12, Rom. 14:4) and hath left it 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. (Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29, 1 Cor. 7:23, Matt. 23:8-10, 2 Cor. 1:24, Matt. 15:9) So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience: (Col. 2:20, 22-23, Gal. 1:10, Gal. 2:4-5, Gal. 5:1) and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also. (Rom. 10:17, Rom. 14:23, Isa. 8:20, Acts 17:11, John 4:22, Hos. 5:11, Rev. 13:12, 16-17, Jer. 8:9)

3. They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practise any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. (Gal. 5:13, 1 Pet. 2:16, 2 Pet. 2:19, John 8:34, Luke 1:74-75)

4. And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another, they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. (Matt. 12:25, 1 Pet. 2:13-14, 16, Rom. 13:1-8, Heb. 13:17) And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity (whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation), or to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the Church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against, by the censures of the Church, (Rom. 1:32, 1 Cor. 5:1, 5, 11, 13, 2 John 1:10-11, 2 Thess. 3:14, 1 Tim. 6:3-5,Tit. 1:10-11, 13, Tit. 3:10, Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Tim. 1:19-20, Rev. 2:2, 14-15, 20, Rev. 3:9) and by the power of the Civil Magistrate (Deut. 13:6-12, Rom. 13:3,2 John 10-11, Ezra 7:23-28)

In what follows, I am going to take some liberties (pun intended) here and there with Shaw's fine exposition of portions of the above.

Note from WCF, Section 2 that in all matters of faith and duty our conscience is solely subject to the authority of God, and is free from being made subject to the traditions and commandments of men. In other words, no one can dictate to our conscience save but One (James 4:12).

The right of private judgment about matters of our faith and duty belongs to every person, and should be exercised by every believer. We believers are required to examine and prove every doctrine by the infallible word of God (Isa 8:20; 1 John 4:1). Only then are we able and ready to give reason for the hope which is in us (1 Pet. 3:15).

If we do not do so, instead merely accepting the doctrines and commandments of men by implicit faith and/or blind obedience, we can offer no ready reasons for that which we hold dear. Which is to say, absent genuine faith and personal persuasion of what we ought to do, the lawfulness of what we do cannot be found as actual lawfulness in the sight of God. This is part and parcel sin (Romans 14:23).

Section 3 of the WCF teaches and warns us from its summaries of Scripture, that our liberty of conscience is not unfettered, nor is it absolute, and it should not be abused. Despite the notions of non-believers, we have no liberty to do and to think as we please, ignoring the moral law and our responsibility to God. We are responsible because there is another that holds us to account, God. To do otherwise, under the pretense of "Christian liberty", actually destroys our liberty.

Your observation that in some places within Romans and James, sin is perceived as subjective. In other words, What is sin for one is not sin for another...One man's sin is another's rightful Christian liberty...and so on.

How does this view comport with 1 Cor. 10:32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." ?

Are not the consciences of both believers (Jews above) and unbelievers (Gentiles above) to be considered? Certainly they must.

Who is our weaker brother? I answer, anyone I consider weaker in their faith than my faith tells me I can do things they cannot do in good conscience before God.

If another actually possesses the strength of faith that they claim, that brother should be able to enjoy his liberty with a good conscience before God. That brother need not be required to justify his actions before men.

Nevertheless, a brother ought to be willing and able to forgo the pursuit of his liberty in consideration of others who have scruples about such matters. Further, we do not seek glory in our self-denial or our liberty, rather we glory in Our Lord.

You may find the following edifying and informative:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/flaunting-christian-liberty.23233/

 

[Ryan&Amber2013]

Ryan,

Perhaps the starting point is to come to a proper understanding of what liberty of conscience should mean and entail.

On conscience, we may view conscience to be a principle of our acting in order to what the Lord commands us in the Law and the Gospel. See Rutherford, Chapter 1:
https://archive.org/details/AFreeDisputationAgainstPretendedLib
http://reformedlayman.com/FreeDispHtml/ConvertedDisputation.htm

As to liberty, we may look to our Confession:

Spoiler: Of Christian Liberty, and Liberty of Conscience, WCF XX

1. The liberty which Christ hath purchased for believers under the Gospel consists in their freedom from the guilt of sin, the condemning wrath of God, the curse of the moral law; (Tit. 2:14, 1 Thess. 1:10, Gal. 3:13) and, in their being delivered from this present evil world, bondage to Satan, and dominion of sin; (Gal. 1:4, Col. 1:13, Acts 26:18, Rom. 6:14) from the evil of afflictions, the sting of death, the victory of the grave, and everlasting damnation; (Rom. 8:28, Ps. 119:71, 1 Cor. 15:54-57, Rom. 8:1) as also, in their free access to God, (Rom. 5:1-2) and their yielding obedience unto Him, not out of slavish fear, but a child-like love and willing mind. (Rom. 8:14-15, 1 John 4:18) All which were common also to believers under the law. (Gal. 3:9, 14, 11, 1 Cor. 5:7) But, under the new testament, the liberty of Christians is further enlarged, in their freedom from the yoke of the ceremonial law, to which the Jewish Church was subjected; (Gal. 4:1-3,6-7, Gal. 5:1, Acts 15:10-11) and in greater boldness of access to the throne of grace, (Heb. 4:14,16, Heb. 10:19-22) and in fuller communications of the free Spirit of God, than believers under the law did ordinarily partake of. (John 7:38-39, 2 Cor. 3:13,17-18)

2. God alone is Lord of the conscience, (James 4:12, Rom. 14:4) and hath left it 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. (Acts 4:19, Acts 5:29, 1 Cor. 7:23, Matt. 23:8-10, 2 Cor. 1:24, Matt. 15:9) So that, to believe such doctrines, or to obey such commands, out of conscience, is to betray true liberty of conscience: (Col. 2:20, 22-23, Gal. 1:10, Gal. 2:4-5, Gal. 5:1) and the requiring of an implicit faith, and an absolute and blind obedience, is to destroy liberty of conscience, and reason also. (Rom. 10:17, Rom. 14:23, Isa. 8:20, Acts 17:11, John 4:22, Hos. 5:11, Rev. 13:12, 16-17, Jer. 8:9)

3. They who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, do practise any sin, or cherish any lust, do thereby destroy the end of Christian liberty, which is, that being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, we might serve the Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him, all the days of our life. (Gal. 5:13, 1 Pet. 2:16, 2 Pet. 2:19, John 8:34, Luke 1:74-75)

4. And because the powers which God hath ordained, and the liberty which Christ hath purchased, are not intended by God to destroy, but mutually to uphold and preserve one another, they who, upon pretence of Christian liberty, shall oppose any lawful power, or the lawful exercise of it, whether it be civil or ecclesiastical, resist the ordinance of God. (Matt. 12:25, 1 Pet. 2:13-14, 16, Rom. 13:1-8, Heb. 13:17) And, for their publishing of such opinions, or maintaining of such practices, as are contrary to the light of nature, or to the known principles of Christianity (whether concerning faith, worship, or conversation), or to the power of godliness; or, such erroneous opinions or practices, as either in their own nature, or in the manner of publishing or maintaining them, are destructive to the external peace and order which Christ hath established in the Church, they may lawfully be called to account, and proceeded against, by the censures of the Church, (Rom. 1:32, 1 Cor. 5:1, 5, 11, 13, 2 John 1:10-11, 2 Thess. 3:14, 1 Tim. 6:3-5,Tit. 1:10-11, 13, Tit. 3:10, Matt. 18:15-17, 1 Tim. 1:19-20, Rev. 2:2, 14-15, 20, Rev. 3:9) and by the power of the Civil Magistrate (Deut. 13:6-12, Rom. 13:3,2 John 10-11, Ezra 7:23-28)

In what follows, I am going to take some liberties (pun intended) here and there with Shaw's fine exposition of portions of the above.

Note from WCF, Section 2 that in all matters of faith and duty our conscience is solely subject to the authority of God, and is free from being made subject to the traditions and commandments of men. In other words, no one can dictate to our conscience save but One (James 4:12).

The right of private judgment about matters of our faith and duty belongs to every person, and should be exercised by every believer. We believers are required to examine and prove every doctrine by the infallible word of God (Isa 8:20; 1 John 4:1). Only then are we able and ready to give reason for the hope which is in us (1 Pet. 3:15).

If we do not do so, instead merely accepting the doctrines and commandments of men by implicit faith and/or blind obedience, we can offer no ready reasons for that which we hold dear. Which is to say, absent genuine faith and personal persuasion of what we ought to do, the lawfulness of what we do cannot be found as actual lawfulness in the sight of God. This is part and parcel sin (Romans 14:23).

Section 3 of the WCF teaches and warns us from its summaries of Scripture, that our liberty of conscience is not unfettered, nor is it absolute, and it should not be abused. Despite the notions of non-believers, we have no liberty to do and to think as we please, ignoring the moral law and our responsibility to God. We are responsible because there is another that holds us to account, God. To do otherwise, under the pretense of "Christian liberty", actually destroys our liberty.

Your observation that in some places within Romans and James, sin is perceived as subjective. In other words, What is sin for one is not sin for another...One man's sin is another's rightful Christian liberty...and so on.

How does this view comport with 1 Cor. 10:32, "Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God." ?

Are not the consciences of both believers (Jews above) and unbelievers (Gentiles above) to be considered? Certainly they must.

Who is our weaker brother? I answer, anyone I consider weaker in their faith than my faith tells me I can do things they cannot do in good conscience before God.

If another actually possesses the strength of faith that they claim, that brother should be able to enjoy his liberty with a good conscience before God. That brother need not be required to justify his actions before men.

Nevertheless, a brother ought to be willing and able to forgo the pursuit of his liberty in consideration of others who have scruples about such matters. Further, we do not seek glory in our self-denial or our liberty, rather we glory in Our Lord.

You may find the following edifying and informative:
https://www.puritanboard.com/threads/flaunting-christian-liberty.23233/

That was extremely informative, Patrick. I feel as if I'm going to have to reread that a few times to really understand it. Thanks for taking the time to put that together!

 

[RamistThomist]

To add to what Patrick said, if you sin against conscience you are saying, "I know what God's law is and I choose to defy it."

Now, you may actually be mistaken on that point, but you believe God commands x and you believe you should defy God on x.