Regarding Christian Liberty,

I think there are actually several kinds of 'christian liberty' mentioned in the bible. There is liberty from the bondage of sin, liberty from keeping the law as a requirement for salvation, and liberty from manmade religious rules.

However, I think the bible also speaks of another kind of christian liberty about which it would not be entirely wrong to say we are free to do 'as we please.' The bible does tell us we are bound only by what God has commanded or forbidden in his word. There is freedom in those other areas that God has not regulated. Hence, in regard to meat offered to idols, Paul told the Corinthians that since God did not consider eating such meat a sin, there were free to do as they pleased with regards to it. Now, that freedom was to be curtailed when it would offend a brother or bring disrepute upon the gospel, but it was a freedom nevertheless.

I think it is this kind of 'liberty' that most non-sabbatarians mean when they evoke the name of christian liberty in regards to the sabbath. From their perspective there is 'liberty' regarding following the Sabbath because the Sabbath laws, as contained in the OT are not binding on the NT church.

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Mark Li
International University Church
New South Wales, Australia