The Doctrine Of Religious Liberty (Freedom)
Bodie Hodge, M.Sc., B.Sc., PEI
Biblical Authority Ministries, June 23, 2026 (Donate)
There are some religions that force their religion on others—sometimes
with the threat of the sword and terror or in other instances, academic
pressure. Yet Christianity is unique against these types of religions. We
actively refute false religions, and show the truthfulness of the Bible but our
job has never been to force Christianity on someone.
The reason is obvious—Christians don’t convert people. God
does. That is the job of the Holy Spirit to convict someone of their sin and
open their heart to the Gospel to say Christ is Lord (1 Corinthians 12:3). It
is the job of the Christian to remove all opposition by refuting false worldviews,
answering questions about the truth of the Bible, and presenting the Gospel.
Made In The Image Of A
Free God
God created mankind in His image (Genesis 1:26–27). Because
God is a personal, rational, free, and moral being, He created people with the
ability to think, make decisions, and exercise free choice.
God is completely free in all that He does (i.e., God can do
all His holy will), and mankind reflects this aspect of God's nature in a
limited way. This does not mean man is equal to God, but it does mean that
humans are not robots or machines. We are responsible creatures who make real
decisions and are accountable for them.
Sadly, Adam and Eve rebelled against God in the Garden of
Eden (Genesis 3). Their sin brought death, suffering, and corruption into the
world. Since that time, every descendant of Adam has been born into a fallen
world and possesses a sinful nature.
The Fall damaged mankind spiritually, morally, mentally, and physically. Nevertheless, it did not destroy the fact that humans remain image-bearers of God. Even in a fallen condition, people still make choices, think, reason, and act according to their desires.
Freedom And Liberty In A Fallen World
Although the world is cursed because of sin, God continues
to grant mankind many freedoms. Throughout Scripture, God does not force
obedience through constant coercion. Instead, He commands, warns, teaches,
convicts, and calls people to repentance. He allows people to make decisions
and then holds them accountable for those decisions (e.g., judgment day).
This principle can be seen throughout the Bible. Joshua
challenged Israel, saying, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will
serve" (Joshua 24:15). Moses called upon Israel to choose life rather than
death (Deuteronomy 30:19). Jesus invited sinners to come to Him (Matthew
11:28). The Bible consistently treats people as morally responsible beings.
At the same time, biblical liberty is never a license for sin.
Scripture distinguishes between freedom and lawlessness. Christians are called
to use their liberty responsibly. Paul wrote, "For you, brethren, have
been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the
flesh" (Galatians 5:13). True freedom is the ability to serve God and
others rightly, not the freedom to rebel against God's commands.
Did Man Lose His Free Will At The Fall?
Christians have debated this question for centuries. The
Bible clearly teaches that mankind lost his perfect fellowship with God at the
Fall. Sin separated humanity from God, and every person became subject to death
and judgment (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12).
Scripture also teaches that fallen man cannot save himself.
Salvation is a free gift by God's grace and not by human effort (Ephesians
2:8–9).
However, the Bible also shows that people continue to make
real choices. They choose whom they will serve, what they will believe, and how
they will respond to God's revelation. Fallen humanity is spiritually unable to
save itself or earn righteousness before God, but people still possess a will
and make decisions every day.
For example, Stephen rebuked his audience by saying,
"You always resist the Holy Spirit" (Acts 7:51). Jesus lamented over
Jerusalem because many refused to come to Him (Matthew 23:37). These passages
show that people are not "mindless" creatures but responsible for their decisions—subject
to blessing or judgment.
Different Christian traditions explain the relationship
between human freedom and divine grace differently (see your local denomination).
Yet nearly all orthodox Christian traditions agree that mankind remains
responsible for his actions even after the Fall.
God's Sovereignty And Human Freedom
Some people mistakenly think God's sovereignty and man's
freedom are opposites. The Bible presents both as true simultaneously. God is
completely sovereign over creation, history, and salvation. Nothing happens
outside His ultimate knowledge and control.
Yet God often accomplishes His purposes through the decisions
and actions of human beings. It’s not a problem for an all-powerful God to work
out His sovereignty through the use of man’s free thought and actions.
One of the clearest examples is the crucifixion of Christ.
Jesus was delivered according to God's predetermined plan, yet those who
crucified Him were still held responsible for their actions (Acts 2:23).
God's sovereignty and human responsibility operated
together. For an all-powerful God, governing the world while allowing human
beings to make real choices is not difficult. His wisdom and power are beyond
our full comprehension. Scripture teaches both truths and never treats them as
contradictions because they are not contradictory. If we think they are contradictory,
it should reveal a lot about our own sinful and error-prone nature as a result
of the Fall!
Religious Liberty And Civil Freedom
The biblical concept of liberty has greatly influenced many
nations throughout history. The idea that individuals possess value because
they are made in a free-God's image helped shape concepts such as freedom of
conscience, freedom of worship, and protection from religious coercion.
Historically, many Christians argued that faith must be
sincere and cannot be forced. A person may be compelled to outwardly conform to
a religion, but genuine faith comes from the heart. Because of this, many
advocates of religious liberty appealed to biblical principles when defending
freedom of conscience.
This does not mean all actions should be permitted.
Governments are ordained by God to punish evil and protect the innocent (Romans
13:1–4). Religious liberty does not grant the right to commit crimes or violate
God's moral law. Rather, it recognizes that belief itself cannot be forced and
that individuals are still going to be held accountable before God for their
convictions on judgment day.
Christian Liberty In The Church
Scripture also teaches a category often called
"Christian liberty." These are matters where God has not given a
direct command. Christians may come to different conclusions on certain
non-essential issues while still honoring Christ.
Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8 discuss situations where
believers may disagree about matters that are not central doctrines of the
faith. In such cases, Christians are called to act according to conscience,
show charity toward others, festivals, new moons, and avoid causing unnecessary
division.
Every denomination and local church may have different
practices regarding these secondary or tertiary matters. Therefore, it is wise
to contact your local church or denomination to learn how they understand and
apply Christian liberty in specific areas.
Conclusion
The doctrine of religious liberty starts in Genesis with the
truth that mankind was created in the image of God. Though the Fall brought sin
and death into the world, people remain responsible moral creatures who make
real choices.
God sovereignly governs all things while allowing humans to
act according to their wills. Scripture teaches liberty, but not lawlessness;
freedom, but not rebellion.
True liberty is found in living according to God's truth and
ultimately in the freedom that comes through Jesus Christ, who said,
"Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed" (John
8:36, NKJV).
Bodie Hodge, Ken
Ham's son in law, has been an apologist defending 6-day creation and opposing
evolution since 1998. He spent 21 years working at Answers in Genesis as
a speaker, writer, and researcher as well as a founding news anchor for Answers
News. He was also head of the Oversight Council.
Bodie
launched Biblical Authority Ministries in 2015 as a personal
website and it was organized officially in 2025 as a 501(c)(3). He has spoken
on multiple continents and hosts of US states in churches, colleges, and
universities. He is married with four children.
Mr. Hodge earned a
Bachelor and Master of Science degrees from Southern Illinois University at
Carbondale (SIUC). Then he taught at SIUC for a couple of years as a
Visiting Instructor teaching all levels of undergraduate engineering and
running a materials lab and a CAD lab. He did research on advanced ceramic
materials to develop a new method of production of titanium diboride with a
grant from Lockheed Martin. He worked as a Test Engineer for Caterpillar,
Inc., prior to entering full-time ministry.
His love of science
was coupled with a love of history, philosophy, and theology. For about one
year of his life, Bodie was editing and updating a theological, historical, and
scientific dictionary/encyclopedia for AI use and training. Mr. Hodge has over
25 years of experience in writing, speaking and researching in these fields.
*Images generated by ChatGPT
