SCRIPTURE | 1 Peter 2:16–17 — Act as free people, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as slaves of God. 17 Honor all people, love the brethren, fear God, honor the king.
OBSERVATION | By way of reminder, last study we learned how the Lord calls us to “be subject… to every human institution.” (v.13) We saw how all positions of authority of man on earth, come form and are given by God, even though they are exercised by sinful men. Those in authority will be held accountable for all wrong use of His authority. Yet, the Lord says we are still to be subject to “every human institution,” even when they are “crooked” (v.18) and even when they “harshly treat us” (v.20). Not that we obey when commanded to do what is wrong in the eyes of God, but that we obey even when we are wronged and those in authority are wrong, “for the sake of the Lord.”
Now, in our current text, the Lord turns from the subject of all authority (v.13-14) to His own authority (v.16), and teaches us something significant about what is often called “Christian freedom.” Now we learn from God’s perfect Word (Ps 19:7) how to understand and use freedom in Christ under God’s sovereign authority.
Why? Because this freedom is easily misunderstood resulting in a twisted liberty to live according to our own thoughts and ways. Now, if this error were ever stated plainly, this twisting use of “freedom,” actually frees us from the will of God as revealed in the moral laws and commands of scripture (In contrast read Matt 6:10, 6:24, 1 Jn 5:3 etc). This error is a cancer in much of the church today, where Christian freedom has become a religious way to embrace the non-biblical social law of tolerance. Christian freedom has become a way of embracing the cultural ideology of “let me believe what I believe and you believe what you believe.” Which is another way of saying, “We have a freedom to believe whatever we will.” Think this through now. By extension this becomes “let me live how I want to live, and you live how you want to live.” This is rarely stated so bluntly. Why? Because this modern teaching is so widely loved. However, at its root this is the sin of worshiping the idol of “personal freedom.”
If you want to validate whether the idol of personal freedom is truly worshiped today, violate someone’s personal freedom. Even if you use the teaching of the Word of God that contrasts what someone believes or how someone lives in a seemingly insignificant area. You will sense the social law of “personal freedom.” You will see how it has been ingrained in you as you feel shame and repulsion as you overstep the boundaries of this social law. And at the least you will be scorned and opposed by those who you attempt to correct. Even with the Word of God.
What is the result of such predominant thinking in our culture and church? Claims of this kind of “freedom” press hard against the absolute truth of the holy God. Because remember He holds all of mankind accountable for disobedience to His Word (Jn 12:48) and He holds us accountable who know His Word to warn others of their unrighteous living (Ez 33:2-9). The result is a rejection and silencing of all teaching of the Word that corrects error and living. Why? Because such black and white truth that takes the Bible at its Word is an insult to personal freedom, or as many call it “Christian freedom.” Holding to such truth and teaching others the same then becomes the greatest and most awful evil of our day. Why? Because absolute truth, especially of morals that someone does not already agree with, destroys and insults personal freedom.
This is such a sad and yet pervasive picture of what it means to “use your freedom as a covering for evil.” Now, you may think this hasn’t sounded as bad as using freedom for evil. So let’s do a quick Word study. While the word for evil here (GK: kakia) is defined as what is wicked and depraved, at its core what is evil is simply what is not morally good. In other words, all sin is evil. All disobedience to the Word of God is evil. Even ignorant sins of omitting the will of God from our living because we just didn’t know is evil. So, we must never use our freedom to cover up or make gray disobedience and sin of any kind.
Second, we ask then, what is true and biblical “freedom?” We learn in Romans 8 how freedom in Christ is freedom from the law of sin and death (Rom 8:2). That is, we are free from the condemning and eternally damning effect of God’s holy law, which are His divine instructions of moral-righteousness. True freedom accordingly then is our salvation or justification by grace through faith in Jesus Christ our Savior. This salvation “the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh (Rom 8:3).” In other words, no mere man can ever through obedience be found right in the eyes of God. Yet, by trusting in the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for us, we are given His position as perfectly righteous before the father. Now that is an awesome freedom! Amen and hallelujah!
Third, we ask then, if we are not to “use your freedom as a covering for evil” what are we to use it for? Why were we set free in such an eternally liberating way? According to the same passages in Romans 8, as true believers we are set free “so that the righteous requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us.” (Rom 8:4) This fulfilling of the law, is our growth in holy living in obedience to God’s moral laws. This is our sanctification for God’s glory. On the one side we are positionally made righteous through Jesus’ sacrifice. On the other side we are practically being made righteous for His honor, praise, and glory.
In other words, Jesus has graciously set people free from sin, in order to increasingly learn not to live in sin. As the Lord says, we are to use our freedom to live as “slaves of God” (1 Pt 2:16). As Romans 6 explains, “having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you have your benefit, leading to sanctification, and the end, eternal life.” (Rm 6:22) Or again and simply, “having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness.” (Rm 6:18) Such doctrine has become very unpopular under the modern emphasis of “Christian freedom.”
The danger of the wrong use of Christian freedom and the rejection of its purpose to make us slaves of God and slaves of righteousness is the very rejection of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is an eternally dangerous false teaching. The Lord can be our one and only Master (Matt 6:24). We can only be slaves to one authority, and that must be Jesus Christ (Gal 1:10). Jude warns that if we “deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ” (Jude 4) we are on the path towards “undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.” (v.7, Esp. Jude 3-16). Thus, scripture teaches how the misuse and misunderstanding of “Christian freedom” is a false teaching, or heresy, and it is to be corrected and purified from the church. Why? Because it leads people to the pits of hell thinking they are headed for heaven.
Fourth, our Master through His Word leads those who are truly saved by grace through faith, to live in righteousness, holiness and the “fear of God.” Sadly, many who claim the name of Christ have little fear for God in our day. This can be seen in the previous points, in how they dangerously take His Word of Truth and make it “gray” or “unclear.” They remove the black and white certainty of scripture, for the sake of “tolerating” and “diversity” within the church. So as not to insult people’s personal freedom.
What is the root of such twisting of the Word? Fear. Yet not the fear of God, but the fear man (Prov 29:25; Gal 1:10; Matt 10:28). Many church leaders today teach other leaders “do not offend or no one will come to your church.” When asked how to know what offends the answer was “we know by knowing the culture.” This is fear. The fear of offending man in his sin and error. The fear of losing followers. The fear of being scorned for speaking the truth in love. The trembling fear of the insults and slander of cancel culture as people tear down those who violate their personal freedom.
The “fear of God” on the other hand, trembles at the thought of omitting a Word (Jer 26:2) from the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27) in the ministry and teaching of the church. The fear of God reverently and lovingly offends man by warning him of both error and sin (Ezekiel 33:2–9). Because the fear of God would rather offend man than offend God, in both saying what needs to be said or in remaining silent.
APPLICATION | I must never use my “freedom as a covering for evil.” So am I living, even unintentionally, in comfort of any sin, disobedience or error because I know I am forgiven and free? Or am I using my freedom from sin and condemnation as the reason why I live for my heavenly Father. Do I really believe that in freedom I am a “slave of Christ” and a “slave of righteousness?” If I do, how am I growing in knowing and understanding His Word so that I might be obedient to Him? That on the day of judgement I will hear “well done, good and faithful slave, enter into the joy of your Master?” (Matt 25:21)
Do I allow the fear of man to keep me from the more difficult commands of scripture? Am I afraid to live in obedience that will cause me personal discomfort and ostracize me from my friends and family? Who do I truly fear?
PRAYER | Heavenly Father, I confess that I have sinned against you in my thoughts, words and deeds. (Pause for a moment and honestly confess your sins to the Lord). Thank you for the promise that through the sacrifice of Your Son I am invited through faith to be forgiven of all unrighteousness. Give me complete confidence of my position as your adopted child, because of Jesus. Then in practice, let me be as a slave to Jesus as my Lord. Teach me to be a slave of righteousness, according to Your Word, without any fear of man, but only with reverence and fear of You. That I would live more rightly in Your will. That You and You alone would be more rightly glorified in and through me. Amen
