 | Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. |
 | As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God. |
 | Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. |
| 1 Peter 2:16 |
Commentary
Christian liberty is a central truth of the New Testament. "If you abide in My word," Jesus said, "then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:31-32). "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty" (2 Cor. 3:17). "It was for freedom that Christ set us free" (Gal. 5:1).
But Christian liberty is not unbridled license. It is never freedom to sin, and often it should exclude things that in themselves are not sin but that may become sinful or lead others to sin. Peter says, "Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bond-slaves of God" (1 Pet. 2:16).
MacArthur, J. (1996, c1984). 1 Corinthians. Includes indexes. (189). Chicago: Moody Press.