16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 1 Peter 2:16

Within this verse is a paradox: ‘live as free people’ and ‘live as God’s slaves.’ Paul talked about that in Romans 6-8. We are no longer slaves to sin; therefore, we are free people. On the other hand, we are to be slaves to righteousness and thereby being slaves to God. Paul said that sin should no longer have mastery over us. Instead we are willing workers for the kingdom.

In practice this is much more difficult because our sin nature gets in the way. The enemy knows our weaknesses and will exploit them in every way possible. Of course God has not left us to ourselves. He provided the Holy Spirit to help us in our time of need. We are certainly better off having God as our master than to be master over our own lives.

Call on Him often.