¹⁵For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. ¹⁶Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. ¹⁷Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

Being law-abiding citizens eliminates or at least minimizes accusations against us believers as being immoral or anti-government. Nothing destroys our testimonies like being known as those who break the law. This covers a lot of behaviors, both big and small. Of course, murdering someone calls into question our moral character. But what about parking in a handicapped space when we are able-bodied people? Or fudging on our taxes, calling in sick to work so that we can go golfing, lying in court when under oath, telling only partial truths to fit our own false narratives?

In Christ, we have been set free from the judgment of God’s moral law, but we should never use our freedom from eternal condemnation as permission to break any law we desire. We have a responsibility to do what is right in God’s eyes, to behave honorably in the sight of others. We are free from the self-centered desire to exert our own will and pride. We are not free from all submission, but we are to submit to God in all things as His bondservants (Greek: doulos).

Peter gives us four simple positive statements on how to use our freedom. First, we should honor all people. This means we should value and highly regard others. In our multi-ethnic, multicultural context today, this means not just nondiscrimination but active respect: holding people who are different from us in the same regard as those who are like us. It means treating those of other races as inherent equals, as fellow sharers of the image of God, allowing no false characterizations that would hinder us from honoring them.

Second, we need to “love the brotherhood.” As Christians, our humanitarian efforts to reach the lost must not sacrifice our priority of honoring fellow believers with our practical help. Paul wrote, “So then, while we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith” (Gal. 6:10).

Third and fourth, we must fear God and honor the king. It may seem too obvious for Peter to include honoring God, but this puts honoring governmental authority in the same breath as fearing God. In other words, honoring our earthly leaders is connected with honoring God. We should be people who are characterized as law abiding.

Lord, I honor You when I honor earthly leaders. Thank You for this privilege.