Free Slaves! Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Free Slaves! ------------- Date: 12/10/1998 Key terms: "freedom" "slavery" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: 1 Peter 2:16* Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Questions 1. 1 Peter 2:16 tells us to act like what we are — free men. What are some of the characteristics of men who live as good citizens in a free society? Do you see parallels between good citizenship and how Christian men are to exercise their freedom in serving the Lord?   2. According to the verse above, what is one wrong way a Christian man might use his freedom?   3. There is an obvious contrast between freedom and slavery in this verse. Yet in the final phrase of this verse, Peter tells Christians to use their freedom to be enslaved?! What is your first reaction to reading that phrase? After thinking about it for a few seconds, what is your second reaction?   Practical Help While a marvelous technology, the Internet, like any communications medium, can be misused. The Internet pornography phenomenon is only one example of this misuse. The Internet has given many men freedom to act in ways, secretly, they would never act in public. If you have been viewing Internet porn and want to stop, something more than willpower is required. Let's call the remedy "replacement therapy." Why not view the Internet as what it is — a good gift of God. And view yourself as what you are — a free bondslave of God. How would a servant of God use the freedom he has in Christ to use a good gift of God? He wouldn't use it to cover up for evil (what our verse says). Rather, he would use that good gift to further God's purposes. So, by all means, use the Internet! Write letters of encouragement to friends. Read good literature. Get involved in on-line Bible studies. Use the Internet as a bondslave of God would use it. Use it as a free redeemed man would use it! eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 1998 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."