8, 9. (a) What warning did the apostle Peter give about using our freedom? (b) What dangers confront us today?

⁸ In addition to expressing gratitude, however, we should be mindful of never misusing our precious freedom. The apostle Peter warned against using our freedom as an excuse for catering to our fleshly desires. (Read 1 Peter 2:16.) Does that warning not remind you of what befell the Israelites in the wilderness? And the danger is still with us, perhaps even more so. Satan and his world offer ever more alluring choices in dress and grooming, food and drink, recreation and entertainment, and a host of other things. Clever advertisers often feature attractive people deceptively promoting as must-haves many things we really do not need. How easy it is to fall prey to these ploys and to misuse our freedom!

11. For what purpose have we been set free?

¹¹ In his warning against the misuse of freedom, Peter also pointed out the objective. He urged us to use our freedom “as slaves of God.” Thus, the real purpose for which Jehovah, through Jesus, has freed us from the law of sin and of death is for us to live a life of dedication “as slaves of God.”

12. What example did Noah and his family set for us?

¹² The best way to protect ourselves from misusing our freedom and thus becoming enslaved again by worldly ambitions and desires is to be fully absorbed in spiritual pursuits. (Gal. 5:16) Consider, for example, the patriarch Noah and his family. They lived in a violent and immoral world. Yet, they kept free from being entangled in the desires and pursuits of the people around them. How did they manage to do that? They chose to keep busy in all that Jehovah had assigned them to do​—build the ark, store up food for themselves and the animals, and sound the warning to others. “Noah did according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so.” (Gen. 6:22) The result? Noah and his family survived the end of that world.​—Heb. 11:7.

13. What commission did Jesus receive and in turn pass on to his followers?

¹³ What has Jehovah commanded us to do today? As disciples of Jesus, we are well-acquainted with our God-given commission. (Read Luke 4:18, 19.) Today, the vast majority of people are still blinded by the god of this system of things and are in bondage​—religious, economic, and social. (2 Cor. 4:4) It is our privilege to follow Jesus’ example of helping people to come to know and worship Jehovah, the God of freedom. (Matt. 28:19, 20) That is not an easy work, and there are many challenges. In some lands, people are becoming more indifferent, some even hostile. The question that each of us should consider is, ‘Can I use my freedom to give greater support to the Kingdom work?’