1 Peter 2:16

‘As free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.'

By this they will be recognising that, while as God's own children (1 Peter 1:3) they are free, they are not to use that freedom as an excuse for doing what is palpably wrong, or doing what might make the authorities' task of ensuring justice difficult, or might unnecessarily cause offence. They are rather to see themselves as bondservants of God, and thus as subject to His will and to the law. Christian freedom is not licence. A good example of this was when Jesus had pointed out to Peter that while as the King He Himself was not really due to pay tribute to the Temple, He would do so in order not to cause offence (Matthew 17:24).

Indeed man's heart is so deceitful that once people, even Christians, begin to feel that they are free from authority, their sinful natures soon begin to reveal themselves and they take advantage of it to the detriment of society. That is something that Christians must avoid doing at all cost. As bondservants of Jesus Christ they must therefore live according to the law, and that includes doing what authorities concerned with maintaining justice lay down, even though it might be inconvenient. Unless it is actually directly contrary to God they are to do it for His sake. By this they will both retain the approval of the authorities, and contribute towards the general good of society, while at the same time raising unnecessary antagonism.