--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Liberty does not mean doing as you like…" description: "\"“Liberty does not mean doing as you like, it means liking as you ought, and doing that. (From Slave)”\" — John MacArthur" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b3/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_liberty-does-not-mean-doing-as-you-like_3136455.jpg" --- # Liberty does not mean doing as you like, it means liking… ![“Liberty does not mean doing as you like, it means liking as you ought, and doing that. (From Slave)” quote by John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b3/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_liberty-does-not-mean-doing-as-you-like_3136455.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b3/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_liberty-does-not-mean-doing-as-you-like_3136455.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1b3/john-macarthur-1117_christianity_liberty-does-not-mean-doing-as-you-like_3136455.jpg) > ““Liberty does not mean doing as you like, it means liking as you ought, and doing that. (From Slave)”” [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freedom is not unrestricted indulgence; it is aligning actions with moral duty and doing what is right **In simple terms:** Freedom means acting responsibly, not selfishly Key Takeaway Align desires with moral obligations Themes freedom responsibility morality Mood thoughtful inquisitive Type theological ethical When to use this quote - personal decisions - public policy - community standards Key Concepts ethical duty self‑control spiritual discipline Questions to Reflect On - What does “as you ought” mean to you? - How balance personal liberty with moral expectations? A Different Perspective Moral standards can be subjective and contested ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Christianity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/christianity/) [Doing Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-slave-5570040/) [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Liberty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty/) [Liberty Does](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/liberty-does-3309825/) [Means Liking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/means-liking-1871646/) [Slave](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/slave/) [Spiritual wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/spiritual-wisdom/) ## Related quotes > [“Being warm and friendly also means liking—not just loving—your children. The”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-w-phelan/being-warm-and-friendly-also-means-liking-not-just-loving-your/) [Thomas W. Phelan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-w-phelan/) > [“Liberty does not mean freedom to do anything;but freedom to do right thing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aaress/liberty-does-not-mean-freedom-to-do-anything-but-freedom-to-do-right/) [AarEss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aaress/) > [Man loves liberty, even if he does not know that he loves it. He is driven by it and flees from where it does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jose-marti/man-loves-liberty-even-if-he-does-not-know-that-he-loves-it-he-is/) [Jose Marti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jose-marti/) > [Liberty does not exist in the absence of morality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-burke/liberty-does-not-exist-in-the-absence-of-morality/) [Edmund Burke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-burke/) > [Liberty does not consist in mere declarations of the rights of man. It consists in the translation of those declarations into definite action.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woodrow-wilson/liberty-does-not-consist-in-mere-declarations-of-the-rights-of-man-it/) [Woodrow Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woodrow-wilson/) > [Everyone wants a happy life without difficulties or suffering. We create many of the problems we face. No one intentionally creates problems, but we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalai-lama/everyone-wants-a-happy-life-without-difficulties-or-suffering-we/) [Dalai Lama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalai-lama/) > [I believe that any man who takes the liberty of another into his keeping is bound to become a tyrant, and that any man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-l-mencken/i-believe-that-any-man-who-takes-the-liberty-of-another-into-his/) [H. L. 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Letting go a lot brings a lot of peace. Letting go completely brings complete peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ajahn-chah/letting-go-a-little-brings-a-little-peace-letting-go-a-lot-brings-a/) [Ajahn Chah](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ajahn-chah/) > [“Make peace with yourself, and both heaven and earth will make peace with you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-isaac-the-syrian/make-peace-with-yourself-and-both-heaven-and-earth-will-make-peace/) [St. Isaac the Syrian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-isaac-the-syrian/) > [There are those that say, if you do the uncomfortable thing long enough, it will become comfortable. But we are really not encouragers of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/there-are-those-that-say-if-you-do-the-uncomfortable-thing-long/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [Some say that you should not want money at all because the desire for money is materialistic and not Spiritual. But we want you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/esther-hicks/some-say-that-you-should-not-want-money-at-all-because-the-desire-for/) [Esther Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/esther-hicks/) > [“I've spent much of my life calling my intuition "something wrong with me.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deanna-l-lawlis/i-ve-spent-much-of-my-life-calling-my-intuition-something-wrong-with/) [Deanna L. Lawlis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deanna-l-lawlis/) ## More by John MacArthur > [The definition of a Church is crystal clear in the New Testament. We see the picture of it. They came together the first day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-definition-of-a-church-is-crystal-clear-in-the-new-testament-we/) [John MacArthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [The more you focus on yourself, the more distracted you will be from the proper path. The more you know Him and commune with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-macarthur/the-more-you-focus-on-yourself-the-more-distracted-you-will-be-from/) [John Macarthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-macarthur/) > [There are things that God hates, right? 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