1 Peter 4:1-2 Seeing that Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with that very attitude, because the one who has suffered in the flesh has finished with sin, in that he spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the will of God and not the will of man.
“Is it a sin if I …?” The foundation of that question misses the basic point of sin because the question comes from a worldly perspective. That is why it is necessary to know God’s perspective. Romans 14:23 states that “whatever is not of faith is sin.” Sin is not a list of 10 items that one should not do. Romans focuses on using truth to define falsehood; faith vs sin. In a room with no windows, we do not imagine the darkness in units. When we light one candle in that room, we can say anything that is NOT the candlelight is darkness. What is NOT of faith is sin. At the core, sin isn’t an action; rather it is the direction and attitude of the heart. Faith is trust in the ways and desires of God. Sin is the opposite. it is trust in the ways and desires of my flesh and the world. Isaiah wrote that God hated their “good actions” because their motives were dark. The attitude of their hearts was in opposition to God’s nature.
The one who is armed with this attitude of Jesus (1 Peter 4:2) “… spends the rest of his time on earth concerned about the WILL OF GOD, rather than the desires of the flesh (his own will).” Sin, in the garden, wasn’t confined to eating a piece of fruit, rather it was questioning God’s motives for denying that fruit. Sin was deciding that God was not trustworthy and should not be obeyed. Jesus broke that pattern by restoring absolute obedience: “not My will, but YOURS.” Jesus was prepared, at all cost, to do the will of the Father. Therefore, based on what you see in Him, arm yourself with the same attitude.
When we arm ourselves with the attitude of Christ – to obey God at all cost – then our entire focus is beyond “my will” (sin) and has shifted to “His will” (faith). Doing good actions in the absence of suffering, isn’t that tough. To be prepared to do His will when the world vilifies us for doing what it right is difficult. “Accomplish our will or you will suffer” is the message of the WOKE movement. Beyond bullying, it is a demand to follow the will of this age rather than the will of God. Most institutions of this world, even many churches, have only one compass to navigate such turbulent waters: the choice to suffer or not suffer. Those who are truly His have a different compass: the truth of His life and His ways.
“Holy Father – I choose Your will over everything. I will obey only You. Give me the Manna from Heaven today, that I might do this – even if it means suffering for doing what is right. And deliver us all from evil. Amen.”