The Attitude of Christ

I Peter 4:1-5

The army is quite insistent about calling officers “sir” as a mark of respect. Unfortunately many former soldiers resent being called “sir” because they have little respect for some of those who required them to call them sir. Calling someone sir is, to them, an insult. While the term is accepted as indicating respect, the attitude behind it changes it’s meaning completely.

Paul makes it very clear that the attitude behind the actions is more important than the actual action in I Corinthians 13:1-3. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.”

Far too often we get caught up in the actions and neglect the attitude behind the actions. Even soul winning or going to church does not glorify God when it is done for the wrong reasons or with the wrong attitudes. I am reminded of the lady who came home from church, dusted her hands and said, “I got that chore done.” How many times is our prayer, our witnessing, giving , or church attendance just a chore to be done? We don’t commit sin because it wouldn’t be the Christian thing to do?

The more I study the scripture, the more I become aware of the emphasis on the underlying attitude rather than the actual actions. The following verses represent a sample of what the scriptures say about the subject. Philippians 2:5 instructs, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” Ephesians 4:22-24 directs “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.” Romans 12:2 commands, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” Peter exhibit’s a similar focus on the attitude controlling our actions.

“Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” (I Peter 4:1-2)

Romans 6:6-7 describes our state as a result of salvation. “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” When we accept Christ. We are dead to the power of sin. Romans 6:11-14 advises us to realize it as a fact and act accordingly. “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.”

As Romans 6:21-22 points out, the rewards for sin are undesirable. “What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” Any time spent on those things is too much, as Peter states.

“For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries: Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot, speaking evil of you: Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead.” (I Peter 4:3-5)

I was listening to a couple of guys at work one day. They were describing how much fun they had on weekends, going out and getting drunk. It nearly always ended in a fight of some kind. A couple of times, the guy they were fighting went to his car and came back with a gun and everyone had to run. At least one of their friends had gotten shot. They couldn’t understand why I wasn’t interested in going out for a good time with them. After all, I’d miss so much fun.

Most guys mature and develop a different attitude that saves their lives, but some continue and almost always end up in prison or dead as a result. The sooner they quit, the better their chances of having a good life. The sooner and more completely a Christian leaves the old life behind, the happier he will be.