All too often we see bumper stickers that read “WWJD”. These four simple letters are meant to get the reader to think about what Jesus would do in a similar situation. A more important set of letters however, might be “WDJD”. Basically these little letters mean what did Jesus do? Well what did He do?
This is meant to get the reader to do two things. First, not enough Christians read their Bibles as much as they should. In any given situation, Jesus would have reacted a certain way. The only way however to see how He would have reacted, is to see how He did react. Now obviously, Jesus wasn’t driving a car down the road when He was suddenly cut off by a crazed maniac. There are however similar instances in the Bible, when someone was being rude or curt to Jesus. We need to study how He reacted and apply that to our everyday lives.
The second thing those four little letters are meant to do is to get the Christian walking in Jesus’ footsteps. Now that we have been reading the Bible to not only see what Jesuswould do, but also what Jesusdid do, we can start to live like Him. Jesus was the living and breathing example of how we are to live. The Apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:16 states: “for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” God expects us to try to be like Him, His Word says so.
There is no way we can ever really live like Jesus, or walk in His footsteps. We will always be a sinful creation. However with repentance of our sinful ways, and faith in Christ as our Savior, we are made clean in His sight. The fact that we are made clean in His sight does not mean that we are allowed to live how we like though. We must always work for our Savior. The apostle James said “As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” (James 2:26). Basically what he is saying here is if we do not have the works, we cannot have the faith. Faith and works complement each other. Furthermore, if we are not showing the world that we will continually work for Christ, then they may never know Him.
It is important to know who Christ is, but the only way we will know Him, is if we study Him and apply what we have learned to our own lives. We need to know what He did; to do otherwise is purely speculation. Then, and only then, may we act properly out of knowledge.
Hi Joshua,
I think we aren’t taught soon enough by our peers that in all things, we are supposed to ask Him to help us first and foremost. It’s praying without ceasing. It’s doing all things, heartily and as to the Lord and not to men.
We all are works in progress (sanctified). Working on our humility, always doing things in His spirit, strength and will, will help keep us humble and connected to Him. We in turn learn to hear Him and His promptings more and more easily. We start/stay walking with Him continuously. We stay in the vine. We live in Spirit.
So in the end, when we do things, our ‘works’ are for His glory, not ours. Since we were leaning/drawing from His strength/Spirit … not ours. We won’t have “works” to boast about, because it is from Him … not us.
The best thing, is the eternal rewards. These “works” when tested with fire will not turn to ash or stubble (works done in our strength and for our glory), but eternal silver, gold and precious jewels (works done by Him through us).
We have the His Holy Spirit in our hearts when we are reborn spiritually. He is our eternal seal to Himself. Allow Him to work through you as proof that you are His, rather then you work with your own strength and understanding, apart and devoid of Him to prove that you are His. This is part of letting our old selves go. Part of shedding off the ‘burial clothes’ of our old selves. The part where we were brought up to rely on ourselves only. When we were are own gods.
May we never forget the constant and continuous flow of His grace and mercy in our hearts, the love and peace that follows … and flows out to those around us. Then they will know us by how we love … with His love.