What Would Jesus Do?
06/06/10 11:34
A few
years back it was trendy to ask, “What would
Jesus do?” There were necklaces and bracelets,
bookmarkers and plaques, all inscribed with the
acronym –WWJD. It was an attempt to keep
forefront in the Christian’s mind the desired
social action and attitude for them to govern their
lives. The hope was that if everyone lived by this
little axiom, then all our social ills would be
solved.
One problem though - the person who would ask, “What would Jesus do?” must know who Jesus is, in order to know, what He would do. The truly born-again Christian knows what I am saying is true. Those who have only a veneer of knowledge about God cannot possibly know what Jesus would do. Have you ever heard those folks who refer to God as the “Man upstairs”? These folks wouldn’t have a clue who Jesus is, or what He would do.
Jesus told us that, “No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
When Peter made his confession that he knew that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus told him that flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but that it was revealed to him by the Father. In this day and age of information highways, knowledge can come verily easy. The mistake most often made by those who receive religious knowledge is that when someone receives a bit of knowledge, they conform it to fit their presuppositions.
In other words, the God that they think they know is in reality a god of their own making. God cannot be known merely through the intellect. He must reveal Himself to the spirit of man as the Word declares Him to be – the mind just agrees and says, “Amen.”
This is why Paul exhorts us not to be conformed any longer to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2 Again, Paul teaches us that, “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”1Cor.2:10,11
He goes on to teach us that the man without the Spirit of God cannot know God. God’s ways are foolish to him and he cannot understand them. So, isn’t it apparent that asking, “What would Jesus do?” is just cliché?
If you have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God will lead you! We have an obligation and it is not to the sinful nature. Our obligation is to follow after the Spirit of God that is leading us.
For as many who are led by the Spirit; they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14 Those who are born-again have died to self. They realize that their lives are not their own – they’ve been bought with a Price! The Spirit that is in them is the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ says, “I have not come to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me.”
If every Christian would just do that, then there would be no need to ask, “What would Jesus do?” If you think that I am just playing on words, then ask yourselves this one question: “Do I live for God, or do I want God to live for me?” You see, sometimes it’s all on how you look at something.
One more thing: will you ever make mistakes and not follow the leading of the Spirit? Yes, but those mistakes will never nullify your adoptin as a child of God. He is our Father and His love is more than what we can know!
Think about it,
Pastor Jim
One problem though - the person who would ask, “What would Jesus do?” must know who Jesus is, in order to know, what He would do. The truly born-again Christian knows what I am saying is true. Those who have only a veneer of knowledge about God cannot possibly know what Jesus would do. Have you ever heard those folks who refer to God as the “Man upstairs”? These folks wouldn’t have a clue who Jesus is, or what He would do.
Jesus told us that, “No one knows the Son except the Father and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him.”
When Peter made his confession that he knew that Jesus was the Christ, Jesus told him that flesh and blood did not reveal that to him but that it was revealed to him by the Father. In this day and age of information highways, knowledge can come verily easy. The mistake most often made by those who receive religious knowledge is that when someone receives a bit of knowledge, they conform it to fit their presuppositions.
In other words, the God that they think they know is in reality a god of their own making. God cannot be known merely through the intellect. He must reveal Himself to the spirit of man as the Word declares Him to be – the mind just agrees and says, “Amen.”
This is why Paul exhorts us not to be conformed any longer to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2 Again, Paul teaches us that, “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.”1Cor.2:10,11
He goes on to teach us that the man without the Spirit of God cannot know God. God’s ways are foolish to him and he cannot understand them. So, isn’t it apparent that asking, “What would Jesus do?” is just cliché?
If you have the Spirit of God, the Spirit of God will lead you! We have an obligation and it is not to the sinful nature. Our obligation is to follow after the Spirit of God that is leading us.
For as many who are led by the Spirit; they are the sons of God. Romans 8:14 Those who are born-again have died to self. They realize that their lives are not their own – they’ve been bought with a Price! The Spirit that is in them is the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of Christ says, “I have not come to do my own will but the will of Him who sent me.”
If every Christian would just do that, then there would be no need to ask, “What would Jesus do?” If you think that I am just playing on words, then ask yourselves this one question: “Do I live for God, or do I want God to live for me?” You see, sometimes it’s all on how you look at something.
One more thing: will you ever make mistakes and not follow the leading of the Spirit? Yes, but those mistakes will never nullify your adoptin as a child of God. He is our Father and His love is more than what we can know!
Think about it,
Pastor Jim
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