WWJD?

This morning, Tozer’s devotional says that Christianity is the religion of the divine example and bids his readers to “Ask yourself what would Jesus do if He were here?”

This echoes a book by that title, shortened to WWJD? This acronym was put on bracelets, t-shirts, etc. to remind Christians to ask themselves that question and govern their lives accordingly.

Personally, I’ve not found that question very helpful. I do pray for the Lord to guide me but have learned that I cannot predict what He will do; I’ve never been able to second-guess God. In other words, most of the time I’ve no idea what Jesus would do.

However, there are clues. The Bible tells the attitudes of Jesus. He is forgiving, loving, hates sin and so on. I’m supposed to think like He thinks. By that, I often can figure out what I should do based on His attitudes.

For instance, the following passage describes the heart of a Christian who loves Jesus and wants to do what He would do. It parallels an almost identical passage in Ephesians showing that these thoughts and behaviors are what I would be thinking and doing when filled with the Holy Spirit . . .

“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:12–17)

Because of these verses, I can figure out what Jesus would do if another believer is in trouble, or has sinned, or is bragging, or is irritating. I can figure out what Jesus would do if someone is acting in ignorance or grumbling. I can also figure out what Jesus would do if I were given a ghastly chore or someone took advantage of me. Nearly every situation of conflict and other problems has an answer in the above passage.

Life poses other questions, however. Some are more vital than others. For instance, where should I work? What kind of coat should I buy? How often do I take a vacation? What should I have for supper? Some Christians would say we are to use common sense — even though that commodity is not as common as they suppose. Others say if you are not willfully sinning you can do whatever you want to do. I’m a bit leery of that too because my ‘I-wants’ can take me down a slippery slope.

Instead, I prefer the first choice of having the attitudes of Jesus Christ. These flow out of being filled with the Spirit and having His Word richly implanted in my head and heart. Knowing the power of sin, this is no guarantee that all choices will be perfect, yet He makes this promise:

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)

Besides, thinking I know what Jesus would do can be spiritual pride, a form of trusting my own understanding. Far better to go to Him in humility that I haven’t a clue what to do but do know He will guide me. The outcome is usually a surprise — not contrary to His Word yet nevertheless an answer that I’d not have figured out on my own.

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Jesus, You tell me to follow You like a child takes the hand of her father having no clue where the path will lead but trusting that daddy knows best because he always does. I do not always need to know WWJD, only to humbly hold tight to Your faithful hand.

Consider the source

I’ve been sleepy and without ambition since seeing my heart specialist. At first, I thought those symptoms were due to a-fib and heart failure. I was anxious and trying to protect myself by napping and doing very little. However, I realized this morning that a new pill is causing the problem.

Since then, even though the sluggishness remains, knowing my heart is not causing it changed my attitude. I can live and move and do things with pill-produced symptoms. They are not a sign that I’m in heart failure, just an annoyance that is temporary.

For me, this is a metaphor. When I became a Christian, life changed. Some of my subjective emotions and experiences were confusing, mostly because I didn’t know their origin. Why was I feeling this way or that? Where did these new desires come from and what about the old ones?

God answered those questions through His Word and through a wonderful book called “Born Crucified” by L. E. Maxwell. It describes the work of the Cross in the life of Christians. I’ve read this book several times and today am especially thankful for it after reading Tozer’s remarks about those who fail to understand the full value of what the Cross means in their lives. Tozer begins with this passage where Paul lists his religious credentials then dismisses them as garbage. The last of them is his ability to keep the law of God which he calls “righteousness under the law” and says he was “blameless.” But he considered all of that as having no value:

“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death” (Philippians 3:6–10).

While the Cross is a fact of history and an act of God that changed history, it is also subjective and a very real part of being a follower of Jesus Christ. Like that pill, my new life was filled with new desires and old symptoms. I soon realized the importance of identifying what was going on and where all my thoughts and ideas were coming from.

The gist of Maxwell’s book is summed up in one verse:

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20)

When I was born into the family of God by grace through faith, I was also crucified with Christ. The new life He gave me is His life, and I live it by faith. Not perfectly. Often not visibly or outwardly. Nevertheless, without the Cross I would still be bound in sin and totally living by my own strength, useless to God and without His peace and joy.

Because that old life is sluggish and unwilling to do anything for God, I’m to ignore it, considering the truth that it has been crucified. The new life is ready to serve, alert and passionate about Jesus Christ. God showed me that I can choose which ‘symptom’ is going to rule my day. If I base my choice on what God says is true about me — that I am crucified with Christ, dead to the old life and by faith sharing in the new life of Jesus Christ — that old life (like that pill) will still try to pull me into lethargy, but now that I know where that negativity is coming from, I can more easily ignore it.

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Jesus, this is helpful. It may not make sense to others, yet You are able to encourage all of us to consider ourselves as what You say we are, rather than what logic, emotions and other human faculties tell us we are. I’m glad that the Cross makes it possible to live by faith, not by sight or by feelings, trusting You to deal with the old stuff as You teach us how to live with the new.

A trap to avoid

This week there was another expose on television about a cult that does not report or punish law-breakers within their membership in relation to child abuse. I’m familiar with this cult and their attitude toward rules, which does not jibe with the expose. Everyone is supposed to do what they say, but not themselves?

“For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.” (Galatians 6:13–16)

In New Testament times, a group of religious people determined that a person had to keep the laws of God to be a Christian. They focused on one ‘rule’ that in their minds was a definite must.

Rule-keeping is contrary to the Gospel but didn’t stop them from confusing seekers and believers, including the church in Galatia. Paul wrote to them about this matter, strongly warning them of ‘falling from grace’ and denying the power of God and salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.

The passage above strikes at their motives. They wanted people to follow their “rules” so they could boast about them. As for the cult mentioned, they also boast about their numbers, about all the people who do their best to be good ‘witnesses’ for their organization. However, no one can keep all their rules. As the expose showed, that is not reported, even some of the most gross misconduct.

At the same time, this cult wants no drop in their numbers. They want to appear successful so use ‘shunning’ to keep people tied to them. While some have gone to court over the losses due to shunning, the supreme court in Canada has just passed a new law that allows them to shun whoever they wish without being sued.

The biblical answer to this complicated issue strikes at the root of the problem. Faith in Jesus Christ means new life, a new way of thinking, a change in motivation. Those who love and follow Jesus are not bound to the laws of God, but we are bound to love one another.

We are also to not base our relationship with God on rule-keeping. We are saved by grace. Not only that, there are grave results for those who get tangled in law-keeping.

“For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith.’” (Galatians 3:10–11)

Paul is quoting the Old Testament to show that salvation has always been by faith. He goes on to explain the purpose of the law (to reveal sin and to show people they need grace). For these reasons, being circumcised or having any sort of focus on OT “rules” will take them away from grace:

“Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision count for anything, but only faith working through love.” (Galatians 5:2–6)

So why do cults and various other isms become so focused on rules? They obviously do not realize that by refusing God’s gracious gift of salvation by faith, they are also missing out on the gift of the Holy Spirit who changes lives and gives them a deep love for one another.

If I choose to walk in the flesh rather than obey God, I put myself in bondage, not to a cult but to the tyranny of always wanting my own way. This is always against the way of the Lord and produces no peace and joy in this life and no eternal results. How sad.

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galatians 5:16–18)

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Oh Lord Jesus, I’m not sure why cult members or anyone else rejects the Gospel and says, ‘No thanks, I will do it my way’ other than our sin runs deep. Truly all need You to get us out of our unyielding pride.