Things I Think
1. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth.Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:16–18 ESV)
James says that if you want an example of how much power that is available through prayer, look at Elijah.
There’s another reason why “I believe, help my unbelief” is my “life verse”…
2. Winter makes me a heretic…it convinces me that hell is actually cold…
3. “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.”(Hebrews 13:2 ESV) I suppose it would be rude to wonder if we’ve turned away some undocumented angels…
4. If you’re reasonable enough it’s relatively easy to get both sides of the national divide to hate you…
5. Back in the day “WWJD”(what would Jesus do?”) was a popular meme. I laughed at people wearing their silly bracelets…now I’m trying to find one to wear…
6. Those in apologetics always like to point out that cults worship a “different Jesus”. On the other hand, there is as much difference between Jesus who preached the Beatitudes and the American political Jesus as you can get…
7. While the politicians have you worried about a flood of migrants on the border that ended five years ago,they aren’t saying a word about automation…which will end up taking more jobs from people than all the migrants put together. They just hope you stay distracted…
8. Justice without mercy is a good definition for damnation…
9. I didn’t watch the Oscars last night. I wasn’t protesting, there just wasn’t a Batman movie nominated…
10. Our national anger is as dangerous a threat from the inside as nuclear weapons are from the outside. I think the Bible addresses this…
“Back in the day “WWJD”(what would Jesus do?”) was a popular meme.”
Any other answer today differing from ‘he would hang himself on a cross’, would be just as stupid today as it was in the past.
I have always felt that many Christians wouldn’t agree with what Jesus would do.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus”
“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”
As to # 4, know what you mean. I think I once wrote something about being stuck in the middle. 😉
#6
Reminds me of this young lady
Trying to imitate Jesus is stupid, says MLD.
#4
“No one liked you, but everyone heard you – well done, my good and faithful servant!”
🙂
#2
Its Climate Change
Xenia, the fact that you have not hung yourself on a cross let’s me know that you don’t want to imitate Christ.
Where do you come up with this stuff?
Why do the Gospels have more than 1 chapter?
MLD,
If that was all Christ did or taught the Gospels could have been one paragraph long…
“Why do the Gospels have more than 1 chapter?”
Because someone added chapters where there were no chapters. 😉
Wow.
Michael – so I should whip people and disrupt their business when I get upset? or should I call people bad names when they disagree with me?
Have you ever read the book In His Steps?
https://www.amazon.com/His-Steps-Charles-M-Sheldon/dp/0800786084
MLD,
That was a provocative answer.
Senseless,but provocative.
What do you do with the Sermon on the Mount?
Is it just filler content on the way to the cross?
I wonder if Martin Luther would agree with MLD?
I want to pick MLD up from out of the ditch, like a good Samaritan. 🙂
The historic Church has seen Christ as having been anointed to a threefold office: Prophet, Priest and King. As our King (or Lord), it behooves us to, well, as the Father says “listen to him”, and as His mother says “do whatever he tells you”.
Michael,
Oh, see you have me confused now. You don’t mean WWJD, as you said or asked.
You mean WDJTUTD (What Did Jesus Tell Us To Do.)
I may ask, what has Jesus told me to do, or what I am to be. I do not think I was ever commanded to figure out What Would Jesus Do… because he already told us what to do.
But Jean – that is not the same as WWJD.
That is Do what Jesus has already told you to do.
Some people have given up their lives for other people.
The martyrs have intimated Jesus.
HOWEVER, this is the first day of Lent and I will not argue.
Other than to say, I do not care for the type of Christianity that is all about premises and not about the very Person of Jesus Himself. We know what He did for us; I also care what He was/is like as a Person.
So now will commence an argument about words.
No thanks.
Don’t get caught up in semantics. WWJD is the attempt to apply principles from Jesus’ teachings to everyday issues. One obviously must be careful in doing so, and not everyone will agree on the application, but it is what a disciple does. Why all the heart burn?
This is foolishness I have no time to engage in.
Is there a chasm between what Jesus told us to do and what He would do Himself?
I think not.
My #22 is directed to MLD.
#12
MLD is not saying that all the Bible Gospel writings except the Passion passages were added out of the blue. He is pointing out that the original text was not divided into chapters and verses and therefore, was one big paragraph.
At least, I think that is what he is saying.
But he could have said that in the first place, couldn’t he?
Xenia – #25 – that is exactly what I meant.
MLD is the Donald Trump of this blog.
Loves to provoke and get a rise out of others.
Truth and content?
Not so much.
#28 Spot on!
At the most basic level, from Augustine to Francis to Thomas a Kempis to Nicholas Kabasilas to John Wesley, all saw the Christian life in terms of the imitation of Christ. That is, seeking to do what Christ would do… This is one of the most basic tenets of Christian life, history and spirituality.
As we’re approaching Lent, if you’ve not read ‘The Imitation of Christ’ by a Kempis, you should. Additionally on the EO side, ‘On the Life in Christ’ by Kabasilas carries the same message.
Anyone who does not see this as the bedrock of Christian spirituality is “missing the forest for the trees”…
#7… local Target store has installed self-checkout machines. Wonder if anyone lost their job with that one.
#9… I think a Batman movie was nominated for a Razzie.
Dan, I always avoid those self check out machines because I do believe they take away jobs.
Re: the self-checkout machines. Anyone else notice that although there are less wages to pay, that the price of goods has not decreased? Given a choice between the self-checkout & the cashier, I’ll always head to the cashier. If nothing else, I figure I’m paying the same amount either way.
Someone may have lost a Target job because of the self check out machines but some people gained jobs building the machines. It is how life goes.
Is anyone here bemoaning the collapse of the buggy whip factory workers when the automobile came along?
I think one can argue a slight distinction between what Jesus “did” when He walked the earth and what He taught His followers to do once He would depart – though this is not going down the tortured hair splitting already demonstrated by MLD in this thread.
That distinction solely resides in the Law of Moses. Jesus lived under the Law, perfectly. That includes telling a healed leper to show himself to a Levitical priest and bring the Mosaic offering. He came to fulfill the Mosaic Law, and as His followers we are no longer under the Mosaic Law.
This also is an issue when it comes to such things as teaching on divorce. Paul did not contradict Jesus, nor did Jesus need additional correction from Paul. Rather, the answer of Jesus was in explaining God’s command on divorce in the Law of Moses and Paul’s was in light of the new covenant.
Another example, it is often stated that the tithe (by definition 1/10) is not taught in the New Testament for the Church, but rather a “grace giving” principle. I agree with this, but those who defend the tithe do so in the New Testament solely by the words of Jesus to the Pharisees about tithing their spice gardens when He said “These things you ought to have done, and not to leave the other undone (the other being mercy, truth, etc) Once more, He speaks to the Law of Moses.
That being said, I always like what Paul wrote “Be imitators of me as I am of Christ”
Anyone else notice that although there are less wages to pay,
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Why on earth would you think that?
Ask any employer…ANY employer if the total cost of an employee has remained stagnant in recent years….and again I repeat…TOTAL cost.
Xenia (32), good point. I also hate those self-check out machines because they seem very temperamental, as in if you try to put a bag you have already scanned into your cart, the machine stops and you have to get an associate to unlock the machine, at least that is how it works (or doesn’t work) at our local Kroger. Hence if you have a lot of groceries, your bags pile up in the SMALL bagging area.
“Be imitators of me as I am of Christ”
So, no “WWJD”, rather “WWPD”.
Why not just go to TheSource instead of a distillation?
G….I believe the New Testament is the inspired word of God.
You don’t.
That difference makes your question to me, moot.
I quoted a verse I like.
Now, if one believes they also walk on water, then maybe Paul is too low of a bar for comparison.
I have no such delusions. Paul was a mere man, like me. Yet in my mind the greatest Christian to walk the face of the earth. Paul was not the Son of God. And Paul’s standard of following Christ (as detailed in the Holy Scriptures) is one that does more than enough to drive me regularly to the Son of God for mercy and forgiveness.
Michael,
your winter/heretic thought hits a responsive chord with me…but a blazing fire in my pit, a bottle of distilled goodness, some fine friends, and perhaps a cigar or two is fine therapy. A drive to GP would do you good. WWJD? He’d be early. 😉
I have to say, seeing this tortured discussion of whether we should imitate Christ, makes me reflect on “straining at gnats”…
fil,
Every time I see the weeks menu posted on Facebook I agree with you…soon…
Aptly put Duane (41)!
Duane, not sure if you are including my #35 in your tortured discussion comment….but I have engaged in multiple conversations over the years on the subject of divorce due to the words of Jesus….there is little else more serious in living for Christ than the issue of marriage and divorce among believers…and since Jesus was single, married folks only have His commands, not His example….
Likewise I have heard more than a few sermons quoting all sorts of OT verses about robbing God in not tithing with the one comment of Jesus I cited being the justification for why “Jesus commands you to tithe”
The first breaks my heart, the second makes my blood boil. Both are important to address in my pastoral experience.
I love the teachings of Jesus.
I also love the Pentateuch and Prophets.
They are all under the Old Covenant.
“Be perfect as Your Father is perfect.”
…”Father in HEAVEN is perfect.” 🙂
I disagree with CostcoCal as that is not what I see Jesus doing in the Gospels as He prepares His disciples for what is to come….and in doing so, likewise instructs us who are His disciples today.
Steve,
I should have stated that Gospel of John, obviously not a Synoptic Gospel, is the exception.
The Gospel of John is what you are referring to.
Even if you don’t know it. 🙂
One of my seminary professors, a brilliant man, nonetheless held to that rigid dispensationalism. I am well aware of it…
I would certainly argue the Sermon on the Mount is prescriptive for the Church (as just one example). There are others in the Synoptics as well….
Steve,
I’m just thinking out loud…
So, the Sermon on the Mount…
I love the Sermon on the Mount.
No greater words ever spoken.
We are to be perfect.
How is that working out for you? 🙂
Costco,
If whether you can obey a law is the measure of whether it is applicable to the Church, then you would have to mark out every command in the entire NT.
Although the Greek word ekklesia is translated church in the NT and “assembly” in the LXX, it represents the people of the promise, beginning with Adam and Eve, continuing through Abraham, Israel all the way to the Church today. One plan, fulfilled in Christ.
So…we are to be perfect, then?
I can choose to not commit adultery in bed.
I can choose not to rob someone.
I can choose to work and support my family.
I cannot choose to be perfect.
(Not to mention, things like not hating or lusting in a sinful moment.)
Jesus’ interpretation of the Law is far different than the New Testament’s instruction to believers.
I say this reverently, He brought it hard!
And sinners loved Him.
For example:
“Forgive so that you might be forgiven” Matthew 6:14.
Jesus in the Old Covenant.
“Forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you” Eph 4:32.
Paul in the New Covenant
For example:
“Forgive so that you might be forgiven” – Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus in the Old Covenant.
“Forgiving one another, even as God, for Christ’s sake, has forgiven you” Eph 4:32.
Paul in the New Covenant
” as He prepares His disciples for what is to come”
CostcoCal…note what I wrote above.
The Sermon on the Mount is 3 chapters, not just that one verse…and that one verse is spoken in a larger context of the entire message.
Costco, what you are saying is that everything Jesus said only applied for the few years of his earthly preaching.
Aim for perfection, with God’s help. It’s the journey that counts.
Steve,
Yes it is three chapters.
Just as Deuteronomy has thirty-four chapters.
I love The Shema.
The Greatest Commandment.
It’s still the Law.
Xenia,
No, that is not what I am saying.
It applies to me today.
It simply does not justify me or make me righteous in keeping it.
Although, if I have been justified and made righteous by faith, I will keep it.
To one degree or another.
Costco – you are digging yourself deeper.
“Although, if I have been justified and made righteous by faith, I will keep it.”
So if you fail, and you do not keep it – then that is evidence you were never “justified and made righteous by faith,” ???
Jesus said His Church, that He would build, was still future (when He said it)
Paul said the Church is the Body of Christ…and said Jesus is the Head of the Body.
And it is by the Holy Spirit’s working, His indwelling, sealing, baptizing work at the moment of the new birth, all of which was new to God’s people starting at Pentecost (and prophesied about earlier by Jesus in the upper room).
The Spirit left people in the OT. Of course, the Lutherans believe the Spirit can (and sometimes does) leave people today too…I disagree but the security of the saints is no trivial issue but connects to so much doctrine, especially among the infant baptism folks.
As to the word, ekklesia, I find it fascinating that every translation after the old KJV, changed the word “church” used by the KJV in Acts 7:38 to a different word speaking of the assembly or congregation there in the wilderness with Moses in the OT. And rightfully so.
Much more could be said…but it does reinforce that a correct understanding of dispensationalism is not simply eschatology, but Pneumatology, Ecclessiology, Christology and basically a total doctrinal perspective on the entire word of God and how it is to be understood.
The endtimes stuff just gets all the buzz….
Costco, what you are saying is that everything Jesus said only applied for the few years of his earthly preaching.
——————————————————————
I thought this as well, Xenia.
Not only does it not make much sense, but it is refuted by the fact that He taught His disciples these things….the ones who are going to go forth afterwards…
Note when Jesus does give an interpretation of the Law of Moses, or otherwise teaches something that we would not find prescriptive today, it is in response to a question or in addressing the multitudes.
MLD,
If you love Jesus, you will keep His commandments.
Dig yourself out of that one! 🙂
Steve,
As I tried to articulate to Xenia, Jesus’ commandments apply.
Just not for Justification and Righteousness.
Was it not you that pointed out Jesus’ command to tithe?
As well as keeping the Law of Moses?
So I am applying your own (in that instance) correct application of the tithe to the Sermon on the Mount and every teaching of Jesus Christ.
This is my opinion.
And in my opinion, it is true. 🙂
Just not for Justification and Righteousness.
————————————————
I don’t know anyone who remotely suggested that…certainly not me….
Steve,
His words do apply for Justification and Righteousness in Xenia’s theology.
And your response to her was that you agreed that it sounded as though I was stating Jesus’ teachings “only applied to the few years of His earthly preaching.”
I don’t believe that.
I do believe that none of them apply to Justification.
At least, in the Synoptic Gospels.
Hence, apart from John, Jesus’ commandments before His resurrection fall under the Old Covenant.
Okay, I’m stalling a bit.
Time to open up my commentaries and study aides for 1 Kings.
An incredible commentary on 1 and 2 Kings is by a Rabbi named Dr. I. W. Slotki.
It is not premised on the Talmud, except for side notes.
Outstanding conversation. Thanks!
His words do apply for Justification and Righteousness in Xenia’s theology.<<<
Correct.
Costco,
“If you love Jesus, you will keep His commandments.”
You should be a follower of Wesley and his capacity for sinless perfection. But I am glad that you love Jesus so much that you stopped sinning altogether.
That’s was a non-answer.
It is moot to dismiss my question with your assumption about what I believe to be true. That has no bearing on the simple question.
Let me ask it again,
“Why not just go to TheSource instead of a distillation?”
Why not simply point all disciples to Jesus?
Jesus is God.
Is Jesus insufficient?
Costco,
I think you need to put down the Rabbi commentaries and read some wholesome Christian theology. You are so far off track right now that I want to gently and sincerely coax you back into Christian orthodoxy. Please give this your consideration:
You have said things along the lines of:
“As I tried to articulate to Xenia, Jesus’ commandments apply.
Just not for Justification and Righteousness.” And then in another comment you excluded John’s Gospel from this opnion.
Jesus wasn’t blowing off steam or speaking to a different covenant or different audience. he was speaking God’s divine law. And yest, the law is for justification and righteousness. “The one who does them shall live by them.”
But, the issue is that no one does them. That is why God sent his son, for his active and passive obedience. Jesus kept the Law and by his death and resurrection, his perfect obedience to the law is imputed to us by grace through faith. At the same time, our sins are imputed to Him by this same grace through faith.
So, “Christ is the the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” But if you don’t believe, then you will stand before Christ at the judgment and you will be judged according to your obedience to the Law.
So, please, by the mercies of God, extricate yourself from the horrible dispensationalism which does so much damage to the unity of the Scriptures.
“Why not just go to TheSource instead of a distillation?”
G,
How do you do that?
You have Jesus’ words and teachings as distilled by Matthew
You have Jesus’ words and teachings as distilled by Mark
You have Jesus’ words and teachings as distilled by Luke
You have Jesus’ words and teachings as distilled by John
Just as you do have Jesus’ words and teachings as distilled by Paul.
Unless you have some ‘other’ direct source.
Jean,
For some reason you read my theology wrong.
Every time.
Must be my bad.
I apologize if I am misreading you. It is not intentional.
Do you agree with the substance of my #71 as it pertains to Christ, the Law and justification?
You see…MLD and I can agree.
@72…I was thinking the same thing. God either wrote it all…..or didn’t write any of it, because there is no “book of Jesus” in the Bible.
“Jesus said His Church, that He would build, was still future (when He said it)
Paul said the Church is the Body of Christ…and said Jesus is the Head of the Body.”
Steve,
We in orthodoxy do not deny that there was a change in covenant, that the Temple and sacrificial system was terminated and in the new covenant the Church would be built on the preaching of the apostles with Christ as the cornerstone.
But, when we speak of the ekklesia of God, we are talking about the people of God, who have always been justified by faith in the Gospel, from the 2 church members in the garden to the millions today. It’s always been by faith in Christ, first as a promise, and then as a fulfillment in his first advent (with more fulfillment to come).
The Gospel got filled out as time went on. But Paul considered both David and Abraham justified by faith, just like we are (See Romans 4).
Michael put it well Friday:
“The paradox of Scripture is that God does it all and what we do matters.”
We are are hidden in Christ by faith. And now free to obey His commandments because we love Him.
Thanks, Joel.
You just said in a single sentence what took my 10,000 words to try and say. 🙂
🙂
Not that we have the ability to obey perfectly in our flesh. But we sure want to.
Hi family, hope we are playing nice today. 😉 hope you had a lovely day today.
Hi Dusty. 🙂 Bless you for your kindness and remembering prayer requests.
“How do you do that?”
You have Jesus’ words and teachings narrated and quoted by Matthew
You have Jesus’ words and teachings narrated and quoted by Mark
You have Jesus’ words and teachings narrated and quoted by Luke
You have Jesus’ words and teachings narrated and quoted by John
Jesus’ words and teachings narrated by Paul? Hardly any, mostly unverifiable.
Which is why I prefer to be inspired by and seek to follow Jesus as presented by the writers of the Gospels.
In actuality, Paul wrote before the Gospel writers and none of them ever made any claims against Paul for misrepresenting Jesus.
Who is this Mark guy – he never walked with Jesus … oh, but he did walk and learn from Paul. He probably learned about Jesus from Paul.
Luke never met Jesus – why do you trust him?
“When we possess Christ through faith as a free gift we should go on and do as he has done for us, and imitate him in our entire life and suffering.”
Martin Luther,
‘On Christ Crucified’
Duane,
Sounds like Luther may have been wearing a WWJD bracelet. 😉
#85 Kevin
Indeed…
Well obviously no one here remembers the false narcissistic theology behind the WWJD bracelets. (I was a youth director in a Baptist church at the time.)
To compare Thomas A Kempis or even Luther discussing the imitation of Christ to the fad driven WWJD bracelet theology of the 80s – the ‘me’ generation being taught to read themselves into scripture – not to find Jesus but to find out what the Bible is telling them about how they are to live their life – the same theology that turned the Bible from a book of God’s love and promise into the human instruction manual. You know;
B = Basic
I = Instructions
B= Before
L= Leaving
E= Earth
We can all see it in ourselves back then. Go to you shelf and dig out your old Bible from the 80s and see the passages you underlined and hi lited – all the law passages about what you needed to to — and the promise passages, still let in their original white.
Yep, there you have it – my objection to bringing back the WWJD bracelet and what it represents.
Hey Duane, Common Roots showed up yesterday. Can’t wait to get started on it!
#88 Josh
I think you’ll really enjoy it. It was Bob’s first venture into relating his evangelical background with the historic Church. Owing to that circumstance, the book has a ‘freshness’ about it. Do let me know what you think!
Very interesting conversation about imitating Christ.
I guess I always thought that the call to imitate Christ was impossible to do in our human brokenness.
With that said, it seems to me that God presents an even more amazing possibility in Galatians 2:20. Christ Himself living out His life in us as we reckon ourselves crucified with Him.
In a way, Christ IS an example to us of how we are to live out our Christian lives- in the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us to actualize the character and nature of Jesus as we yield ourselves. The work of the Spirit is to make real in our experience what is actually true of our position in Christ.
So, in some sense, the question “What would Jesus do” is being answered by us as people see Jesus doing in and through us by His Spirit what He is desiring to do.
I think this is why we are told not to quench, resist, or grieve the Spirit. Buy doing those things we actually fail to realize the fulness of our inheritance much like the Israelites did in the promised land.
A Believer!
Good to see you here.
And I agree with your comment, too. Well said.
The conversation that somehow minimizing the Old Testament and the Pauline contribution to scripture is desirable is interesting to me.
It is claimed that the words of Jesus in the gospels should be given preeminence.
Ironically, if you follow that reasoning, you end up with Jesus words in the gospels giving full weight to the OT scriptures as completely authoritative.
To make matters even worse for the “red letter” position, the gospel record has Jesus himself anticipating and authorizing additional NT revelation.
Peter, who is authorized by Christ himself, gives backing to Paul’s writings.
To me, the big problem with only accepting the revelation found in the 4 gospels, is the self defeating nature of the position. It robs Christ of his own authority by disconnecting Him from the very scriptures He fulfills and claims to be the author of, while at the same time silencing His ability to bring additional revelation through the Spirit to His followers.
I don’t know how long I’ve been following this blog. But, like Josh, I too am glad to see A Believer back. He went through a lot of changes. Glad to see where he ended up. Blessings to you AB.
Looks like we can sometimes get a rise from MLD in return. 🙂
The point is not that Luther was wearing or would have worn a WWJD bracelet. Of course, the WWJD bracelets could and did have unhealthy elements applied to or around them. Just like humans often do with just about anything else that may start out as a good and innocent idea.
The point is that it is a good and healthy thing to ask “What Would Jesus Do” as we seek to “imitate Christ” as we are presented with circumstances in life and need to make decisions as to how we are going to act. It’s not a silly or stupid question to ask and sometimes having something as simple as a bracelet to remind us to ask the question may not always be such a bad idea.
#94 Kevin
Agreed. It is a question that we should ask ourselves often…
As to the aforementioned issues concerning the OT and Pauline letters, the Scripture is ours as a “given”, by the authority of the Church and tradition. My problem with so-called “Red Letter Christians” is that you might as well spend your life searching for the “Q” document, which no one has ever found – unless you try to recreate it from the four gospels.
MLD always points to Christ on this blog, thereby doing what Jesus would do, I believe.
Matthew 11:28
JoelG,
Then MLD must be wearing one of those WWJD bracelets, too. 😉
lol I bet he is ?
Perhaps it is just me – perhaps fad theological trick bother only me. I do look to Christ – to do what he has already told me what to do. The WWJD? is kind of a cop out as people look to escape the obvious.
If I was thinking of leaving my wife, I do not need to ask “WWJD” – he has already given his word / command on this. If I were to ask WWJD then I would be in sin.
Jesus has told us to care for the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, the lame and the homeless – so when I see them on the street – do I ask WWJD or do I do what Jesus has already said to do?
Now, my daughter has been trying to get me to follow her and her family into becoming vegan … I guess I could ask WWJD?
Give me your examples of when you stopped to ask WWJD that you didn’t already know the answer. As I said early on, I have seen the harm that comes from that. Jesus says to follow / carry out his commandments – I don’t see anywhere that Jesus says to ask WWJD.
But I will end with this – would Jesus wear a WWJD bracelet – or would he ponder WWMFD? (What Would My Father Do?) 😉
“Jesus has told us to care for the poor, the widowed, the orphaned, the lame and the homeless – so when I see them on the street – do I ask WWJD or do I do what Jesus has already said to do?”
What do you do when see them on the border?
Michael,
“What do you do when see them on the border?”
Whatever I do, it is not because I ask ‘what would Jesus do? I would do what has already been commanded to do.
If I am disobedient, I am disobedient for not following what Jesus has said – I am not disobedient because I failed to ask WWJD?
Michael – so do you help because Jesus said to help – or because you got the right answer when you asked WWJD?
I don’t like fads, so I probably wouldn’t wear a WWJD bracelet. I didn’t when they were popular.
But I do wear a cross at all times.
Sometimes I do need to be reminded how a Christian should behave in a given situation. Believe me, the “Jesus” response isn’t always the first thing that pops into my mind.
MLD,
As has been already said numerous times,there is more to glean from the life of Christ than the cross.
It is simple sophistry to change the wording from “what would Jesus do” to “what has Jesus commanded us to do”.
In both cases the words and life of Christ are what inform our attitudes and actions.
I would submit that we often give higher priority to other voices…
Sometimes, an issue is so complicated with good and bad to be said for both sides that it is almost impossible to know what Jesus would do. These cases require prayer and conversations with other Christians.
#102 Xenia, agreed.
I have one of those little wood “cross in my pocket”s in my truck as a reminder of who I belong to and to act accordingly, tho I usually don’t, especially when someone is tailgating me.
The WWJD bracelet may have been a fad, but it was a good reminder that Jesus followed his own teaching and so should we.
It is more than just “making us better people” to seek to imitate Christ in actions and attitude. Augustine, in the Confessions, viewed human beings as creatures who approach the Holy Trinity through what he called “likeness”, that is by imitating the Son, who is bound to the Father through the grace of the Holy Spirit. We seek to imitate Christ, but only by the grace and strengthening of the Holy Spirit. To even ask ourselves the question, in an honest way (not a fad) is prompted by God’s grace. In turn we are given grace by the Holy Spirit that we might be more Christlike.
“Why art thou proud, O man? God for thee became low. Thou wouldst perhaps be ashamed to imitate a lowly man ; then at least imitate the lowly God.”
— St. Augustine, Confessions, Book 7
Sometimes, an issue is so complicated with good and bad to be said for both sides that it is almost impossible to know what Jesus would do. These cases require prayer and conversations with other Christians.
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I’m glad someone else (Xenia) brought this up. This happens on a regular basis – there is not always a verse that is clear on a given situation.
My philosophy…when faced with a difficult “coin flip” of a decision…is to ask which of the two choices shows the most grace.
Even if I get burned, so be it. I would much rather show grace and be burned, than stand before the Lord having shown “law” and found out I was wrong to do so….
My philosophy…when faced with a difficult “coin flip” of a decision…is to ask which of the two choices shows the most grace.<<<<
Steve, I think this is really good advice.