W W
J D
?The Real
Question
is, How
Does Jesus
Think?
FELLOW CHRISTIAN, perhaps lately you've seen various bracelets and apparel with
the letters WWJD embroidered or printed on them. Maybe you are unaware that the
letters are an acronym that stand for, What Would Jesus Do? The idea, if you haven't
already guessed, is to wear these letters as a constant reminder of what Jesus would
do under various circumstances throughout the day.
For example, if your temper flares up, stop and ask, "What Would Jesus Do?" "How
would He react?" If you get extra change from a cashier, "What Would Jesus Do?"
Someone asks you for help, "What Would Jesus Do?" The letters serve as a "memory
device."Now, we could spend time examining the device, itself, from a Biblical perspective. We
could question whether such a device is necessary when a truly saved, born again
person has the Holy Spirit living inside, already reminding he/she to behave in a Christ-
like manner.
One could even argue that such a device is sought after because, in this day and
age, many professing Christians--many of whom didn't repent when they called upon
Christ--are actually not saved and don't possess the indwelling Spirit. They are trying
to live the Christian life in the flesh, and thus need a reminder that operates through and
by the flesh. However, we won't pursue any of these issues.The fact is, rather than "catching and correcting yourself, after the fact" in an effort to
do right, God wants the saved person to THINK right from the start; to think like Christ.
After all, if you think like Christ, then doing the right thing would automatically
follow. You wouldn't need to constantly stop to assess what to do because doing the
right thing is the natural manifestation of thinking the right thing. So, ironically, the real
answer to What Would Jesus Do?, is He would think right in the first place."But we have the mind of Christ" (1 Cor. 2:16) . . . Upon getting saved, God, our heavenly Father, wants us, "TO BE CONFORMED to the
image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn AMONG MANY BRETHREN" (Rom.
8:29). It is God's desire to raise a family, of believers, who are all of "the same mind in
the Lord" (Phil. 4:2). That is why the Bible exhorts all Christians to, "LET THIS MIND BE
IN YOU, which was also in Christ Jesus." Phil. 2:5In other words, we are to have the same attitudes as Christ, the same value system, the
same way of looking at things. We are to think and thus, act, react, and behave the
same as Christ. No, we are not all-knowing; we are not God, nor are we to make
ourselves out to be God. But, "He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to
walk, EVEN AS HE WALKED." 1 John 2:6Our attitudes and subsequent behavior should mimic those of Jesus Christ, our Lord and
Saviour. To cite one example, Jesus told His disciples, "If I then, your Lord and Master,
have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I HAVE GIVEN
YOU AN EXAMPLE, that ye should DO AS I HAVE DONE TO YOU." John 13:14-15But just how does one adapt "the mind of Christ"?
TO ANSWER THAT, refer back to Philippians 2:5, and continue reading to Verse
Eleven. "LET THIS MIND BE IN YOU, WHICH WAS ALSO IN CHRIST JESUS: Who,
being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself
of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness
of men: And being found in fashion as a man, HE HUMBLED HIMSELF, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly
EXALTED HIM, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of
Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory
of God the Father." Phil. 2:5-11In this particular passage, we find one example, one behavioral attitude, if you will,
emanating from the mind of Christ--humbleness. If we are to think like Christ, we
should think "humble." Humbleness should be so ingrained in our minds that it becomes
part of our makeup. Christ couldn't help but to act in humility, because that is how He
thought. Remember, your "doings" begin in your mind. A lustful act begins with a lustful
thought.Christ wouldn't, couldn't, act prideful, because He didn't think of Himself in a prideful
way. In Matt. 11:28, He describes Himself: "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; FOR I
AM MEEK AND LOWLY IN HEART: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light." (Some may argue that claiming humility is not in itself
a humble act, but in God's case, He is merely stating the truth.)Christ didn't need a bracelet to remind Him, "I better be humble in this situation." The
thought of not acting humble would not even have occurred to Him. Now, having said
all this, let's refer back to Phil. 2:5-11 because within that passage we find a clue as to
how we can put on the mind of Christ.According to that passage, the mind of Christ includes humility, a humble attitude. The
passage says, "he humbled himself[.]" It then goes on to say, "Wherefore God also
hath highly exalted him[.]" Christ was exalted when He humbled Himself first. Perhaps
you don't realize that Christ put into practice one of His own teachings. We find Him
instructing His disciples in Matt. 23:12, "And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be
abased; and HE THAT SHALL HUMBLE HIMSELF SHALL BE EXALTED."Why is this so important? It reveals a principle that, if applied, will eventually give us the
mind of Christ. Follow this carefully. Matt. 23:12 is actually a verbalized description of
how Christ thinks. He taught that if you humble yourself God will exalt you, which is
exactly what Christ, Himself, did. In fact, you could say that what He taught us in Matt.
23:12, was part of His mind set; it was how He thinks! In a sense, He gave us a piece
of His mind! So, in Matt. 23:12, He's not only telling us to do as He does, but in
essence, to think as He thinks.Why is it that we often view God's instructions as some set of rules that God arbitrarily
decided to impose upon us? Do you realize that Christ would rarely, if ever, teach us to
think in a way He wouldn't think Himself?
Look at it this way . . . The Bible says, of God the Father, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate
to BE CONFORMED TO THE IMAGE OF HIS SON, that he might be the firstborn among
many brethren" (Rom. 8:29). If you are saved, God's goal is to make you Christ-like.
Now, with this in mind, ask yourself, will following God's way, His law, His teachings
(e.g. Matt. 23:12) lead you toward being Christ-like? The answer is yes! If God is trying
to make you Christ-like, He is not going to command you to act, or think, un-Christ-like!So if following Christ's teachings, makes you Christ-like, then what does that imply
about Christ? What is Christ, Himself, like? Christ is like His teachings, God's law. His
instructions describe His character, the way He thinks. WHEN HE TEACHES US
SOMETHING, HE'S TELLING US HOW HE THINKS. After all, He is our example,
remember? (For a more detailed explanation of this concept, along with examples, refer
to Send the Light publication entitled "Show Me Thy Way that I May Know Thee.")This is not always the case, mind you, but it happens often enough to teach us that if
you want the mind of Christ, you have to READ HIS WORD, which is the only place you
find His teachings, a.k.a. HIS LAWS. God said, "For this is the covenant that I will make
with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I WILL PUT MY LAWS INTO
THEIR MIND, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall
be to me a people: And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his
brother, saying, Know the Lord: FOR ALL SHALL KNOW ME, from the least to the
greatest." Heb. 8:10-11
God is equating having His laws, His precepts, His ways, His teachings in one's mind
and heart, with knowing Him. If you know His laws, you know God, because the laws
describe His character and how He thinks!Get into God's Word! The Bible says, "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" (Rom. 12:2). The mind is renewed through
reading and MEDITATING ON God's Word. "But his delight is in the law of the LORD;
and in HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT. And he shall be like a tree
planted by the rivers of water, that BRINGETH FORTH HIS FRUIT in his season; his leaf
also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper." Psa. 1:2-3Notice what God's will is for all His children. "Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name
of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all SPEAK THE SAME THING, and that there be no
divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together IN THE SAME MIND and
in THE SAME JUDGMENT" (1 Cor. 1:10). We are to speak the same, think the same, and
even judge the same, the same way as Christ speaks, thinks, and judges. The only way
we can attain to that "sameness" is if we read, study, and meditate on God's Word. Let
it supplant our thinking; become our new mind set. If we think in accordance to God's
Word we will think like Christ, and thus do whatever Christ would do. The psalmist said,
"Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." Psa. 119:11"Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to
thy word" (Psa. 119:9). If you want the mind of Christ, you must read and meditate upon
the only description, this side of heaven, of how Christ thinks--God's Word.
IF you were to die today, are you 100% SURE
you would go to Heaven? The Bible says
YOU CAN BE SURE (1 John 5:13).BUT FIRST, you must realize that what keeps you
from going to Heaven are your sins, because:
"...your iniquities [sins] have separated
between you and your God," Isaiah 59:2.
In fact, in God's eyes YOU ARE A SINNER: "For
all have sinned, and come short
of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23.SECONDLY, you must realize that there is
NOTHING you can do to save yourself and earn
Heaven: "For by grace are ye saved through
faith; and that not of yourselves: it is
the gift of God: Not of works, lest any
man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9 Baptism, good
deeds, church membership, self-righteousness are
all examples of good works that cannot save you,
because: "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but
according to his mercy he [Christ] saved
us," Titus 3:5.THE ONLY WAY you can get saved is through
Jesus Christ. He said: "I am the way, the
truth, and the life: no man cometh unto
the Father, but by me." (John 14:6) THAT'S
WHY: "...while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us." Romans 5:8-9THEREFORE: You must REPENT (change your
mind); admit that you are a Hell deserving sinner
and can't save yourself. And call upon Christ, and
Him alone, to save you. "if thou shalt confess
with thy mouth the Lord Jesus [REPENT], and
shalt believe in thine heart [TRUST] that God
hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be
saved." Romans 10:9SEND THE LIGHT
P.O. Box 815 Fargo, ND 58107
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