Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Following the Example of Jesus

            A number of years ago, a movement swept through the Christian community via a very effective marketing strategy using wristbands, keychains, pencils, pens, and such, all imprinted with four simple capital letters, WWJD. Of course, those familiar with the movement remember that the acronym stood for “What would Jesus do?”, the challenge to ask ourselves what Jesus’ response would be in every given situation before taking action. It seemed at the time to be an effective method of keeping us on the right track as based on the classic work by Charles M. Sheldon, entitled In His Steps.
            However, as of late, I have been personally pushed to go further than WWJD. In a book I received from the author, Dr. Richard Spillman, which I am reading at present, I have been asked to “Do What Jesus Did” (DWJD). Spillman’s point is well-taken. For most Christians today, we may “talk a good talk”, as the saying goes, and even have the best of motivations in what we would like to do or see done. Yet, when it comes to actually doing the work of Christ, that is, making disciples, ministering to the sick and needy, spending time with the outcasts, feeding the poor, binding up the broken-hearted, we spend little time actually doing those things because we focus our time and energies on programs and tangible items that benefit ourselves. This is highly convicting, especially for those of us who are theologically conservatives. We place God’s Word as extremely high in value in our lives and, yet, when it comes to what today is called “social justice”, helping the poor, downtrodden, and hurting in society, the Christian conservatives can often be seen as more interested in constructing churches and “saving souls” than in restoring lives. We rightly criticize the theological liberals for capitulating to “political correctness” when, in fact, we can easily find ourselves putting more stock in being theologically correct than in being Biblically obedient.
            Some conservative hard-liners might say that it is better to sacrifice compassion for theological purity. When Jesus told His disciples to “follow Me” (Mt. 4:19; Mk. 1:17; 10:21), I do not believe that this forfeit is what He had in mind. In fact, I know Jesus wanted all of His disciples to be doctrinally sound and socially just in all of their dealings with the people, showing His great love and compassion for everyone at every turn. After all, the love of Christ was central to everything that Jesus did. He even charged Peter to do the same with the flock under his care after Jesus had departed (Jn. 21:15-17).
            The “follow Me” principle was not time-bound. It has applied to every generation of Christians since Jesus’ Ascension. The key is our willingness to accept the challenge and fulfill our role as His disciples. How we complete our task and the faithfulness with which we execute it will be the measuring stick He uses to judge how well we have served Him when we at last stand before Him (Mt. 24:45-46).

            I hope you will find this as your call of encouragement to “Do What Jesus Did”, to review once again what it means to be a servant and disciple of Jesus. If you are like me, this challenge will revolutionize your thoughts about how to live life as a believer in Him, no longer as a concept of just facts to know, but a journey to experience as we seek to do, think, act, and speak as our Lord and Savior would in a world that has no desire whatsoever to hear from or know Him again…but one which desperately needs to, regardless.

The book that I referenced is entitled DWJD: WWJD is of no value unless we are willing to Do What Jesus Did by Richard Stillman (2013). Sisters, OR: Deep River Books.

Glorifying Sin

          Our culture has reached a very dangerous point where God and His Word are concerned. “To whom much is given, much is required” (Lk. 12:48) is aptly applied to this country and its leadership as well as to its people. Yet, we have taken our stewardship, not only as a blessed nation, but, especially, as the chosen people of God, His church, and have squandered the treasures, opportunities, and freedoms that have been afforded to us for generations. We have looked into the face of Grace and have mockingly spit into His eye by our continuing acts of unrepentant sin and the allowance of such acts within our midst not having even a modicum of remorse or regret. Indeed, we have added to our impending doom by not only committing and refusing to restrain such transgressions, but we also glory in the performance of the defiling, making iniquity a popular feat such that many who might think twice before “jumping in” will gladly “hop on board” for the sheer thrill of being noticed, just to have a part in the growing fad. Remember, this is not only going on in the culture around us, like a well-made poison, it has slipped into the church, creating numerous victims within the ranks of the “faithful”.

            What is the cure for this malady? It is so simple that many believe it to be too simplistic. Surely, solutions must be more of a complex nature, requiring a solution that is intricate if there is a problem at all, really. Jesus provided the cure in the first word of His first sermon, “Repent” (Mk. 1:15). There must be the realization that the actions we are taking in sin, popular as they may be, are at variance with God and His Word and are thus wrong, causing us to fall far short of His glory (Rom. 3:23). Only when we confess and repent of our sin is cleansing and forgiveness accomplished, God is pleased and His displeasure is abated, our punishment is removed. In Christ, we cannot be condemned eternally for our sin (Rom. 8:1), but we can and will sure be disciplined heavily as a result. It is an example to unbelievers that we serve a holy God still. If we as the church get “taken to the woodshed” for participating in and allowing sin to go on around us, how do you think it will go for a world who has rejected the only means of true salvation in Jesus?

The Effect of Jesus' Resurrection


            In this month, we typically celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It was this pinnacle act that forever changed the scope of human existence, if not the course of history. For in His resurrection, we see the Father’s vindication of the Son’s innocence and God’s intervention into the realm of man with overwhelming power such that even man’s enemies of death, hell and the grave are utterly defeated. Whereas the founders of the other world “religions” lie as but dust in their tombs, Jesus of Nazareth is very much alive and reigning from His throne, sitting next to His heavenly Father, awaiting His return to complete His mission of redemption.

            We believe, at least many of us do, that this is the end of the story of redemption. However, this is most certainly not the not the case at all. First of all, according to the Scriptures, Jesus’ resurrection was but the “first fruits” (I Cor. 15:23), the initial harvest of our own resurrection that will assuredly take place after our deaths one day of which we do not know the hour or the year. Yet, if we are “in Christ” (i.e. if we have a personal relationship with Him), then we have already experienced a resurrection. We were spiritually dead in our sins and, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we were raised to new life in Christ (Eph. 2:1-10). Therefore, in this new resurrection power, He expects us to live out our lives in obedience and holiness as expressions of this change. This is what the apostle Paul means in being a “new creature in Christ” with “old things” having passed away, no longer having a bearing on our lives (II Cor. 5:17). By His resurrection power, we have the capacity and resources available and necessary to radically impact the people and community around us for the cause of Christ. The question is this: Are we willing to live as the followers of the risen Christ in which we profess to believe? If so, let’s do it and see all the good that we can accomplish in His Name and in the power of His resurrection!