I have been thinking what response to deliver to the next person or persons I see wearing a braclet or T-shirt, WWJD?

I believe I have a response and seeing you opened the door here to this field of play here goes, what do you think? wdyt?

"Jesus would do and does do what none of us could do so repent and believe the Gospel!"

Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, was buried and rose again and the Good News about this Good News is He came back and began preaching to Peter first, then the Twelve and then to 500 over a period of about 40 days:::>

1Co 15:1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
1Co 15:2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you--unless you believed in vain.
1Co 15:3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
1Co 15:5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
1Co 15:6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
1Co 15:7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles.

He is not asking anyone of us to do what He did. If He did, He would be asking us to be a false Christ, which that is something JWND, ah, Jesus would not do!

:)

Thanks Michael,
Jesus did all that needs be done!
I hate seeing him relegated to business slogans.

Gage Browning
Post Tenebras Lux

you're welcome.

Michael,

To be fair, the WWJD isn't promoting being a false Christ or to "do what He did". If that were the case then the bracelet would read WDJD. However, I personally don't subscribe to the mantra of WWJD. I believe in becoming the type of person that naturally does the things that He did.

By the way, I believe we can do what He did as long as He is the one doing it through us.

Rob,
To what degree do you believe that we can do what he did through the power of the Spirit. I'm asking that because I'm thinking of the Apostle Paul in Romans 7 struggling with doing what he should do and struggling with doing what he shouldn't be doing. So the question is one of degrees. So to what extent can we do those things?

Gage Browning
Post Tenebras Lux

Gage,

I think it is different to talk about what Paul failed to do as opposed to what Paul was able to do (through Christ only of course). It seems like Michael immediately thought of things like atonement. That is obviously not what the WWJD movement was about. (Again, I'm no fan of the slogan)
In regard to what "we can do", I think the obvious place to start would be what we've been commanded to do. Of course, that in no way means that we will do everything we're commanded to as Paul admitted himself.
I think the purpose behind the WWJD slogan was to solve the very problem Paul was facing. But I think the slogan, while well intentioned, is a weak attempt at Christlikeness since it is external based. In fact, I think you could make a case that the reason Paul didn't do what he should was because he was trying to imitate Christ in his own power at times. But obviously, Paul was able to do great things enabled by Christ. Of course there is the familiar Philipians 4 passage

10But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity.

11Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am.

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need.

13I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

I think Paul was illustrating that he can do as Christ would have done because he learned contentment.

This quote by Major W. Ian Thomas echoes my feelings on this subject.

"Godliness is the direct and exclusive consequence of God's activity in man. Not the consequence of your capacity to imitate God, but the consequence of God's capacity to reproduce Himself in You! This is the nature of the mystery!"

Rob,

thank you for your insight.

My point seems to have not been clear and maybe missed?

I will make a bold assertion here and wait and see your response/s?

Jesus did nothing on His own. He only did what Our Heavenly Father did and He spoke only what He was told to speak. It was God that was doing everything then and in fact it now rests on God to continue what He started and finish it!

God was in Christ "reconciling the world to "Himself". He is still doing that through Christ in us now if we will only let Him.

We on the other hand are to wait at His Righteous Right Hand until He makes our enemies a footstool for our feet.

I wasn't addressing atonement persay when I was diddling around with acronyms, WWJD. I was pointing to what He was and is still doing. Whether from there, here or now back there, Jesus is always doing the Will of Our Heavenly Father! I believe Paul the Apostle sums it up best:::>

1Ti 3:16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

For Paul to write those words to Tim the Holy Ghost had to be speaking through him. He vindicated Him before Our Heavenly Father.

Those folks that started the WWJD deal missed it entirely as I see it from where I sit. Their focus was and continues to be on LOOK AT ME.

I was and for some strange reason even still am a LOOK AT ME. Hence, that's why I post in here! :)

I do agree with you though, slightly, on everything you put forth.

Proof texts then:

Act 2:34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, "'The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand,
Act 2:35 until I make your enemies your footstool.'
Act 2:36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified."

and

Rom 16:20 The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

Now as for "doing". Here is where I rest my head:::>

Php 4:9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me--practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

So it does indeed seem to me that our strongest is when we find the Word and agree together about it, yes?

Michael,

I'm a bit confused in trying to reconcile your two posts. In the first one you said "Jesus would do and does do what none of us could do so repent and believe the Gospel!"

I would think his atoning work would fit your description. I agree that our response should simply be to repent and believe.

In your 2nd post you emphasized that Jesus did nothing on his own. I take you to mean that Jesus submitted to the Father's will.

I just think the language we use gets a little convoluted at times. I wouldn't go as far as saying that Jesus did nothing on his own, but Jesus' will as it played out was the Father's will.
I don't think we should split hairs over the word "doing". When it gets down to it, a disciple should do what Christ would do in any given situation because that is what a disciple is supposed to be learning. If Christ learned obedience as we see in Romans 5:8, then certainly we should as well.

Yes Rob, well said again.

I apologize if my convolution is confusing.

You did touch on something that I want to point to by the Words of Jesus Himself seeing some part of what we are discussing does go to the heart of the WWJD issue I raised as a way of wading into the field of play Gage opened up herein.

Here is one place of attribution to Christ solely on His own accord, and for me is the seat of His authority, of which He indeed laid aside or laid down however you want to say it? It is a significant point to iterate now:::>

Joh 10:14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me,
Joh 10:15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Joh 10:16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Joh 10:17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again.
Joh 10:18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father."

There are just not that many places in all of Eternity where this point is carried so powerfully as it does here and those Words of Jesus, where, rarely, He attributes His own Eternal Life to Himself solely apart from God Our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost. I hope the significance of the Holy Ghost "vindicating" Him before God Almighty is clear? Afterall, it is Their covenant with each other that saves us and gives us hope to be a part of the Wife of the Lamb! Wow!!

Well, enough said, unless you want to go further into it?

Thanks again for addressing my two posts!

Again, the confusion may ly in that the first post was addressing Gage and the second, you, I don't know?

Oh yeah, Rob,

I wanted to make this point to these words of yours in the last post so I will do it here:::> Rob:"In your 2nd post you emphasized that Jesus did nothing on his own. I take you to mean that Jesus submitted to the Father's will."

Jesus as well "submitted" to His "own" Will and to the Holy Ghost's too!

Here is a verse that I believe rarely is attributed to this subject matter:::>

Act 13:1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
Act 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."
Act 13:3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Act 13:4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

Now, here clearly we would attribute this verse to Jesus' Will in this mutual covenant Work of Redemption for the salvation of God's Elect:::>

Act 16:7 And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them.

Well, in hindsight, in fact, verse 6 is also an excellent attribution, side by side to both, the Holy Ghost's and Jesus' Will being clearly seen:::>

Act 16:6 And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.