W.W.J.D.

“But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did.” 1 John 2:5-6
In the first two chapters of John’s first epistle, he makes many statements about claims that people might make, and how these should be evident in their lives (but sometimes are not). If we claim to know Him, we must walk in the light (1 John 1:6-7). If we claim we have never sinned, we are lying; but if we acknowledge our sin we will find forgiveness (1 John 1:8-10). If we claim to know God, we must not continue to live in sin (1 John 2:3-4). If we claim to live in Christ, we must walk in obedience to God, as Jesus did (1 John 2:5-6). If we claim to be in the light of God’s truth, we must love our fellow man (1 John 2:9-11).
In the mid-1990s it became fashionable in the Christian youth community to wear a bracelet with the letters ‘W.W.J.D.’ written on it, standing for ‘What would Jesus do?’. Although it’s become a cliche in some circles, and ripped off by Christians and non-Christians alike (‘Who was John Denver’, ‘What would Jesus drive’), the notion of constantly asking yourself, ‘what would Jesus do in this situation?’ does have Scriptural basis, as we find in today’s verse. How did Jesus walk? We can look at specific examples in the gospels; but more than that, we can look to the principles by which He lived. The primary principle is this: complete obedience to the Father’s will and to the Word of God. This should be what we are aspiring to.