by: Denny

   W.W.J.D. was an acronym that became very popular among Christians in the 1990’s. It stood for “What Would Jesus Do”. It was supposed to cause people to pause and contemplate how Jesus would respond or react in any situation and move people to do the same. It appeared on everything imaginable from bumper stickers, T shirts, hats, jewelry, billboards, coffee cups, pens, key fobs, tattoos, Bible covers, and the list continues. For some it may have been a way to let people know they were Christians, like a secret handshake. Before that, in the 1960’s and later, cross necklaces, pins, and other cross jewelry was very popular too. In many circumstances it may have been the ice breaker that enabled many to share their testimony, personal faith in Christ, and the good news of the Gospel. Many pastors even used W.W.J.D. as a Sunday sermon. I may be splitting hairs, but I always thought it should have been W.D.J.D. standing for “What Did Jesus Do”. I’ve noticed lately a gradual drifting away from the real Jesus found in the Bible. I wonder how many professing Christians actually are true believers who read God’s word on a regular basis asking the Holy Spirit for revelation to understand the truths therein. It is the Holy Spirit who gives life to the words Jesus spoke. (John 6:63) Jesus referred to Him as the Spirit of Truth who would guide believers into all truth, declare Jesus, and testify of Him. (John 15:26, 16:13-14) Reading or hearing the Word of God even with understanding is an exercise in futility and leads to self-deception unless you become a doer of it as stated in James 1:22.

   Herein lies the danger in my opinion with W.W.J.D. The Apostle Paul in writing to the Galatian churches expressed deep concern that the gospel they had received from him was being perverted and distorted by some. Whenever there is a different gospel there is a different Jesus, or worse yet, no Jesus at all. By comparison, many today are following a different Jesus and preaching a different gospel than what the Bible declares. They pick and choose selected truths from the Word of God and twist them to justify and fit the socially accepted norm of today’s culture. Their Jesus is all loving, all inclusive, and never confrontational regarding sin and calling people to repentance. They believe that by loving and accepting everyone that somehow, maybe by osmosis, they will want to become Christians. They have redefined sin in some cases by calling it an “alternate lifestyle” or a “matter of choice”, such as in abortion. How interesting that in their minds some sins aren’t sins at all, but simply a “coming out” and being free to express their inner selves as they hypothetically suppose God created them to be. They are fawned over for having the courage to do so, especially by the media and Hollywood elite. In America you’re free to be whatever you want, just don’t force or expect everyone else to accept it as normal, or ever forget those with true guts and courage who fought and died to give you that right. It’s a different Jesus they follow when they can’t accept what the Bible calls sin. They misrepresent truth, mishandle grace, and call it love. They even go so far as to celebrate, reinforce, and legitimize those practicing these things by having and attending their pride parades or rallies. They need to read Romans 1: 24-32 with the same open mind they claim to have. Many denominations and churches have rolled out the welcome mat and opened their pulpits with extended arms to allow these and like-minded people to become ministers and teachers, because that’s “What Their Jesus Would Do”. Besides, who wants to be labeled a bigot or called narrow minded, right? Those who won’t stand for truth will fall for lies. If Jesus drove out those who were buying and selling merchandise in the temple with a whip, what do you think He will do with the aforementioned. It’s in the Bible, read it and weep. It should scare the Bajeebies out of you.

    So now we have a new popular saying: “We love the sinner, but we hate the sin.” Although this isn’t a specific Bible verse, the basic principle can be found in the Old and New Testaments, both in the way God treats us and how we are to treat others. As with all scripture there is a proper balance that must be applied and adhered to. If you interpret or filter the Bible through your own opinions, personal values, and feelings, you will derail and jump off the track, if you get my drift. Furthermore, you will conclude rightly that God is not fair, and in fact He isn’t. The Bible declares that He is just and righteous in everything He does. Fairness is a concept that Satan sold to mankind to justify himself and excuse his sin and that of others. A perfect example is found in Matthew 20:1-16 when Jesus told the parable of the laborers. Some may claim that if God is so loving, why will He send people to Hell? That’s not fair! The truth is as spoken by Jesus and written in John 3: 16-20. Everyone is born under the condemnation of sin and unless they turn away from their sin by accepting Christ as savior and repenting, the path they’re already on has Hell as it’s destination. That’s a matter of their choice, not God’s.

    Picture in your mind Lady Justice holding the scales that had a fulcrum point with two plates of equal weight suspended by small chains on each side. Now on one plate put “We love the sinner” and on the other plate place “But we hate the sin”. In your life are they equally balanced or is one side heavier than the other? Do you love the sinner so much that you never present the truth of the gospel to them which can free them from sin? Is that true love? I guess it all boils down to how you define love and sin, doesn’t it? The Apostle Paul had to deal with this very issue in the Corinthian church. (1 Corinthians 5: 1-5) A professing Christian man was involved in sexual immorality. The church knew about it, allowed it to continue, and did nothing to address it. Paul’s way of “Loving the sinner but hating the sin” was to remove him from the church and fellowship. He even went a step further and delivered him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit would be saved. In today’s church world that would be unheard of and met with much ridicule, resistance, and opposition against Paul. I’ve been there and done that. What’s the church become when it no longer weeps over sin in its midst? Evidently Paul’s actions were justified, proven right and effective because at some point the man repented and asked for forgiveness. He later wrote in 2 Corinthians 2: 5-11 that the man should be forgiven, welcomed back, and fully restored into fellowship so that he wouldn’t be overcome with too much sorrow.

    I probably should have made a disclaimer at the beginning of this writing saying it may upset some people. I make no apologies for stating the truth, but only quote another saying: “If you’re right, then why are you uptight”. You may have already formed the opinion of me that I’m just another hard-nosed Bible-thumping wacked-out Christian who hates sinners. Not true. This post is more an indictment against those churches and individuals who know what truth is yet refuse to obey it. To use an analogy, the church is supposed to be a hospital for sinners, not a museum for saints. It should be a place of healing, forgiveness, restoration, and hope for the one who seeks help and deliverance; where the anointing, love, abiding presence, and light of God shines bright. However, when sin is coddled, her light will dim, her vision will become blurred, and she will have lost her way. The highway is narrowing and soon you won’t be able to drive half on the road and half on the shoulder if you get my drift.