WWJD

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"You were a forgiving God, but You punished them when they went wrong" (Psa 99:8)


Conscience is a matchless gift from God. It is His lamp to search all the inner depths of our hearts (Prov20:27). It is sometimes called the "spirit of man" (1 Cor 2:11a). A sharp conscience is an inestimable asset for character building. The conscience must be trained to love what's right with perfect love and hate what's wrong with perfect hatred. It's easier to love good than to hate evil. If we choose the easier one and ignore the other, we will become popular with men but won't please God. If we love good and hate evil equally, we will earn the smile of God as well as the sneer of the devil (Heb 1:9). Only when we keep our conscience clear, we will not mix up black and white (Isa 5:20).

Any Christian who is serious about changing his carnal nature into spiritual-mindedness ought to study the Sermon on the Mount diligently (Matthew 5-7). This is the Magna Carta of the Kingdom of God. No better sermon has been ever preached to present the Kingdom values. This Sermon is the Highway of Holiness. Its intense practicality is never outdated. Memorizing this Sermon and frequent meditation of the same will load our minds with virtues (Phil 4:8). These virtues will then manifest in our words and deeds. Whatever is in our hearts determines what we say or do (Lk 6:45). Jesus lived out the Sermon on the Mount to the minutest detail.

I believe that Paul's thumbrule in any situation was WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?) Whenever there was the slightest deviation he would withdraw himself and say, "We have not so learned Christ!" (Eph 4:20). Sermons from the four Gospels these days are mostly on the miracles of Christ rather than His manner of life. We want to experience His power without following His pattern. This explains the hollowness in our ministries. Holiness is nothing more or less than Christlikeness. The one who occupies himself with the study of the life of Christ is sure to become like Him.

A "willing spirit" that is not strengthened by prayer cannot prevent the "weak flesh" falling into sin. Watchfulness in prayer means carrying the spirit of prayer throughout the day by being conscious of the presence of God with us. Our sense of sin is in proportion to our nearness to God (Isa 6:1-5).


Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
                            (William Longstaff, 1822-1894)

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