What Did Jesus Do? (How do we respond to bullies?)

Recently in a discussion regarding bullying the question was asked, “What would Jesus do?”  Yes, it is good to know what Jesus would do in response to various things in life we face, but in this situation we don’t have to ask the question WWJD, but rather WDJD (What Did Jesus Do?).  Jesus gave us a pattern to follow when it comes to responding to those who do us wrong.

 It was prophesied over 400 years ahead of time.

Isaiah 53:5–7 (NKJV) ⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. ⁶All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. ⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He opened not His mouth; He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth.

Then it was confirmed by eye witness account under the direction of the Holy Spirit.

1 Peter 2:21–24 (NKJV) ²¹For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ²²“Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; ²³who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed.

If we answer the question, “How does God want us to respond?”  Peter tells us in

1 Peter 3:8–12 (NKJV) ⁸Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; ⁹not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. ¹⁰For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. ¹¹Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. ¹²For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”

This is pretty amazing considering this is the guy Jesus had to tell to put away his sword.  (cf. Mt. 26:52)  His life and outlook had totally changed once he saw the risen Christ and was indwelled by the Holy Spirit!

Competent to Counsel

In Romans 15:14 Paul commended the Romans by saying, “Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another. (NKJV)”  The final thing mentioned here is the Romans’ being “able to admonish” or some might translate it “competent to counsel.”   The word “admonish” comes from the Greek word “noutheteo” and carries the idea of warning, encouraging, or advising.  It is a comprehensive word for counseling and involves believers coming alongside other believers for spiritual and moral counseling.  This is not a gift or a job of just the clergy but it was the members of the Roman church that were being commended for this and it is the responsibility of every believer.

This is what John MacArthur has to say regarding this subject,

“Tragically, many Christians today have been convinced that competent counseling can only be accomplished by a person who is trained in the principles of secular psychology—despite the fact that the various schools of psychology are, for the most part, at extreme odds with God’s Word and frequently with each other. Although they may profess that “all Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness” (2 Tim. 3:16), many evangelicals—both those who give and those who receive counseling—do not rely on the full sufficiency of God’s Word.

There is no such thing as a psychological problem. All personal problems are either spiritual or physical. Anyone who suggests that so-called psychological problems can exist apart from or between those two realms of human existence does not understand either the nature of man and the power of sin or the nature and power of God’s Word and Spirit.^[1]

With him, I whole-heartedly agree.  In modern psychology individuals are often given a title that they are then stuck with for life.  If one searches the scriptures for these behaviors rather than finding a sickness that I will be stuck with for the rest of my life we find “sin”.  Though taking on the title of a sinner is not pleasant it is not permanent in that Jesus Christ paid the price for sin and for all those who recognize their sin and trust in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross to pay the atonement for their sin there is victory.

God gives us two tools to help in this, first the Holy Spirit who indwells all who put their faith in Christ and the Scriptures.  Hebrews 4:12-13 “The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints and marrow and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”  In “Nouthetic” counseling we apply Scripture to problems and challenge people to be honest about their sin so that they confess it and forsake it.  This is when one is freed from the bondage of sin and is able to live the life that God intends them to live.

One who is given a title by a psychologist may be helped to get by in life to the point that they do not cause difficulty in their family or in their neighborhood.  In other words they are helped to “survive”.   But Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly.”  He doesn’t want us just to survive, He wants us to THRIVE!

If you are tired of just surviving, a constant struggle with your own life or with your children and you desire to have a life that is thriving let one of us sit down with you and show you the freedom that you can have in Christ Jesus.  For more information see: www.fbclittletonil.org

---

^[1] John F. MacArthur, Jr., Romans, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1991).

A Clear Conscience

Paul’s testimony in Acts 24:16 was that he “always strived to have a conscience void of offense before God and men.”  What a statement!  What a goal!  We should all desire to have a clear conscience before God and men.

What we must realize is that there is a difference between having a “clear conscience” before God and having a “seared conscience.”  Although they are similar in that individuals with a clear conscience and a seared conscience both go through life without “feelings” of guilt, yet they don’t both go through life without “genuine guilt”.  I Timothy 4:2 speaks of men who “depart from the faith”, give heed to deception and wrong doctrine, “speak lies”, and have a “conscience seared with a hot iron.”  Individuals with a “seared conscience” don’t feel guilty but indeed they are guilty.   An individual gets a seared conscience when they fail to heed to their own God given ideas of right and wrong, they refuse to listen to principles of Scripture, and though at one point they may have “felt” guilty doing a certain practice such as lying they ignored that “feeling” so long that there is no longer any “feeling” of guilt at all.  This is a dangerous position to find oneself in, that one can sin without any “feeling” of guilt.

One who has a “clear conscience” has been brought under the convicting power of the Holy Spirit.  In John 16:9, Jesus told us that He would send the Holy Spirit to convict of “sin, righteousness, and judgment”.  This conviction takes place as one submits to the Word of God.  It should take place in our personal Bible study times as well as in the public teaching of the Word of God whether in corporate worship or small group.  That is why we as pastors have such a responsibility to Expository preaching and teaching.  (Expository teaching works to expose the meaning <God’s Message> of the original author to the original recipients then apply it to our present day lives.)

One then with a clear conscience before God must confess their sin (I John 1:9) as the Holy Spirit through the Word of God brings conviction.  They must then choose to daily moment by moment strive to follow their conscience and the Holy Spirit as they apply Biblical principles to their everyday lives.

Both those with a “clear conscience” and a “seared conscience” have dealt with their “feelings” of guilt.

The individual with a “seared conscience” has ignored the “feelings” until they are no more leaving the guilt and the broken relationship with God.

The individual with a “clear conscience” confesses that sin asking forgiveness believing that the blood of Jesus Christ is the only sufficient remedy for it.  Then not only confessing the sin but they also repent – they forsake the sin, so not only are the “feelings” of guilt gone but the guilt itself is gone too!

My prayer is that all reading this may be able to say I have a “clear conscience” before God, my guilt is gone because my sin has been dealt with not ignored!  If you have any questions more information can be found at www.fbclittletonil.org .