WATCH YOUR STEP! -- Devotional for August 27, from "Good Seeds"

Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin. (I Peter 2:21-24)

The premise of a widely read and much beloved novel came from this Scripture. The key players in the story are an odd collection of people from various walks of life. Though each has his own unique problems, a common denominator is introduced in the pastor of the local church, and the suggestion he makes to each: “For one year conduct you business and face your problems the way you imagine Jesus would if He were here now.” The title of this book, In His Steps, comes straight from I Peter 2:21. But with it, unfortunately, comes a questionable theology. A similar sentiment, stated in question form, has more recently found a presence in the jewelry, refrigerator magnets, posters and youth group pep talks of today's Christian community: WWJD, “What Would Jesus Do?” It’s a good question, as is that pastor's challenge to speak and act as Jesus would. The danger comes if some take this to mean that as long as we try hard to be like Jesus, He will be pleased with our efforts and welcome us into His kingdom. That is not at all what the gospel teaches! If the perfect law of God presents the standard of behavior required for fellowship with Him, how much more does the perfect Son of God set the bar so high we must relinquish any hope of reaching it! And yet there is good gospel in this passage, gospel for the one who already has confessed his hopeless condition to God, and then has placed his faith in the finished work of Christ. Once that is settled, we can take a fresh look at the perfect life of Christ, and find great gain in it. Verse 22 says Jesus “committed no sin.” Even though in this life we will never be sinless, as we grow in grace we certainly can and should sin less! We can walk in His steps by seeking a CHARACTER OF HOLINESS. Verse 23 says that when Jesus suffered at the hands of sinners, He did not respond in kind, but responded to mistreatment with a MOTIVE OF LOVE. And He will empower us to do the same. Finally, Jesus went to the cross. Surely we cannot walk in His steps to such an extreme, and we could never die for someone else’s sins! But the cross had a meaning to Christ which applies equally to us: it was a sign of His obedience. We follow in His steps when we also live an obedient life. May our ACTS OF OBEDIENCE point the way to Jesus to those who are watching us, and “wondering where the hope they see in us comes from” (I Peter 3:15).