What would Jesus do?

(James Smith, "A Purifying Hope" 1865)

"And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself — just as He is pure." 1 John 3:3

The model after which the hopeful believer works, is Jesus — "just as He is pure." Jesus is presented as . . .
  our pattern which we are to copy,
  our example which we are to imitate,
  our copy after which we are to write, and
  the standard which we are to endeavor to reach.

No believer can look at the life of Jesus — without approving that life in his judgment. Nor can he be under the influence of grace — without admiring that life, and desiring to be conformed to it. 

He would never ask, "What do others do?" But he asks himself, "What would Jesus do? How would Jesus act in this case? What would Jesus say under such circumstances?" And then he earnestly desires, heartily prays, and energetically endeavors to do — as he believes Jesus would do. This course corrects many evils, prevents many failures, stimulates him constantly to deny himself, and raises him to a pitch of purity and spirituality, which he would not otherwise attain.

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