  right|thumb|200px|a w.w.j.d. bracelet the phrase "what would jesus do?" (often abbreviated to wwjd) became popular in the united states in the 1990s and as a personal motto for adherents of evangelical christianity who used the phrase as a reminder of their belief in a moral imperative to act in a manner that would demonstrate the love of jesus through the actions of the adherents. in popular consciousness, the acronym signifying the questionâwwjdâis associated with a type of bracelet or wristband which became a popular accessory for members of christian youth groups in the 1990s. ==history== ===early protestantism===  protestant theology since the 18th century had been divided in its interpretation of justification by free grace. john wesley in 1766 postulated the concept of christian perfection, a moment in the life of a christian at which the regeneration effectuated by the holy spirit results in a "perfection in love" which means that at least at that moment one is being motivated wholly by love of god and neighbor, with no taint of sin or ulterior motives in effect. while such christian perfection is expressed in outward action, it is also the effect of grace. indeed, wesley could speak of sanctification by faith as an analogous doctrine to the more widely held belief in justification by faith. because christian perfection is also visible in outward good works and a rigorously moral lifestyle, adherents of the holiness movement assumed that a perfectly moral lifestyle is a consequence (not the cause) of the state of grace and ultimate salvation. ===1896 novel=== charles sheldon's 1896 book, in his steps was subtitled "what would jesus do?"sheldon, c. (1896). in his steps. first published by the chicago advance in serial form. sheldon's novel grew out of a series of sermons he delivered in his congregationalist church in topeka, kansas. unlike the previous nuances mentioned above, sheldon's theology was shaped by a commitment to christian socialism. the ethos of sheldon's approach to the christian life was expressed in this phrase "what would jesus do", with jesus being a moral example as well as a saviour figure.[http:/
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