The Golden Rule
Jesus did not come to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved. Then when we receive salvation, In him we live and move and have our being. The first beatitude is about humility… to approach God’s throne of grace forsaking myself and coming unto him realizing that I am poor in spirit. The first unilateral term of God’s salvation is to deny myself in order to approach his throne of grace with empty hands.
Jesus said in Matthew 7, judge not lest ye be not judged. The same standard you use to judge others will be the same standard by which you yourself will be judged. If you correct someone, then you need to see clearly… if you’re judging others by your own self righteous standard, then you cannot see the sin in others… the sin of judging others blinds your eyes so that you cannot help your brother. To help him, first “yank the plank” of judgementalism out of your own eye. Then you can see clearly to correct your brother from a heart of love.
Then Jesus said, “as ye would that men should do unto you, do ye also to them.” This “golden rule” manifests the love of God by showing others God’s grace… From Christ’s heart behind our heart, to love others as God has loved us.
Why is there strife and contention in this world? Why will there always be wars and rumors of wars? The devil’s ploy is to divide and conquer…. He pits factions against factions. He divides our hearts and minds into warring camps.. His purpose is to separate people as enemies to fight against each other. The devil is the thief who comes to steal, kill, and destroy. His ultimate purpose is to separate our hearts from God’s heart.
Where there is striving, there is confusion and every evil work. What is the solution to strife and contention? Contrary to popular opinion, peace is not the absence of war. Instead, peace is the result of the unity of the spirit in the bond of Peace. There is no peace without the prince of Peace. Jesus said, my peace I leave with you, not as the world giveth give I unto you….. God’s heavenly wisdom is opposite from the world’s wisdom. James 3:18-19 says, But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
With the heart of Christ in us, we love others because we love God above all. When the love of God motivates our actions, we can do unto others as we would have them do unto us. The love of God will quell the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. When we turn our eyes upon Jesus, the darkness of the god of self is overcome with the light of Christ.
However, the kingdom of self is heavily defended territory. The god of this world focuses on self sufficiency, self reliance, self aggrandizement and selfish self love. To counter the god of self, Love God above all. This is the first and great commandment…. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, soul, mind and strength. The first of the Ten Commandments says, “Thou shalt have no other gods between your face and my face.” Then when we have our vertical relationship in alignment with our Heavenly Father, we can love others. Jesus Christ is the one who reconciles…. Who connects our heart with God’s heart. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
In Christ there is God’s justice balanced by mercy and grace. The mercy of God is by Jesus Christ’s payment for sin on our behalf. The grace of God is the result of the love of God. Without God’s grace every earthly relationship is laden with “irreconcilable differences.” Only Jesus Christ is the one who can reconcile. Only he can bring back together that which has been separated…. For he who was without sin became the perfect sacrifice for sin on our behalf that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. To reconcile with others, we must first be reconciled with God through the prince of Peace. Ephesians 2 says, Jesus Christ has broken down the middle wall that separates us from God, and makes of Twain, one new man.
When we realize what God has done in our salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, then we have no problem forgiving others and loving them with God’s unconditional love. For in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for the ungodly.
By grace we are thankful for what God did through his son’s sacrifice on our behalf. Thankfulness and grace are the same Greek root word. Both are the result of the gift of God…. His Holy Spirit.
When two people realize that they cannot fix each other and come to the end of their ropes, then their last alternative is to give the other party to God. Only then can God can reconcile their hearts together in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
After Peter had betrayed Jesus the third time, the cock crowed and Jesus and Peter locked eyes…. Peter in guilt and shame, ran off and wept bitterly. A broken and a contrite heart God will not forsake. To come to the Lord with meekness and humility, our prideful heart must be broken. Then God can by his mercy and grace pick up the threads of our broken hearts and weave them together again. God will cleanse our hearts and our lives by the precious innocent blood of the lamb of God.
The golden rule starts in the home…. A wise man once said, the best way to love your children is to love your wife. Our first mission field is in our own minds and then in our own homes. In loving God, love your wife and children. The love of God is unconditional… it is not dependent on the response of the other party. Therefore, above all things, put on charity… the love of God which is the bond of perfectness. That we may live in the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace…
… to the praise of the glory of His grace!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael
