Think it's just a nice little rule to live by? Think again.
Matthew 7:12 “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
I have made several observations about this verse and hope I can put together some coherent thoughts for us all to meditate on.
1. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Loving God
One of the reasons God gave us the Ten Commandments, the Law, was to reveal God’s holiness and perfection. It is the standard of His righteousness and glory. And when we compare ourselves to His righteousness and glory as revealed in the Law, we see that we fall short of that glory. The Law shows us God and so does this Golden Rule--the Golden Law. It shows us that God has a high standard of love for others. God loves others. He loves us. He blesses us. He gives to us. And because this rule came from the mouth of Jesus, it teaches us about the nature of our Father. How wonderful our Father is.
2. We See The Law Which Sums Up The Old Testament
When Jesus says that all of the Law and Prophets are summed up in the Golden Rule, He means the moral Law. He does not mean everything the prophets said. The prophets spoke of the history of Israel and we cannot know that from the Golden Rule. The prophets foretold of coming destruction to unbelieving nations. We cannot know that through the Golden Rule. The prophets spoke of creation and we cannot know that in the Golden Rule. So when Jesus give us this rule that sums up the Law and Prophets, He must mean the rules for living they gave…the moral commands…the moral commands that show us the nature and holiness and righteousness and glory of God.
Now since the Old Testament is all about Christ and since the Law of God is all a reflection of God’s nature, then it must be that this golden command paints a wonderful portrait of Christ who is the perfect image of God. In other words, the commands, the Law and Prophets are writings that tell us of Jesus. So when Jesus speaks the Golden Rule, He is reinforcing the Old Testament, which reinforces that He is speaking about Himself, which reinforces that He came to show us the Father and bring us to salvation in order that we might be with Him.
Do you see how loving our Father is? He desires that we know Him. And so He is saying to us, “The Law and Prophets are about Christ…and this command sums up the Law and Prophets, and so this command tells us about Christ who is the image of the Father.
3. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Sin
We must see this Golden Rule for what it is. It is Law. It is a command. Why did God give us the Law? Why did God give us commands?
1. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Loving God
One of the reasons God gave us the Ten Commandments, the Law, was to reveal God’s holiness and perfection. It is the standard of His righteousness and glory. And when we compare ourselves to His righteousness and glory as revealed in the Law, we see that we fall short of that glory. The Law shows us God and so does this Golden Rule--the Golden Law. It shows us that God has a high standard of love for others. God loves others. He loves us. He blesses us. He gives to us. And because this rule came from the mouth of Jesus, it teaches us about the nature of our Father. How wonderful our Father is.
2. We See The Law Which Sums Up The Old Testament
When Jesus says that all of the Law and Prophets are summed up in the Golden Rule, He means the moral Law. He does not mean everything the prophets said. The prophets spoke of the history of Israel and we cannot know that from the Golden Rule. The prophets foretold of coming destruction to unbelieving nations. We cannot know that through the Golden Rule. The prophets spoke of creation and we cannot know that in the Golden Rule. So when Jesus give us this rule that sums up the Law and Prophets, He must mean the rules for living they gave…the moral commands…the moral commands that show us the nature and holiness and righteousness and glory of God.
Now since the Old Testament is all about Christ and since the Law of God is all a reflection of God’s nature, then it must be that this golden command paints a wonderful portrait of Christ who is the perfect image of God. In other words, the commands, the Law and Prophets are writings that tell us of Jesus. So when Jesus speaks the Golden Rule, He is reinforcing the Old Testament, which reinforces that He is speaking about Himself, which reinforces that He came to show us the Father and bring us to salvation in order that we might be with Him.
Do you see how loving our Father is? He desires that we know Him. And so He is saying to us, “The Law and Prophets are about Christ…and this command sums up the Law and Prophets, and so this command tells us about Christ who is the image of the Father.
3. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Sin
We must see this Golden Rule for what it is. It is Law. It is a command. Why did God give us the Law? Why did God give us commands?
Romans 3:20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.
God gave us the Law so that we would know how much we sin by disobeying the Law, which is a reflection of God’s character. In other words, the Law shows us God perfection. When we disobey the Law we see how far we are from God’s perfect holiness—His glory. 1 John defines sin as lawlessness. And Romans tells us that everyone has sinned—committed lawlessness—and fallen short of the glory of God. So this Law—this Golden Rule--damns us. The Golden Rule is not good news. Rather we are condemned by it. This Law is not good news for us. It is not a happy little rule that we go around following so that our life will be pleasant. We are to obey it! That much is certain. But the problem is that we don’t obey it…and therefore are guilty sinners before a holy God.
Seeing the Golden Rule for what it is, we then know that it has a certain function in the life of the sinner. It is to show the world their gross sin and hold them guilty before God without excuse.
Seeing the Golden Rule for what it is, we then know that it has a certain function in the life of the sinner. It is to show the world their gross sin and hold them guilty before God without excuse.
Romans 3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God.
Since the Law of God is written on the heart of every human being, mankind knows right from wrong and is therefore accountable to God for his violation of God’s law.
Romans 2:15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them.
And I dare say that there is a person alive that probably has never heard of this Golden Rule. Even those who do not profess to be believers in God or followers of Christ even know this rule, this law, this command. They themselves will even testify that it is a good rule to live by. Oddly enough, though they may agree with the Golden Rule, they may very well disagree with all of the Old Testament Law, which is summed up in the Golden Rule. And when they agree with the Golden Rule, they unknowingly agree with the rest of God’s moral Law. Again, the problem with mankind is that they don’t live by it. They break it and are condemned before a holy and just and righteous God.
May I encourage you to do this: when you are busy witnessing to others, use this very command to show them just how bad of a sinner they are. Let the command be a light to expose their darkness and wickedness. Now although this Golden Rules show us our filth and sin and condemnation before God, it also shows us our need for the Savior.
4. We See The Law Which Shows Us The Need For The Savior
One of the amazing thing about Scripture is that the Law reveals to us Christ’s nature in the form of commands. But Scripture also pits the Law and Christ against each other in certain ways.
May I encourage you to do this: when you are busy witnessing to others, use this very command to show them just how bad of a sinner they are. Let the command be a light to expose their darkness and wickedness. Now although this Golden Rules show us our filth and sin and condemnation before God, it also shows us our need for the Savior.
4. We See The Law Which Shows Us The Need For The Savior
One of the amazing thing about Scripture is that the Law reveals to us Christ’s nature in the form of commands. But Scripture also pits the Law and Christ against each other in certain ways.
Galatians 2:16 yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
A person is not justified or saved by obeying the Law. And since the Law equals the nature of God and the nature of Christ, it is safe to say that no one is saved by imitating Christ. If following in the way of Christ equaled salvation, then we’d all be eternally damned ecause we don’t act like Christ…we don’t obey the Law. And because we don’t act like Christ, and we don’t obey the Law, we need a Savior. That Savior is Christ. He saves us, not by our trying to be like Him, but by our trusting in Him as we turn from sin. The Law shows us Christ, shows us that we cannot be like Him, but show us that we need Him nevertheless.
The Law is not bad, for it shows us Christ. We are bad for not being like Christ. We stand condemned before God and need Christ to save us from our inability to be like Him. And so God says, instead of trying to earn salvation by being like Christ or obeying the Law, instead, trust in Christ.
The Law is not bad, for it shows us Christ. We are bad for not being like Christ. We stand condemned before God and need Christ to save us from our inability to be like Him. And so God says, instead of trying to earn salvation by being like Christ or obeying the Law, instead, trust in Christ.
Galatians 3:24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.
The Law was your guardian until Christ came. That means that the Law has a good function. Guardians are there to let you know when you’re doing wrong. They are there to instruct you until you come of age. They’re also there to watch over your life. And that is what the Law does. It shows you your sin and shows you the need for Christ. It ensures that you have life in Christ by directing you to Him.
1 Timothy 1:8-11 Now we know that the law is good, if one uses it lawfully, 9 understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, 10 the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.
The Law if for who? Sinners. The lawless. It is for anyone who lives contrary or against the gospel. It is for unbelievers. That is how we use the Law in a good way. We use it to show them that they are not saved…not yet affected by the gospel. If the Law is for sinners, then Christ also is for sinners.
1 Timothy 1:15-17 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost. 16 But I received mercy for this reason, that in me, as the foremost, Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who were to believe in him for eternal life. 17 To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.
Christ came into the world to save lawbreakers…sinners. Paul said, “I’m the worst of sinners. I sin more than anyone and Christ saved me.” Why? For what reason? That the patience of Christ might be known. One reason God saves people is so that we’ll praise God and say, “Thank you for being so patient towards me. Thank you for not striking me dead when I lied, lusted, stole, disobeyed my parents, coveted. Praise be to God. Glory and honor belong to Him forever and ever.”
And for those of us that believe that Christ died in our place, was buried and rose again the third day, we have the promise of life with God who dwells in us by His Spirit. As God’s children, we are being transformed to look more and more like Christ. This means that as God’s children, we are being transformed into people who are getting better at keeping the Law which displays the glory of God in Christ. So that is why Christ gives this command to us to obey. For the sinner it condemns…for God’s children it displays the glory of the Father.
5. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Duty
The statement is not, “Do to others what they want you to do to them?” That is not the same things as “Do to others as you would want them to do to you?” The statement is not “Do not do to others what you would not want them to do you.” That is actually how various religious had promoted this rule before Jesus came teaching at preaching. It was in the form of a negative. Do not do to them what you would not want them to do to you. Jesus transformed this and said, “Do to others as you would want them to do to you?” There is a world of difference. You can obey one by simply never interacting with people. Jesus’ rule demands that we interact with others and not look the other way when they are in need.
And so I present to you a few examples of how you can perform this duty towards others and display God’s glory. When you wrong others, don’t you want them to forgive you? Then forgive them. When you are hurting financially, don’t you wish others would give to you? Then give to others. If you were dying and going to hell, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you of Christ who saves? Then tell others. Don’t you wish your parents had taught you more of Christ and disciplined you better? Then do that for your children.
You see, to not do these things, is to disobey Christ. To not do these things is to be a Pharisee who loves to practice religion but not to the point where it affects your actions towards those in the church and those outside. You can’t obey this command if you aren’t witnessing, if you aren’t parenting right, if you aren’t giving, if you are forgiving, if you aren’t gentle with your speech, if you aren’t helpful, if you aren’t patient. Obedience to this command requires actively doing good. And to know what is good to do and not do it, according to Scripture is sin. So go out today and sin no more.
Now this is why the Golden Rule is so golden. It shows us the nature of God. It sums up the Old Testament of Christ. It shows us our sin. It shows us our need for the Savior. It shows us our duty to display the glory of God in obeying the command.
And for those of us that believe that Christ died in our place, was buried and rose again the third day, we have the promise of life with God who dwells in us by His Spirit. As God’s children, we are being transformed to look more and more like Christ. This means that as God’s children, we are being transformed into people who are getting better at keeping the Law which displays the glory of God in Christ. So that is why Christ gives this command to us to obey. For the sinner it condemns…for God’s children it displays the glory of the Father.
5. We See The Law Which Shows Us Our Duty
The statement is not, “Do to others what they want you to do to them?” That is not the same things as “Do to others as you would want them to do to you?” The statement is not “Do not do to others what you would not want them to do you.” That is actually how various religious had promoted this rule before Jesus came teaching at preaching. It was in the form of a negative. Do not do to them what you would not want them to do to you. Jesus transformed this and said, “Do to others as you would want them to do to you?” There is a world of difference. You can obey one by simply never interacting with people. Jesus’ rule demands that we interact with others and not look the other way when they are in need.
And so I present to you a few examples of how you can perform this duty towards others and display God’s glory. When you wrong others, don’t you want them to forgive you? Then forgive them. When you are hurting financially, don’t you wish others would give to you? Then give to others. If you were dying and going to hell, wouldn’t you want someone to tell you of Christ who saves? Then tell others. Don’t you wish your parents had taught you more of Christ and disciplined you better? Then do that for your children.
You see, to not do these things, is to disobey Christ. To not do these things is to be a Pharisee who loves to practice religion but not to the point where it affects your actions towards those in the church and those outside. You can’t obey this command if you aren’t witnessing, if you aren’t parenting right, if you aren’t giving, if you are forgiving, if you aren’t gentle with your speech, if you aren’t helpful, if you aren’t patient. Obedience to this command requires actively doing good. And to know what is good to do and not do it, according to Scripture is sin. So go out today and sin no more.
Now this is why the Golden Rule is so golden. It shows us the nature of God. It sums up the Old Testament of Christ. It shows us our sin. It shows us our need for the Savior. It shows us our duty to display the glory of God in obeying the command.
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