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Wednesday, October 22, 2025

The Golden Rule

Jesus is considered by many a "good moral teacher." Even those who don't believe in His miracles, His death and resurrection, His deity, etc. still say, "Well, He was a good moral teacher." So it seems like most of the world recognizes the morality of "Do unto others as you would have them do to you" (Matt 7:12). It just makes sense.

Here's the funny thing. We almost always state it or think of it in a negative sense. "Don't do to others what you don't want them to do to you." You know, "How would you feel if someone did that to you? Don't do it then." That's certainly a good rule of thumb, but that's not what He said. He stated it as a positive. "Do to others what you want them to do to you." Look for things you like and do that ... to others.

Paul says, "We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them" (Eph 2:10). Here's a good first step of "good works" that we should walk in. Figure out what you like done to you ... and do it to them. In a proactive way. Because ... Jesus said to.

3 comments:

David said...

We probably remember it the wrong way because we are still all children needing to be told not to be selfish and mean.

Lorna said...

“Treat others as you wish to be treated” has become the foundational principle guiding every “decent person” as well as any civil society; it inspires everything from basic etiquette to international diplomacy. The standards for decency, consideration, and respect will differ a bit from group to group, with some guiding moralities being more honorable and righteous than others (and there must also be parameters for proper expression of this basic principle). When God’s truth does not inform these standards and parameters, Man’s depraved nature will rule--with a godless society being the devastating result. As a Christian, I view “the Golden Rule” to mean everything from, at minimum, extending common courtesy and grace to others to, at maximum, laying down one’s life for another. As you say, Jesus’s directive was proactive, and the Holy Spirit in us will spur us on to good works--with the impetus being love for others, in the spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.

Craig said...

It's amazing to me when I see those who base their entire moral code on the "Golden Rule", and then watch how they actually treat others. It's almost like an invitation to treat them as they treat you.

Which isn't the intent.