Grace For The Journey

Studies have shown that the happiest people in the world are those who invest their time in helping others. How happy are you?  The Bible says in Matthew 7:12, “In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”  These words from our Lord Jesus Christ’s powerful Sermon on the Mount are frequently referred to as “The Golden Rule.”  This teaching of our Lord is rooted in the Old Testament, which makes perfect sense seeing that the Bible is . . .

ONE WORD

from

ONE GOD

to

ONE PEOPLE

More than 1,500 years earlier, the Sovereign Lord had instructed the people of Israel in Leviticus 19:18, 34, “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord. . . . The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord your God.”

So, what exactly is this Golden Rule all about?

As an authoritative standard,

The Golden Rule is above

All other rules

In both prominence and purity.

It is designed to govern

Our conduct and to grow

Our capacity to bring ultimate glory to God

And incredible good to others.

I have heard it said that Jesus was not really teaching anything new here; that all religions teach basically the same principle, since at the core (it is said) all religions are fundamentally the same.

Is that notion true? Let’s take a look:

Hindu Religion – “This is the sum of duty: do nothing to others which if it were done to you, would cause you pain.”

Buddhist Religion – “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.”

Muslim Religion – “No one of you is a believer until he desires for his brother that which he desires for himself.”

Jewish Traditions (Talmud) – “What is hateful to you, do not to your fellow man. That is the entire Law; all the rest is commentary.”

Confucianism – “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

To be sure, these are all good rules to follow, but . . .

Can you see a major difference:

All these other religious rules

Are primarily negative – Do not do

While Christ’s Golden Rule

Is positive and proactive – Do!

Jesus is calling us to live a life of joyful, intentional, acts of voluntary service.

Living out the Golden Rule tells the world Whose we are.

By nature, as children of Adam, we all live self-centered lives.  But when we are raised from death to life by the power and grace of the Spirit of God, we are to lay our lives down for others with hearts that beat for nothing other than Jesus . . . who, while we were still sinners, laid down His life for us.

So . . .

Does the Golden Rule rule in your life?

I must add one final point before we close today’s blog.  I said earlier . . .

That “It is said” that all religions

Are fundamentally the same.

No statement could be more fundamentally false!

All the other major religions and all the cults

Require man to strive to ascend to God

By living a life of good works

That will make him acceptable to God.

Only Christianity teaches that God

Descended to man in gracious love,

Because we are completely incapable

Of ascending to a perfectly holy God.

Only Christianity teaches that

God alone has done all the work

Required for our salvation,

All the work that makes us acceptable to Him.

We rest in Jesus’ words on the cross, “It is finished!” – and therefore we do our good works because God so loves us, not to try to make God love us.

This is God’s Word For Today … This Is Grace For The Journey

Rest and Rejoice in this eternal truth!

Pastor Terry

Ephesians 4:7 – “But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”