Luke 6:31 “Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
This week, Michael writes: John 3:17-18 tells us “For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Then when we receive salvation, “in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). The first beatitude in Matthew 5 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 (getting up off of my throne) 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 or sister. To help them, first “yank the plank” of judgmentalism out of your own eye. Then you can see clearly to correct your brother or sister 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? How great was the “Fall of Man”? 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; is it peace? 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 3:16-18 says, “For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who 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.
Let's continue Michael's message on the Golden Rule in the next Post.
In Christ, Brian
No comments:
Post a Comment