Matthew 7 - The Golden Rule

Today's Scripture: Matthew 7 -  This scripture includes the Golden Rule: “Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets."  It is copied below from Bible.com.

Application:From Max Lucado's A Gentle Thunder: You want to make a difference in your world?  Live a holy life: 

• Be faithful to your spouse.
• Be the one at the office who refuses to cheat.
• Be the neighbor who acts neighborly.
• Be the employee who does the work and doesn't complain.
• Pay your bills.
• Do your part to enjoy life.
• Don't speak one message and live another.

Note the last line of Paul's words in 1Thessalonians 4:11-12, "Do all you can to live a peaceful life. Take care of your own business, and do your own work as we have already told you.  If you do then people who are not believers will respect you."

A peaceful life leads non believers to respect believers.  What if John's life had not matched his words?  What if he'd preached repentance but lived in immorality?  If John's life had not matched his words, his message would have fallen on deaf ears.  So will ours. People are watching the way we act more than they are listening to what we say.  John was a voice for Christ with more than his voice.  His life matched his words.  When a person's ways and words are the same, the fusion is explosive.  But when a person says one thing and lives another, the result is destructive. People will know we are Christians, not because we bear the name, but because we live the life. 

What would others say about your life?  What kind of fruit are you producing?  Think of three specific steps you can take to live the life of a Christian.

My Thoughts:  Going back to the scripture for today - the Golden Rule has always been a guiding principle of mine.  I'm not sure how well I stack up against it on a daily, every decision, kind of examination....I'm pretty sure its a fail and I could do better. So I guess that would be #1 of my steps from the application today.

#2 would probably be to try harder not to judge people/others.  But I have to say in my defense that it is our nature to size up those we encounter; I believe this is also a natural safety mechanism. In doing so, we "judge" them and categorize them into groups of friends, ones to watch out for, a security risk, potential loves, etc....So I think what this is saying is to at least give everyone a chance.  Try to give them the benefit of the doubt to be a good person, try to view their world from their standpoint, and see if they need you to assist or help.  After assessing the situation or relationship, end the judgement there.  

#3 - Not sure yet.... 

 Be Careful About Judging Others

1 “Don’t judge others, or you will be judged. 2 You will be judged in the same way that you judge others, and the amount you give to others will be given to you.

3 “Why do you notice the little piece of dust in your friend’s eye, but you don’t notice the big piece of wood in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your friend, ‘Let me take that little piece of dust out of your eye’? Look at yourself! You still have that big piece of wood in your own eye. 5 You hypocrite! First, take the wood out of your own eye. Then you will see clearly to take the dust out of your friend’s eye.

6 “Don’t give holy things to dogs, and don’t throw your pearls before pigs. Pigs will only trample on them, and dogs will turn to attack you.

Ask God for What You Need

7 “Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. 8 Yes, everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened.

9 “If your children ask for bread, which of you would give them a stone? 10 Or if your children ask for a fish, would you give them a snake? 11 Even though you are bad, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give good things to those who ask him!

The Most Important Rule

12 “Do to others what you want them to do to you. This is the meaning of the law of Moses and the teaching of the prophets.

The Way to Heaven Is Hard

13 “Enter through the narrow gate. The gate is wide and the road is wide that leads to hell, and many people enter through that gate. 14 But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.

People Know You by Your Actions

15 “Be careful of false prophets. They come to you looking gentle like sheep, but they are really dangerous like wolves. 16 You will know these people by what they do. Grapes don’t come from thornbushes, and figs don’t come from thorny weeds. 17 In the same way, every good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot produce good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 In the same way, you will know these false prophets by what they do.

21 “Not all those who say ‘You are our Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. The only people who will enter the kingdom of heaven are those who do what my Father in heaven wants. 22 On the last day many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, we spoke for you, and through you we forced out demons and did many miracles.’ 23 Then I will tell them clearly, ‘Get away from me, you who do evil. I never knew you.’

Two Kinds of People

24 “Everyone who hears my words and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on rock. 26 Everyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and hit that house, and it fell with a big crash.”

28When Jesus finished saying these things, the people were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like a person who had authority.