Matt. 7:12 12“Do for others what you would like them
to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the
law and the prophets.
This, so called, “golden rule” is a guide for us to live by.
A. It’s more than just a nice little guide.
1. Many of the things found in the spirit of the
“Golden Rule” will determine our very
salvation.
How we treat others is....EXACTLY HOW WE WILL
BE TREATED, BY GOD, ON THE JUDG-
MENT DAY!
A. To the same degree......in the same way......to the
same extent......with the same patience......with the
same mercy....etc., etc..
All of this can be quite scary.....when you really think about
it (and we really NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT!)
A. This isn’t some strange....deep....and quite
mysterious object to be pursued.
1. It’s simple....and it’s very difficult (if you
don’t work at it all the time)
a. GUIDELINE: Treat EVERYBODY in
the exact same way you want to be
treated by God!
1.) With the same kind and amount of
mercy, forgiveness, and love.....
with the same amount of patience
that we would like to have from
God......EVERYONE...ALL THE
TIME AND TO THE SAME
EXTENT THAT WE WANT TO
BE TREATED AT THE FINAL
JUDGMENT.
This can become quite scary as we examine ourselves and
don’t see ourselves in this picture.
A. All is not lost....as with any other sin....REPENT!
1. Along with that repentance, comes a different
YOU...a you that will operate within the way
of Christ.
Let us start now, by realizing that we haven’t been doing
the right thing,......and by searching for a true
understanding of what God wants.
I. We really need to come to grips with this thing called
“patience and kindness”. We desire it from God and
we desire it from our fellow man.
A. Just how much “patience and kindness” would
we expect from God?
1. Do we deal with God and mankind in the
same way as we expect to receive?
B. We have a bit of a problem, which we need to
fully understand.
1. Perfect patience comes from God.
a. God can, has, and does display this kind
of perfect patience to us, today,.....as
He has shown it to others in times past.
2. Being unable to attain to these Godlike
traits on our own......we need to turn to some-
one who is able to help us.
a. In comes the Holy Spirit....God....the one
who can practice perfect patience.
1.) As we are in the Holy Spirit...then
....and only then....can we practice
the patience that God demands of
us.
a.) It is not something that we can
do on our own....it is not
something that can be faked...
it IS something that we can
definitely recognize as
having......or not having.
C. Here’s where another trait needs to come in.....
we need to be honest with God, others, and our
own selves.
1. When the roles are reversed, we seek patience,
mercy, love, long-suffering, etc..
a. Why then, do we feel that we can act like
gods when we treat other’s difficulties
and sins against us......or those we
witness
Matt. 18:21-35 - 21Then Peter came to him and asked,
“Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins
against me? Seven times?”
22“No!” Jesus replied, “seventy times seven!
23“For this reason, the Kingdom of Heaven can be
compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to
date with servants who had borrowed money from him.
24In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who
owed him millions of dollars. 25He couldn’t pay, so the
king ordered that he, his wife, his children, and everything
he had be sold to pay the debt. 26But the man fell down
before the king and begged him, ‘Oh, sir, be patient with
me, and I will pay it all.’ 27Then the king was filled with
pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.
28“But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow
servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed
him by the throat and demanded instant payment. 29His
fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little
more time. ‘Be patient and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. 30But
his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and
jailed until the debt could be paid in full.
31“When some of the other servants saw this, they were
very upset. They went to the king and told him what had
happened. 32Then the king called in the man he had
forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that
tremendous debt because you pleaded with me.
33Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as
I had mercy on you?’ 34Then the angry king sent the man
to prison until he had paid every penny.
35“That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you
refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters in your heart.”
1. Do we think that God does not see
and is determining this person’s
guilt.....much more accurately than
we?
Romans 14:10-13 - 10So why do you condemn another
Christian? Why do you look down on another Christian?
Remember, each of us will stand personally before the
judgment seat of God. 11For the Scriptures say,
“‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord,
‘every knee will bow to me
and every tongue will confess allegiance to God.’”
12Yes, each of us will have to give a personal account to
God. 13So don’t condemn each other anymore. Decide
instead to live in such a way that you will not put an
obstacle in another Christian’s path.
2. As we read II Timothy, chapter
2:24-25.....can we say that this is
a true picture of us?
II Tim. 2:24-25 - 24The Lord’s servants must not quarrel
but must be kind to everyone. They must be able to teach
effectively and be patient with difficult people. 25They
should gently teach those who oppose the truth. Perhaps
God will change those people’s hearts, and they will
believe the truth.
II. God deals with us in true love....the kind of love that
says, “You are in the wrong...but I will sacrifice myself
to make things in your life right, again.....not for my
sake...but for yours”.
A. Love does not mean that we ignore sin and faults
in our brothers and sisters.
1. Love dictates that as we identify the problem,
we try to find a solution....sometimes that
solution might be sacrificial prayer and fasting
for that soul.
2. Not only should we pray for that person and
the sins that have entrapped him....we make
ourselves available to help....in any way we
can.
B. We certainly know that we have a list of sins and
faults......these sins and faults probably should turn
God completely off....BUT IT DOESN’T!
1. God still loves us and does not want any of us
to perish. He wants us all to make changes in
our own lives....BECAUSE HE LOVES
US.
B. So now back to the idea which is the linchpin of
this message.
1. How do we treat other Christians who have
faults....even faults which have been a part of
OUR LIVES!?
a. God never set any one of us up as judges
of others.....judges which pass the final
verdict....who are able to determine the
the hearts of their brothers and sisters.
1.) God set up a system of
one-anothering.....a system of
support....a system of help.....a
system of encouragement.
Just for fun......look up God’s system of “one-anothering”
Rom. 12:5,10,16; 14:19; 15:5,7,14; 16:16.
I Cor. 12:25.
Gal. 5:13; 5:15.
Eph. 4:2; 4:25; 4:32; 5:21.
Col. 3:13.
I Thess. 3:12; 4:9,18; 5:11.
I Tim. 5:21.
Heb. 3:13; 10:24-25.
James 4:11; 5:9,16.
I Peter 1:22; 3:8; 4:9; 5:5.
I John 1:7; 3:11; 4:7,11,12.
II John 5.
** All of this stems from our love of God and of our
fellow man......especially those who are of the
household of faith....the Family of God.
* Let us keep on remembering that our treatment of
others will be a mirror image of how God will
treat us...TO THE SAME DEGREE....TO THE
SAME EXTENT....WITH THE SAME LOVE,
SACRIFICE, FORGIVENESS, AND MERCY!
III. God does not dig up the past of our lives. When He
forgives....He forgets...in a big way.
A. If we dig up the past sins of others....we are not
behaving as God’s children.
1. With this mirror treatment in mind.....it could
be quite possible that those who dig up
other’s past sins....may find that God might
do the same to them.
a. A digger is not a forgiver.
1.) God has forgiven all of us a
tremendous debt of sin.....sins
that we would not want brought
back up and held against us.
a.) When it comes to remember-
ing the misdeeds of others.....
JUST DON’T GO THERE...
WITH ANY KIND OF
JUSTIFICATION!!!!!
** Remember the servant who was forgiven much??!!!!!
B. If is your belief that someone IS revisiting their
past life of sin.....refer back to items I and II.
1. We need to treat them with patience and
kindness.
2. We need to be there for them....in prayer...
in real, physical...availability.
** Those who throw darts at others really need to buy a
dartboard.
a. We must remember that this person
is extremely valuable to God and should
be equally valuable to us.
1.) This person is a living soul....one of
those whom Christ died for.
2.) This person is also part of the
Family of God....the same family
that we are in.........that makes
them a brother or sister.
3.) God thinks about....works for....and
loves this person as much as He
does you and me.
** Just whom do we think we are?
1. What justifies such a high and better-than-thou
attitude.
CONCLUSION:
We see ourselves loved by God....sacrificed for by Christ...
living a life of promise in the future.
A. We look to God for love, forgiveness, mercy,
and long-suffering.
1. And well we should.....God has promised
these things to all who will turn to Him.
We have a problem, however, with those who have turned,
and then have turned again.
A. It is possible for one to look down upon such a
one......it is possible that we could condemn....
instead of lending a hand.....push them under,
instead of lifting them up.
1. The world has a saying which is absolutely
true, as applied to these thoughts, today.....
“What goes ‘round....comes ‘round”
2. God also has a saying which is very similar...
Gal. 6:7 - 7Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for
whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
The “Golden Rule” is still in effect....what will you,
personally, reap for all of your efforts?
A. You and I have COMPLETE CONTROL over
what will come our way.
1. Even now....it’s not too late to make the
changes in the way that you treat others...or...
you can keep on doing business, as usual.......
it’s your choice.
