The following (R2688) goes along with our previous study viz., “No Condemnation and no Separation“, and is helpful information for the Lord’s consecrated people attempting to walk in the Master’s footsteps.

“All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them.” –Matt 7:12. 

Whatever the tests we apply, Jesus and his teachings are seen to tower above all others. For instance, we are frequently told that the Golden Rule is found in the writings of Confucius as well as in the New Testament, and that this is a proof that Confucius was a teacher equal in rank with Jesus, and equally sent of God. And no doubt many of those who give this report do so in all honesty; for the fact is that many Christians have never seen the depth and scope of the Golden Rule given by Jesus, and misunderstand it to be the same as the maxim by Confucius, which much resembles it. There is a wide distinction, however, and in comparison, the words of Confucius might be termed a brazen rule. His maxim is, “Do not do to others what you would not wish them to do to you.” We repeat that this is as much as the majority of Christians have ever seen in the Golden Rule given by our Lord.

We would be glad to see the maxim of Confucius received and acted upon throughout the whole world by every creature, and undoubtedly the result would be a great blessing to mankind – a great improvement over present conditions, in which almost everybody except the saints who seek to walk in the footsteps of the Lord are continually doing every day the very things which they would not wish their neighbors to do to them. But even though so great a reformation could be brought about, it would still leave much to be desired; it would still leave the world far from the condition suggested by our Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done on earth, as it is done in heaven.” For men might, through policy or for other reasons, deal justly with each other, refraining from the doing of such things as they would not wish done to them, and with all that their hearts might be very full of selfishness, meanness, covetousness, etc., and very far from the condition of love.

But when we note the comprehensiveness of our Lord’s Golden Rule, we find it is absolutely a love-rule; and that it leaves nothing to be desired: nothing could possibly be added to it; it is complete. It is not merely a negative law: “Thou shalt not” do an injury; it is a positive law: “Thou shalt” do good. Thou shalt do thy neighbor all the good, all the kindness, all the service, that thou wouldst have him do to thee.

This law, which the Apostle calls “the law of liberty,” the perfect law, this Golden Rule for life, has no parallel anywhere, in any writings, and could not possibly have a superior, – a grander sentiment could not possibly be expressed. But how few there are who rightly appreciate and love this rule, and use it daily in the measurement of their own conduct! As already noted, the majority, even of the best people in the world, the vast majority of Christians, fail to discern its lengths and its breadths, and consider it merely an injunction not to do injury to others. How few, then, joyfully and appreciatively grasp its sentiment, and seek from the heart to conform their lives thereto – none but the saints, none but the “elect,” we may be sure, are thus in heart-harmony with the essence and spirit of their Heavenly Father’s law of Love.

There might be danger of some of the Lord’s people using this rule amiss and to their injury, by being overly generous toward others and not sufficiently careful of themselves; but such instances are very rare, because in our entire race the general result of the fall has been to crowd out love and benevolence, and to fill us with selfishness. So much is this the case that it has become a worldly proverb that “Self-preservation is the first rule of life;” that self is always to be number one, and to be cared for well and thoroughly before others are to be even considered.

Even after we have been begotten of the holy spirit, as new creatures, after the transforming of our minds has begun, we all know from experience that the selfishness of the old nature is so deep-grained that it is likely to hold its own with us to the very end of life. We have, however, known of some who, in their desire to conform themselves fully to the Lord’s will, have taken an extreme view of this Golden Rule, and have understood it as though it said, “Thou shalt do to thy neighbor as he shall wish thee to do to him” – not noticing that this would be a very different rule, and one which might operate very unfavorably in every way. While few are in danger of making a mistake in this direction, many are inclined to reason on the matter from this standpoint, and to say: We could not possibly carry out this Golden Rule in the ordinary affairs of life, because, for instance, if I were to do to my neighbor as I should wish him to do to me, I should sell him a five-dollar pair of shoes for one dollar; or a twenty-dollar suit of clothes for five dollars; or what he might want of wheat or oats at half the usual price. And if I adopted such a rule with one, I should properly adopt it with all, and this would soon mean bankruptcy in my business; so, evidently, the Golden Rule cannot be used in human affairs at the present time.

But we answer that this is a mistaken view of the Golden Rule, and whoever examines it should see that the difficulty probably lies in the selfishness of his own heart. He thinks his neighbor might expect goods at less than cost, because he thinks that he himself would be willing to receive goods at less than cost from his neighbor. The application of the Golden Rule should show him his difficulty; should teach him the lesson that when he goes to his neighbor to buy shoes he must do to his neighbor as he would that his neighbor should do to him: he must pay his neighbor a reasonable price for his shoes; a reasonable, living profit. And likewise in every other transaction: the Golden Rule teaches us that we should be willing to pay the farmer for his produce, and the manufacturer for his, as we would think just if we were the manufacturer and making the sale. Likewise, if we were making the sale, we should not think of charging our customers a larger profit than we would think reasonable if they were the sellers and we the customers. Whoever of the Lord’s people, therefore, gets thoroughly into the way of using this Golden Rule in all of life’s affairs will certainly find that it will elevate their conceptions of justice, righteousness, equity; and these godlike qualities will become more and more developed in them, as parts of their characters, until they will obey them not merely because of their harmony with the Master’s Golden Rule, but because they will recognize their true beauty and grandeur, and because their hearts will be in harmony with them.

But this rule, while thus inculcating justice, goes beyond this and inculcates benevolence (The disposition to do good; to be charitable toward others); – such benevolence and so much of it as we, with properly balanced minds would be disposed to ask of others if we were the ones in need, in straits. O how grandly rounded out in spiritual character would all of the Lord’s true saints become, under the influence of this Golden Rule! It would not only affect the actions of life, making them first just toward all with whom they had dealings, then, benevolently disposed toward all needing their assistance to whatever degree they were able to render assistance without doing injury to others, – and, additionally, the same law in force would extend also to their every word. Under the regulations of this golden measurement how few bitter or angry or slanderous words would be used – for how few would like to have others use such to or of them – to speak to them in anger and with bitterness and rancor, or to slander them. No wonder the Apostle tells us that those who have put on Christ must put off all these – anger, malice, hatred, strife, envy, slanders, etc. Additionally, this Golden Rule would lead to kind words, gentle actions, considerate demeanor; for who would not wish such from his neighbor? As the Apostle again declares, we are to put on as Christian graces, – gentleness, meekness, patience, longsuffering, brotherly kindness, love. (Col 3:8-10,12-15)

This Golden Rule, beginning with the outward actions, and progressing to our words, would very quickly extend to our thoughts; and as we would not wish to have others think ungenerously or meanly of us, nor put a bad construction on our every act of life, but would rather that they would view our words and deeds generously and lovingly, so we in turn would find, that under the influence of this Golden Rule, our thoughts of others would become more generous, more noble, less suspicious, etc.

This Golden Rule is assuredly the divine law which our dear Redeemer expressed in other words at another time, saying, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” We may safely consider, therefore, that the one rule interprets the other, and that to love our neighbor as ourselves signifies that we should love him and do for him as we ourselves would wish him to love us and to do for us. And we could not understand it to mean more than this. God expects of us that we will make reasonable provision for ourselves and for those for whom, by legal or natural ties, we are responsible – our families, our relatives, as the Apostle says: “He that provides not for his own, and especially they of his own house, hath denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Tim 5:8)

Evidently, therefore, our own households are our first charge and responsibility, and must have reasonable attention before we could hope to do for our neighbors. This would indeed be putting a difference between our neighbor and ourselves, and between our neighbor’s family and our own family, but the matter is well adjusted by the Golden Rule, rightly interpreted, which requires of us that we shall do for our neighbor, in his want and extremity, as we would have him do for us, were we in his circumstances and he in ours. And our minds being leveled up to a plane of justice, we should expect that if we were in distress our neighbor would first make reasonable provision for his own family, and not give to us to the injury or deprivation of those more immediately and more closely dependent upon him.

Continued with next post.