The Golden Rule

Sermon Summary: The Golden Rule

Bro. Edward Low | 5 October 2025 | Matthew 7 : 7 – 12

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

A Universal Principle

This is a commonly taught topic.  the term “golden rule” itself is not in the Bible.  The Golden Rule is called golden because of its priceless value. Interestingly, this principle appears across cultures and religions:

• Judaism (Talmud, Shabbat 31a): “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour. That is the whole Torah; the rest is commentary thereof; go and learn it.”

• Hinduism (Mahabharata 5:1517): “This is the sum of duty: do not do to others what would cause pain if done to you.”

• Buddhism (Udanavarga 5:18): “Treat not others in ways that you yourself would find hurtful.”

• Confucianism (Analects 15:24): “Do not impose upon others what you yourself do not desire.”

• Taoism (T’ai Shang Kan Ying P’ien): “Regard your neighbour’s gain as your own gain, and your neighbour’s loss as your own loss.”

In the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12–17) we are told to “Honor your father and your mother”, and also not to murder, steal, commit adultery, bear false witness, or covet.  At the heart of all these commands lies a single principle: “love your neighbour as yourself.”

This same principle echoes across religions.  Every major faith, in its own way, emphasizes treating others with fairness, respect, and kindness.  The essence is clear: true goodness is expressed in how we relate to others.

But what does it mean to be a “good person”? It is more than just a moral label.  A good person is one who is morally upright, one who shares what he has and seeks to bring benefit to others.

Goodness is defined by its impact.  For example, a medicine is considered “good” not because of what it is in itself, but because of its effectiveness and availability in bringing relief or healing to people.   In the same way, our goodness is measured not by words alone but by its usefulness, its fruit, and the blessing it brings to others.

The Context of “Therefore”

The key word in verse 12 is “Therefore.”  It connects the Golden Rule to verses 7–11, where Jesus speaks of God’s goodness.

• God invites us to pray boldly (v. 7).

• God is faithful to answer prayer (v. 8).

• God ‘s character is good and generous (vv. 9–10).

• God gives what is best for us (v. 11).

Thus, the Golden Rule is grounded in the goodness of God.  Because He is good to us, we must extend goodness to others.

Love is also sacrifice.  God, as our Father, always gives what is best for us—the option that is good not just for the moment but in the long term.

Sometimes we may ask for things that seem urgent, like we ask our parents for money, but if our parents were simply to give it without teaching us, the same problem might repeat.

In the same way, in God’s wisdom, He gives not always what we want, but what we truly need.  As Jesus said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!” (Matthew 7:11).

This is the essence of God’s goodness: He is able, He is generous, and He always shares what is truly best.

James 1:17 affirms this: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”

Our disappointment often comes when our prayers are not answered in the way we expect, but that is because God is working for our ultimate good, not just our immediate comfort.

That is why verse 12 begins with the word “Therefore” (or “And so” in some versions).  It connects back to our relationship with God as Father and Son. Because God is good, perfect, and generous toward us, we in turn are called to extend that same goodness to others.

God’s Goodness → Our Goodness

Our ability to do good comes only from God.  It is not something we generate on our own, but something that flows from God.  Scripture shows us His goodness in different ways:

•  through His sacrifice—“In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9–11);  

• through His forgiveness—“bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do” (Colossians 3:13);

• and through His comfort—“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation” (2 Corinthians 1:3–4).

Parents naturally sacrifice for their children, but how much greater is the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father!  When we truly grasp this, we realize that we are merely instruments of His goodness, called to extend to others what He has already given to us.

When we think of the word love, we should immediately think of the word sacrifice.  Because of God’s goodness, we now have the capacity to be good.  It is not by our own strength—it is only and always because of Him.

Compassion in Action

The Golden Rule requires compassion that leads to action.  In the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:33–37), the Samaritan “had compassion”—that compassion compelled him to act, unlike the Priest and Levite.

Jesus Himself was “moved with compassion” (Mark 1:40–41; Matthew 14:14), and that compassion led Him to heal, feed, and restore.  True compassion knows no boundaries. It does not ask, “Who is my neighbour?” but rather, “How can I be a neighbour?”

Love as the Gold Standard

The Golden Rule aligns perfectly with the greatest commandment: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).  Paul echoed this when he wrote, “Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).  Similarly, “For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Galatians 5:14).

This is the gold standard of Christian living.  Without love, God’s laws become cold compliance, like checking off a list.  The rich young ruler in Matthew 19:16–22 illustrates this truth.  Though he kept many commandments, he failed to love sacrificially—he could not let go of his wealth to follow Christ—and thus he missed the heart of the Golden Rule.

The Golden Rule requires compassion—and true compassion always compels us into action.  It demands sacrifice and commitment, with no boundaries or limits placed on our love.  Why? Because God’s goodness is limitless.  To “love your neighbor as yourself” means to treat others exactly as you would want to be treated.

The Golden Rule tells us how to live, and once love is at the center, everything else falls into place.  This is why the rich young ruler ultimately failed—he complied outwardly but lacked the inner gold standard of love.  Without embracing the Golden Rule, he fell short of the life Jesus calls us to live.

Conclusion

The Golden Rule is like the SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for every Christian life.  It calls us to:

·       Understand God’s goodness.

·       Acknowledge that we are recipients of His goodness.

·       Become instruments of His goodness to others.

·       Live with compassion and sacrifice.

Jesus summarized it perfectly: “Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:12).

The Golden Rule is golden because it reflects the very heart of God.  It is the gold standard of love, compassion, and sacrifice.  It demands more than passive kindness—it compels action, compassion, and sacrifice without limit.

Are we extending to them the same goodness and grace that God has first extended to us?

The message is simple yet powerful: As God has been good to you, so you must be good to others. This is the way of Christ.  This is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. This is the Golden Rule.