The Golden Rule


In everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Matthew 7:12

In the verse above, Jesus lays down a general principle for delaing with people. We’re not to deal with others as others deal with us, we’re to deal with others as we would like others to deal with us. This is how the Christian is to live.

This is a golden rule indeed! It doesn’t simply forbid petty malice and revenge, cheating and deceit. It does much more. It prevents the necessity of laying down endless little rules for our conduct in specific cases. It sweeps the whole debatable ground with one mighty principle. It shows us a balance and measure, by which everyone may see at once how they should act.

Is there something we wouldn’t like our neighbor to do to us? Then let us always remember, that this is the thing we ought not to do to him. Is there a thing we would like our neighbor to do to us? Then this is the very thing we ought to do to him.

- J. C. Ryle

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