Daily Devotions
The Rule To End All Legalistic Debate
Reading for January 10: Genesis 32-35
Weekly reading for January 7-13: Matthew 5-9
"So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Matthew 7:12
If you've been a Christian for very long, chances are you've had to endure a legalistic Biblestudy at least once or twice. They normally start out like this, "Where does the Bible say it's wrong to ____________." And with that the battle begins. Obscure, proof texts are interjected (and usually pulled out of context, I might add) to either prove or disprove a position.
If we could only hear the voice of our Savior in this text, things would be greatly simplified and this madness would quickly end. It's not complicated. Jesus lays down a clear principle (we call it "The Golden Rule") that effectively cuts through all of the legalistic hairsplitting, taking us to the very heart of the Law.
The Golden Rule is undergirded by the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40). If we love God sincerely with all our heart and genuinely love our neighbor as ourselves, then there has been a fundamental change in our thought process. We no longer think about our "rights" or what is merely "allowable" anymore. All such selfish thoughts have been put to death. All that concerns us now is what is best for others, and what, ultimately, will bring the most glory to God.
The Golden Rule serves as a paradigm shift in the way we think. When this shift takes place we think only in terms of what is best for God and others instead of what we feel the law might allow.
Father, help us to live the Golden Rule in our lives.
