Do Unto Others

The Bible says do unto others as we would have them do unto us (Matthew 7:12). It says that whatsoever [we] do to the least of these [we] do to God (Matthew 25:40-45). So what are these verses telling us, and how do we act them out in whatever culture or place on the planet we find ourselves?

Isaiah 41:10  (hover, double click the passage to go to the teaching) – Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. (KJV)

The picture of God that I have in my mind is more important than any other picture.  Who God is, what he should look like in my mind, is fully shown to me through the person of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15).

First, we get this picture straight in our minds. From the Jesus who is fully man and fully God (Hebrews 2:5-18) sacrificially and willing dying on a cross – going through separation from the Father, raised again three days later, defeating death and the devils work, restoring the created order for ALL creation, providing a way for us to come back to Yahweh, to live triumphantly over evil through the power of the Holy Spirit – from this we understand the full character of the Father God.

The Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we believe upon Jesus, accept him as Savior (John 3:16), pledge to follow where he leads (Luke 9:23).  Through the Spirit we have power over our rebellious nature, over the powers and principalities at work in our world which are always ready to divide and conquer, lie to and steal from all of us – the Bible says he prowls like a lion (1 Peter 5:8).  Through the sacrificial nature of Jesus, his life and ministry on earth, we come to know the Father.  1 John 1:5 tells us that in God, there is no darkness at all; God is love, 1 Corinthians 13; the picture we have of the Father through the Son is who God has always been, is, and always will be, Hebrews 13:8; the fullness of the Father dwells in the Son (Colossians 1:19-22).

Next, the picture I have of God will determine my world view – my understanding as to the truth of who I and all humans are created to be, our purpose – stewards of the animals and the earth under the reign of God; the truth of the origin of evil (excellent scripture as to this here); the truth of our experiences and the why of evil in this world, along with how we are redeemed from it now and eventually forever.  If I commit to follow him and submit my heart, he will mold it into the likeness of Jesus (Ephesians 5:1,2). He will transform me by the “renewing of my mind” which means simply that when I rest in him, rely on him, dwell in him, make his word authority over my life – my very road map! – renew this commitment everyday-  he will transform my thinking, my character, more and more into the likeness of Jesus.

We become his ambassadors when we give our lives to Jesus to be his voice, his hands and feet, to shine his character into the fallen world around us (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Whether or not, and how much of myself I commit to him, determines the kind of relationship I shall have with him.  This relationship will determine the kind of relationships I have with others, and is first and foremost the predictor of how I will treat others, the animals, and the earth.

The more I am transformed by the “renewing of my mind” (Romans 12:2) by submitting myself to Christ, cultivating this relationship as the most important one I’ll ever have, the less I will cling to or desire the patterns of this world. The fruit that is produced (Galatians 5:22,23) will be the fruit that can only be manifested through relying on the Giver of Life –  those traits which are of God which will be seen in us through the life of the indwelling Spirit (the reason it is called the “fruit OF the Spirit!”).

Conclusion

If I commit to, trust in, follow, love, respect God as the Almighty, Omniscient, Omnipresent, Perfect Being, Creator of the entire cosmos, Authority in matters of what life is about;  if I go to the Father to get life (we come to the Father, the Giver of Life through Jesus his Son – John 14:6) to fill the place ONLY he can fill – that place that longs to be loved, content, at peace, inside ALL of us, despite our circumstances; to the extent that I commit will determine my character and my actions.  Then I will do unto others based on how Christ would have me act, live, reflect his character into the world in loving other people AND the earth and animals.

Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. ~Ephesians 5:1,2

This short video is stunning – what creation from the beginning was supposed to be until sin – anything that separates us from the love of God Spiritually that also brought about separation physically from God – brought us the broken-ness we know all too well now in the earth – among people, animals, the earth itself.

Sit back, relax and enjoy – imagine the earth renewed and as it should be, with all his creatures along with us enjoying the fullness of the Father’s presence and the Son’s reign over us all – let the Spirit flow through you and renew your spirit with His, and remember:  ““Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”
1 Corinthians 2:9

Thank you for reading our post and following our blog!  We appreciate you, pray you are blessed by all we write here, and hope you will share it with others.  Blessings.  ~Kathy