Pages

Friday, January 4, 2013

PHILOSOPHY, The Goal Matthew 7:12


 Philosophy, The Goal                                    Matthew 7:12, 22:37-39

       "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should
          do to you, do ye even so to them:  for this is the law and
                               the prophets."   Mt.7:12 kjv

   Philosophy taken  from the Scripture  tried by the fire of experience 
is a philosophy to which I aspire,  rather than one I can claim to have
attained. "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would  that men should
to do to you,  do ye even so to  them:  for  this is the law and  the  pro-
phets.” This simple “Golden Rule," known all  my life,  is the basis for
a life that is filled with promise.  No matter what we encounter, prac-
ticing  this simple  philosophy will make life meaningful.   If in every-
thing I  practice this  precept,  every one around  me is  affected  in a
positive  way and I  become one who  draws others to the Savior.   If,
on the other  hand I am  self-centered,  I  will be negative and repug-
nant, without a chance of positive impact on others for my Creator.

    One more principle we may draw from this;  we must get to know
people well  enough to  learn  how to  relate to  them.   At  first I did
did not believe this to be pertinent, but come to think about it, don’t
I want  people to get to know me before they start making decisions
about  how to relate to me?   After giving this thought,  that must be
incorporated into our  thinking as we seek to  live out  this  “Golden
Rule.”    Being in music  ministry,  I  have  been  advised  in the  past
against getting “close”  to the people with whom I worship and have
determined  this to be some the worst advice I was ever given and is
diametrically opposed  to my goal of  implementing the Golden Rule
in my life and making a difference in the Kingdom of God. 
 
        When  Jesus Christ was  asked to name the great commandment,
He stated In Matthew 22: 37, “You shall love the Lord your God with
all your  heart,  with all  your soul, and with all your mind.”  verse 38 
“This  is the first and great commandment.”  He continued,  “And the
the second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  vs. 39
See the similarity  between the finish  here and  the end of the Golden 
Rule,  where he said,  “On these two commandments hang all the Law 
and the Prophets.”   It is not possible the wording at the close of these
these  two concepts is  the same by  coincidence.   God is not a God of 
coincidence,  but a plan.   It  is a reiteration that  the way we  relate to 
Him is preeminent, and how we treat our fellowman will color our rela-
tionship with our Heavenly Father.  An integral part of getting to know 
God,  which is our goal,  is getting to know his creation,  mankind. The 
better  we know and serve the creation, the better we know and serve 
the creator.

       This one principle of Scripture, the “Golden Rule,” would serve us
well as the guiding philosophy of  life.  There is no other way to state it 
and have the full impact.  One religious leader tried to restate it to say,
“do no one harm,”  but that  leaves us with a negative without the posi-
tive.  We are not to be passive in doing well, but pro-active and aggres-
sive.  We are to seek out injustice in this world and correct it in the con-
trol,  empowerment and the wisdom of  God’s  Holy Spirit.  We start by 
seeing the injustice  we may  perpetrate on a fellowman well before we 
begin to look for injustice on the part of others.  This may well keep us 
busy for a lifetime.  Then we may be called the “Sons of God.” 
                                          (God in us.)

     What is the goal to which we aspire?   Knowing God through diligent
study of  His Word and  putting into practice the precepts found in that
Word.   In so doing we will fulfill His plan for our lives and be “salt and
 light” in His world.

http://biblicalclarity-don.blogspot.com/2012/10/salt-and-light.html

    (What goes ‘round come ‘round)                   donporter 1.04.13                                                                                                          

No comments: