After encouraging Christians to remain persistent in prayer by virtue of God's goodness, Rev. Sang Ho Bae explained the meaning of The Golden Rule from the perspective of grace.
At the climax of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said this: “In everything, therefore, treat others as you want to be treated; for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matt. 7:12). The Lord says that this Golden Rule is the core spirit of the entire Scripture. Therefore, this word is not merely a teaching about wisdom in forming human relationships, but a single sentence that compresses the direction and manner of life that the citizens of heaven ought to live.
The conflicts and misunderstandings of human society, the divisions of communities, and the wounds of the heart mostly arise from losing this Golden Rule. When one judges others by one’s own standards, prioritizes one’s own feelings and benefit, and desires to be treated well while not treating others well, relationships quickly collapse. The Golden Rule is not a simple moral regulation, but the standard of life by which the citizens of heaven live in the world.
The reason we find it difficult to practice this word is that human nature is thoroughly self-centered. People instinctively judge based on their own feelings and benefit rather than seeing from the standpoint of others. The parable in Matthew 18—the servant who was forgiven ten thousand talents but imprisoned a fellow servant who owed him a hundred denarii—vividly shows how easily the human heart forgets grace and insists on its own rights. It is the distorted heart of humans to feel the grace received as small and the mercy given as great. The Reformed doctrine of “total depravity” explains this reality well. Depravity is not merely a moral failure, but a state in which the whole of intellect, emotion, and will is bent away from God. Thus we cannot see things straight, cannot judge people rightly, and cannot even know ourselves accurately. This is why Calvin said,
One cannot know oneself before knowing God.
The Golden Rule is not simply a moral piece of advice saying, “Behave politely.” This word is a new way of life that naturally appears in a person whose relationship with God is rightly established. The moment one realizes before God how greatly one has received grace, one’s gaze toward others changes. A person who knows grace first holds a heart of compassion and prayer for the other rather than focusing on their shortcomings. The deeper one’s relationship with God becomes, the softer the heart grows, and the wider the capacity to understand others becomes. Thus the Golden Rule is not a rule kept by force, but a fruit that naturally forms in the process of becoming like God. God first came to us, first forgave us, and first loved us. A person who has experienced that love approaches neighbors in the same way. Ultimately, the Golden Rule is not “a good deed I produce through my effort,” but a channel through which God’s grace overflows within me and flows out to others.
Jesus said that the Golden Rule is “the Law and the Prophets.” This means that the Golden Rule is not merely a matter of etiquette or a technique for human relationships, but the core spirit of Scripture, and therefore a principle of life that the citizens of heaven are called to live by. The principle of God’s kingdom is different from the arithmetic of the world. In the world’s calculation, living for others is a loss, but Scripture teaches that “it is more blessed to give than to receive.” When one begins to live according to the Lord’s teaching, the door of blessing that surpasses human calculation opens. Unexpected grace comes into our lives, and the fragrance of God’s kingdom appears in our relationships. A person who practices the Golden Rule becomes a small light in the world.
The Golden Rule does not demand grand actions. Rather, it begins with very small choices in daily life. Considering others as I want to be considered, forgiving others as much as I want to be forgiven, respecting others as much as I want to be respected—such actions based on yeokjisaji (易地思之, “putting oneself in another’s place”) change our relationships, change our communities, and ultimately transform our entire lives.
“Treat others as you want to be treated.” The Golden Rule is not a mere moral command, but a teaching that reveals what kind of life most accords with the spirit of Scripture for the citizens of heaven. At the same time, it is a heavenly principle that teaches how the people of God may live blessed lives on this earth. If everyone were to practice the Golden Rule the Lord has taught us, this world would take on the likeness of heaven.
Treat others as you want to be treated (Matthew 7:12).
This simple command gently reveals my heart. So often, I want patience, mercy, and understanding from others, yet I struggle to offer the same. Jesus reminds me that the life of God’s kingdom flows from grace received, not effort forced.
When I remember how generously God has treated me, my attitude toward others changes. I become slower to judge, quicker to forgive, and more willing to understand. The Golden Rule begins in quiet moments—choosing kindness over irritation, grace over pride, love over self-interest.
Today, Lord, help me treat others as You have treated me. Let Your grace flow through me, so that even in small ways, my life may reflect the heart of heaven.
