Loving The City - Part III

City or no city, there's only one way to love anyone to the utmost. Give them GOD! This is how God loves His own, and it is how we are to love those in our circle of influence. Is this not the teaching of Christ?

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 7:12

We call it, "The Golden Rule." But what is the rule? In outline fashion, it would be something like this:

1. How do you want people to treat you?
2. You want them to give them what's best for you. (Though our view of "best" is often skewed).
   
3. What's best for you?
4. God is best for you (Whether you know it or not, it's true!)
5. Therefore, deep within, you want people to give you God.
6. To treat others the way you would want to be treated, you must give them God because He's what's best for you and for them.

There's really nothing innovative about it. It's an old old pattern set forth by God Himself. Notice the end of our verse:

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. - Matthew 7:12

What is, "The Law and the Prophets?"

1. The Law and the Prophets are the Bible!
   
2. What is the Bible?
   
3. The Bible is God giving us Himself!
   
4. The Bible is a book about God, and about God's inexplicable love for those who have sinned against Him. It's about God giving us Christ (Himself) to rescue us from His wrath! The Bible is about the Father and the Son giving us the Holy Spirit (Himself) to fill us with the power to please Him without obscuring His glory!
   

See the connection? The paraphrase could be: "Just like you want the best, you are to give others what is best for them BECAUSE this is what God did - He gave us Himself!"

Give people God! Give them God in Christ! Give them God in Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit! May Grace Church treat our city the way we want to be treated!