Tag: Golden Rule

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Seek to Do Good to One Another

Summary of my sermon, based on 1 Thessalonians 5:12-19. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on Sunday, 5 July 2026.

The Call to Excel Still More (1 Thessalonians 4:1-2)

To understand the full context of Paul’s instructions, we have to look back at 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2:

“Finally then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that as you receive from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus Christ.”

The version of this verse that I memorized says that you excel still more. This is an excellent reminder for us. There are congregations that genuinely strive to honor God—and I believe GCF is one of them—but the very nature of excellence is that there is always more excellence to be had. Even when you are already doing the good things God expects, the exhortation is to keep doing it more and more. Paul’s primary goal here is teaching us what it means to walk in a way that is pleasing to God.

Dynamic of Leadership and Peace (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13)

Looking at the opening of our primary section, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-15 outlines our conduct toward one another in community, while the subsequent verses cover our conduct toward God. If we accomplish what we ought to among each other, we will effectively accomplish our conduct towards God as well. Let’s look at verses 12-13:

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

It is interesting how this verse closes by telling the Thessalonians to be at peace among themselves. At first glance, it doesn’t seem directly related to the first part of the verse, which focuses on respecting leadership. However, they work together tightly. When leadership is not respected, chaos is exactly what happens—in the church and everywhere else in this world.

There are times when leadership must be opposed and rebellion against oppressive leadership is necessary. A great example of this is what our neighbors to the south just celebrated yesterday: the 4th of July, or Independence Day. This is the day Americans celebrate their independence from the British.

On July 4, 1776—250 years ago—they weren’t celebrating with fireworks the way people do today. The first Independence Day happened right in the middle of the American War of Revolution. That war started a bit earlier, in April 1775, and lasted until September 3, 1783. For eight years, the Americans were at war with the British. When they rebelled against the oppressive leadership of King George III, chaos immediately ensued. This isn’t a value judgment on who was right or wrong; as Canadians, our founders chose a different path of not seceding from Britain. The point is simply that when rebellion against leadership occurs, chaos almost always erupts immediately after.

Peaceful rebellions are rare outliers in history. As Filipinos, we are familiar with a famous example: the People Power Revolution, where Filipinos broke free from the oppressive dictatorship of Marcos through largely peaceful protests. But even in a situation without wide-scale violence, you couldn’t exactly call the situation in the Philippines during the late ’80s and early ’90s completely peaceful. I was just a small child, but I distinctly remember being home from school and seeing military jets flying directly above our house during one of the coup attempts against President Cory Aquino. Even in an outlier situation, peace is easily shattered when leadership order breaks down.

Our Shared Duty of Care (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

In the church context, leadership is specifically associated with elders and pastoral offices. However, Paul writes: “who labor among you and are over you,” without specifying exact titles. This suggests that each of us has a role to play in looking out for one another.

Paul turns his attention to the weakest within the congregation who need direction, instructing the whole group to participate:

  • Admonish the idle: Call out those who are not contributing or doing what they are supposed to do.
  • Encourage the faint-hearted: Lift up those who are overwhelmed and need encouragement.
  • Help the weak: Physically and spiritually support those who are struggling.
  • Be patient with them all: Exercise widespread patience across the entire community.

We all share a collective duty of care to step up and lead one another in the Lord when these needs arise.

The Active Command vs. Cheap Knockoffs (1 Thessalonians 5:15)

This brings us directly to verse 15:

“See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

This command has two sides: the negative restriction (repay no one evil for evil) and the positive mandate (always seek to do good). Seeing both sides is critical because our sinful flesh can easily become lazy. Avoiding retaliation is a basic level of morality. Jesus commanded this in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:38-39) when he challenged the old standard of “an eye for an eye” and said, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”

To understand the active depth of “doing good,” we can compare it to a much more famous text—the Golden Rule found in Matthew 7:12:

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

This concept of reciprocity is present in almost every world religion and philosophy, but there is a fundamental difference when you read their versions:

  • Judaism: “That which is despicable to you, do not do to your fellow. This is the whole Torah.”
  • Hinduism: “One should not behave towards others in a way which is disagreeable to oneself.”
  • Buddhism: “Hurt not others with that which pains yourself.”
  • Islam: “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother that which he loves for himself.”

While these look similar on the surface, the crucial difference is that the other versions are stated passively. They tell you to sit back and prevent yourself from doing bad things to others.

The Christian Golden Rule stands apart because it is an aggressively active command: Do unto others. You are commanded to actively go out and work for the concrete betterment of others. The passive frameworks are just cheap knockoffs—like buying fake designer bags from Divisoria. True Christian community requires active sacrifice.

Fully Relying on Christ’s Work

Scripture expands on this active standard in other places. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us to do nothing from selfish ambition, but in humility count others as more significant than ourselves, looking directly out for their interests. Romans 15:2-3 instructs us to please our neighbors for their good and build them up, drawing a direct parallel to Jesus: “For Christ did not please himself.” Christ didn’t please himself; he went to a brutal cross to absorb our reproaches.

When you pair this with Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:48—”You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect”—the real point of the command is to show you that you are completely incapable of accomplishing it on your own.

Left to our own sinful natures, we are simply too selfish. I’m too selfish to even avoid repaying evil for evil sometimes; it’s why I have a couple of points on my driver’s license from how I handle traffic. Avoiding retaliation is just the baseline. Actively seeking the absolute best for others and sacrificing ourselves the way Christ did is impossible in our own strength.

We can only accomplish this through the reality of Philippians 2:13:

“For it is God who works in you both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

This is exactly what we celebrate at the communion table. Jesus Christ died to save us from the historical penalty of sin, and at the end of time, he will remove the presence of sin completely. But right now, while the presence of sin is still around us, his sacrifice provides the power for our ongoing sanctification. Every time we take communion, we remember his death not only out of deep gratitude for our salvation, but to allow him to break through our selfishness so he can work in and through us for his good pleasure.

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Sacrificial Love

Summary of my sermon, based on Luke 6:27-36. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on April 7, 2024.

One of my favorite activities during my time in Japan was walking. There were two main reasons for this. The first was a beautiful pond near my apartment called Sayama-Ike. The path around the pond was 2,850 meters long, and a full circuit along with the walk from my apartment to the pond and back covered almost exactly 4 km. The picture in my mind from April 2018, when the cherry blossoms were just starting to bloom, remains vivid to this day.

The second reason I loved walking in Japan was because I arrived there just a year after Pokémon Go had taken the world by storm. Almost as soon as I settled in, I got myself a pair of sweat-resistant Bluetooth earphones, and walking quickly became a daily ritual. I’d put on an audiobook, fire up Pokémon Go, and set off around Sayama-Ike. On weekends, especially when there were in-game events, I’d often go around the pond two or three times in an afternoon. Over the two years I lived in Japan, I ended up walking just over 2,500 km.

But this walking wasn’t just for leisure. In November 2017, I visited the island of Kyushu and took an overnight ferry to a hot spring town called Beppu. When I arrived, I noticed a number of exhausted participants trudging along the streets. It turned out they were completing the Yukuhashi ~ Beppu 100 km walk, and seeing them made me want to take on the challenge myself. I never got around to doing it, though. Despite all the walking I did in Japan, I never attempted that 100 km walk because, quite frankly, it seemed too hard. Walking 100 km in a single go, at an average speed of 5 km/h, would take 20 hours straight, and that’s assuming you maintain a steady pace. For most people, it’s a challenge that feels nearly impossible.

This story ties into today’s scripture, which many consider the “100 km walk” of the Bible—a challenge that seems insurmountable. We’re looking at a passage where Jesus commands something incredibly difficult: to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, and to pray for those who abuse us. In Luke 6:27-28, Jesus says, “But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (ESV). These words are not easy to digest. Loving God and loving our neighbors make sense, but loving our enemies? Allowing ourselves to be mistreated? This is a command that seems beyond our capacity to obey.

Yet, this is exactly what Jesus taught. From the last sermon in our series on the Beatitudes, we learned that God’s kingdom is anything but expected. It’s a kingdom where the poor, the hungry, the weeping, the hated, and the excluded are blessed. The Beatitudes serve as both an invitation to and preparation for the most difficult commands Jesus gives us.

So, what does Jesus mean when he commands us to love our enemies? It’s tempting to think He’s exaggerating for effect—a literary hyperbole. After all, most of us don’t have enemies in the dramatic sense of the word. But even if we don’t have people who actively hate us, we all encounter those who make life difficult, those who annoy us, or those who might not like us for reasons we don’t understand. Jesus’ command to love our enemies is not mere hyperbole; it’s a call to extend love and grace even in challenging circumstances.

Jesus goes on to provide concrete examples in Luke 6:29-31: “To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (ESV).

These examples may seem extreme, but the principles behind them are what matter most. The first principle is grace. We should be gracious when insulted or rejected, just as early Christians were often met with violence but continued to minister despite the rejection. The second principle is vulnerability; we should not seek revenge but remain open to those who wrong us, especially in the context of religious persecution.

The third principle is generosity. Jesus calls us to meet the needs of others, going beyond mere acts of charity to embody a lifestyle of giving. Finally, the fourth principle is the Golden Rule: “As you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31, ESV). This rule is not just about refraining from harm but actively doing good to everyone, including those who oppose us.

Jesus justifies this difficult command by pointing out that loving those who love us, doing good to those who do good to us, and lending expecting repayment are things even sinners do. But His disciples are called to a higher standard, one that reflects the love and mercy of God Himself. In Luke 6:35-36, Jesus says, “But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (ESV).

The ability to love in this way comes from a renewed perspective—one that looks beyond earthly rewards to the greater reward in heaven. As Colossians 3:1-2 instructs, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (ESV).

In conclusion, Jesus’ command to love our enemies is a daunting challenge, akin to a spiritual 100 km walk. But with a heavenly perspective, understanding that we are called to reflect God’s mercy and love, we can take on this challenge with the assurance that our efforts are not in vain.

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A Christian’s Love Life

Summary of my sermon, based on 1 John 3:11-18. Preached at Greenhills Christian Fellowship Toronto on February 26, 2023.

Japan, known for its reputation of friendliness, often confuses politeness with genuine friendliness. However, behind the facade, Japan can be an unfriendly place, evidenced by the rising rates of loneliness and unattended deaths. In a society where indifference can prevail, the call to love and serve one another becomes crucial.

The “ethic of reciprocity” is a principle found in various religions and cultures. While most versions express the negative form of “do not do to others what you don’t want done to yourself,” Jesus presents it positively: “do to others what you would have them do to you.” However, it is important to consider the full context of this teaching, as it sums up the Law and the Prophets.

Love One Another

Jesus emphasizes the command to love one another as a significant test of discipleship. The phrase “love your neighbor as yourself” complements the Golden Rule, extending beyond passive avoidance of harm to active love and service. The ethic of reciprocity sets a low bar, whereas Jesus calls us to a higher standard.

The message heard from the beginning, which encompasses the Gospel, emphasizes the call to love one another. Love becomes the outpouring of the Gospel, a mark of discipleship, and a reflection of God’s love for the world. It is not just an intellectual belief but a heartfelt action rooted in the message of salvation.

John links love for others with the assurance of eternal life. By demonstrating love for our brothers and sisters, we bear witness to our transformed lives. John contrasts this with the negative example of Cain, emphasizing that hatred and murder are incompatible with the eternal life found in Christ.

Serve One Another

Following Jesus’ example of sacrificial love, we are called to lay down our lives for one another. Love is demonstrated through service, going beyond mere words to tangible deeds. This sacrificial love is illustrated by Christ’s ultimate sacrifice for humanity while we were still sinners.

Jesus emphasizes that love involves sacrificial service. The command to love one another is coupled with the highest form of love—a willingness to lay down one’s life for friends. Christ’s death for sinners exemplifies the depth of God’s love, serving as a model for our love towards others.

Love is not confined to words alone; it requires practical action. We are called to bear one another’s burdens and generously share what we have. Such acts of service and generosity align with the law of Christ and please God.

While the “ethic of reciprocity” provides a baseline for human interaction, Jesus sets a higher standard through the command to love one another. Love becomes the outpouring of the Gospel, assurance of eternal life, and a call to sacrificial service. In a world marked by loneliness and indifference, let us embrace the transformative power of love, fulfilling the commandments of Christ and reflecting God’s love to others.