“Do To Them Likewise” (Luke 6:27-31)

"Give to everyone who asks of you. And from him who takes away your goods do not ask them back. "And just as you want men to do to you, you also do to them likewise.

Love others, and do them good, even if they wrong you.

We are not “eye for an eye” people. We have obtained mercy, so we're under orders to be gracious and merciful. We can't take the water of life without being changed into the image of Him who gives it.

The gospel isn't a message that makes the character less important than the law. The law makes your behavior the basis of salvation; the gospel makes it the fruit or evidence, the result. The law demands holiness or punishes; the gospel GIVES holiness because Christ died for you, and there is no condemnation, no eye for an eye from God, for He paid you back in the Son, unto death.

Don't live a hateful, judgmental life. Jesus said, “Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven... For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:37). Therefore, deal with people upon the basis of the mercy that you've received. This doesn’t mean you tolerate wrongs without reproof. He says elsewhere, “Take heed to yourselves. If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgiven him” (Luke 17:3). We are allowed to stand up for ourselves and call for help if someone harms us. But, our attitude is love towards your vilest enemies. He teaches us plainly, “But I say to you who hear: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, and pray for those who spitefully use you” (Luke 6:27). Live to win them over God's way, doing GOOD to those who've harmed you.

We hear of horrible things happening to people, but when they forgive, the damage is unable to keep them down. They've conquered.

You hear stories of reconciliation, how love prevails in the end. Someone was offended or angry, and perpetual love broke them. Even the prodigal came back because he knew his father treated the servants well.

Be loving, not vengeful or indifferent. Stretch yourself out to those who've smitten you, turning the other cheek, and loving again (1 Kings 17:21). He who is our King says, “To him who strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also” (Luke 6:29). Give to those who need it, even if “thanks” isn't on their tongue, and give in the freeness of your soul.

Merit makes men mean; mercy makes them godly.

Be Perfect As Your Father is Perfect (Matt 5:31-48)

“For if you love them which love you, what reward have you? Do not even the publicans the same? And if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be you therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect (Vs46-48).”

We are to behave ourselves as God commands, so that we can be like Him, doing the will of God from the heart, in conformity to His image.

God makes us like Himself in regeneration. Now, live like it. All that is commanded is what you are, and it is what we’re to pursue, if we believe.

1. We are faithful to the marriage covenant because God has commanded us to be – “But I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication causes her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced commits adultery” (Matt 5:32). It has nothing to do with what I want, etc. It has everything to do with God who is faithful to me. And, if God’s glory in Jesus Christ isn’t enough to rule us, then we don’t believe the glory we profess. The grace of God TEACHES us to obey Him, even as it teaches us that obedience was earned for us at the cross, that when the Son of God DIED, He procured to Himself the right to give obedience to all of His people, and He, by the Spirit, brings obedience to pass – “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world” (Titus 2:11-12). This isn’t puny man made grace that can be stopped; this is God’s grace that teaches His elect to walk uprightly, even as He teaches us Christ died for us.

Now, when we have home problems, we remember the love of Him who loved us, and we get STRENGTH, not from the situation or the spouse, but from God’s WORD of command and God’s GRACE to perform. Grace doesn’t change the fact that men live holy in God’s eyes; grace is the way.

2. God is a King, and we are to speak the truth always, “But let your communication be, Yes, yes; No, no: for whatsoever is more than these comes of evil” (Matt 5:33-37). We are not people who swear and then say truth, but without an oath, we speak the truth, and our yes is yes and our no is no.

God sees truth as beautiful, for He saved us by it, keeping His word. And, if He values truth, then He makes us TRUTHFUL, like Himself. Salvation ends in our absolute conformity to God, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is” (I John 3:2).

3. We go the extra mile that God goes with us, “You have heard that it has been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: but I say unto you, That you resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also… and whosoever shall compel you to go a mile, go with him two” (Matt 5:38-41). We help men from the heart, not because we are keeping tabs, but because we are judged by the law of freedom. We are free from getting our merit, so we don’t deal with men according to what we think they deserve. We deal with God in Christ, so we also look to Christ in dealing with men who have sinned against us.

We are not those who sit back and say, “All hope is lost. I will be mean.” I’ve heard of pastors trying to be as mean as possible to discourage people from the ministry, but you only disobey God. Let us walk as He gave us commandment and leave the Judge of all the earth to sift between the evil and the good – “Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21). The God of glory pays all who hate Him to their face, and He will exact revenge. But, don’t let their evil keep you from God.

4. God is good to the just and the unjust, and we are to be that way too, “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute; that you may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Matt 5:44-45). We are not to have a church face or a face among the church members, and then be cruel to people that we esteem below us, “For if you love them which love you, what reward have you… and if you salute your brethren only, what do you more than others? Do not even the publicans so (Matt 5:46-47).” Just as God is GOOD to the wicked and the just, even so we love men who are good and men who are bad. We don’t look down our nose to anyone, but we seek to do everyone good by the grace of God in Christ.

Until I have seen everyone believe, there is growth in my prayers, rather than condemnation. Rather than point the finger at others, we REPENT and grow ourselves, doing good to sinners because God does good to us. He loved us when we were unjust, made us righteous, forgives our sins, and helps us now. He didn’t wait on a merit system that we performed, and we won’t either.