The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)

“The Golden Rule is a ‘call to creativity.’ Far from being a wooden rule to look back and ‘do to others what others have done to you,’ which would be counsel to reciprocate proportionally, it is counsel to look forward and to anticipate what others would like done and so be initiatory. And Jesus’ command to act in this creative way applies not only to disciples’ relations with other disciples, but with all human beings, as the use of the word ‘people’ rather than ‘brothers’ or even ‘neighbors’ indicates.”

— Bruner, Matthew, A Commentary

The Role of the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)

“[Jesus] is saying that our attitude to the law of God is an index of our attitude to God himself. If we treat the law lightly and encourage others to do so, we show that we are strangers to the promise of the new covenant in Christ. But if we love and keep even the least of the Lord’s commandments, and we encourage others to do so as well, that is a sure mark that we love Christ and belong to his kingdom.”

— Sinclair Ferguson

Paul's Words of Encouragement (Acts 13:13-52)

“The highest of all of God’s commands is this: that we ever hold up before our eyes the image of his dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. He must daily be to our hearts the perfect mirror, in which we behold how much God loves us and how well, in his infinite goodness, as a faithful God, he has grandly cared for us in that he gave his dear Son for us. Do not let this mirror and throne of grace be torn away from before your eyes.”

—Martin Luther, Letters of Spiritual Counsel