The Platinum Rule
Teach Us To Pray
February 2, 2020
Rev. Gabe Sylvia
The sermon links Matthew 7:12's Golden Rule with the Lord's Prayer petition for forgiveness, teaching that forgiveness is an active, costly reality grounded in Christ's substitutionary atonement and that what we give others (mercy) affects what we receive from God (renewing grace).
Summary
This message explains that Jesus' Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12) and the fifth petition of the Lord's Prayer—'forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors'—call believers to extend active, costly forgiveness to others. Scripture defines forgiveness as cancellation and pardon, accomplished ultimately by Christ's substitutionary sacrifice, which allows God to declare believers not guilty. While salvation is by grace and not by works, the life of the kingdom is reciprocal: the mercy we dispense to others is tied to the sustaining, empowering grace we access from God, so failing to forgive hinders that grace; therefore we pray for renewed, life-giving forgiveness toward one another.
Key Points
- Matthew 7:12 (the Golden Rule) frames how we should live toward others.
- The Lord's Prayer's fifth petition asks for forgiveness and presumes we recognize our ongoing sin.
- Biblical forgiveness means to cancel, pardon, blot out—an active and costly action.
- Old Testament sacrifice pointed to the need for atonement; Jesus paid our penalty as our substitute.
- We ask God to forgive us on the basis of Christ's sacrifice; because we are forgiven, we can forgive others.
- Jesus links what we receive from God to what we give others: 'forgive us as we forgive our debtors.'
- Salvation is by grace, not works, but kingdom life is reciprocal—refusing mercy damages our access to sustaining grace.
- The sermon closes with a prayer of thanks for grace and a plea for renewed, empowering forgiveness among believers.
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