This verse is well known and even quoted by people outside the Christian faith. It has a 'ring of rightness' about it. Although we may justify many things we do, this 'Golden Rule' (as some people call it) is a test of righteousness: would we like others to do this to us, and would we want to hear those words from the lips of other people? It is a check to prevent our selfish ambitions taking hold of our lives; but it is more than that.

We find it relatively easy to do some good things and to restrain ourselves from some evils; but to do so all the time is impossible. Our hearts have been corrupted by Satan's lies: even our best motives are tainted and our finest actions are not consistent (Isaiah 64:6). Although God's law demands perfection, we do not achieve it - sin is too deeply embedded. However the religious leaders of Jesus' day thought that they could be perfect by keeping little religious rules, even though their everyday lives failed Jesus' test in this verse.

The Old Testament Law defined good and bad behaviour. But the Old Testament Prophets said that God's people had failed to keep the Law. The problem was not in their actions but in their hearts. Trying to do good with an unrighteous heart will always lead to religious hypocrisy. That is why Jesus said in Matthew 5:20, "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." The Pharisees certainly tried to do good, but they failed to do it 'in everything' because they had not asked God for a new heart (Jeremiah 29:13, Joel 2:12). Their religious pride prevented them being hungry for the right kind of heart.

Consistent righteous living is impossible without a heart which is fixed on the Lord; desiring what He desires and being willing to obey whatever the cost. In comparison, religious activities are easy: presenting our rehearsed devotions to admiring people. The Lord is not looking on the outside, but the inside (1 Samuel 16:7). And yet what is truly inside comes to the surface in the unprepared and stressful times (Matthew 15:19). So although the 'Golden Rule' of this verse is an excellent test of our hearts, we cannot change our hearts by manipulating our behaviour. First we need to seek the Lord with all our heart, and then He will enable us to live in a way which pleases Him and our neighbours and work colleagues.