Matthew 7:12 In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

I.      “Therefore”

• In content of the rest of the Sermon on the Mount
• In context of “do not judge”
• In context of “Our Heavenly Father knows how to give good gifts”

II.     “In everything”– all-inclusive, all-consuming principle on human relationships

III.    “Treat people” – actively, persistently seeking

IV.     “The same way you want them to treat you”

• For their greater good
• Even if they fail to treat you that way

V.      “For this is the Law and the Prophets”

• This principle summarizes God’s Law
• This principle emphasizes the point of God’s Law

Conclusion:
If God is our heavenly Father, then we should imitate Him in the way we treat others.  We should treat others the way we would want them to treat us.  In doing so, we fulfill what our heavenly Father has commanded about our relationships to one another.