The Bible is a big book. I’ve written about it here and here, and I’ll probably never stop writing about it until the day I die. There are no Bibles in Heaven (which may surprise some people), but there are billions of Bibles on Earth. Sadly, most of them aren’t read.
The Bible is a big book with lots of words. Knowing that, and also knowing that most people won’t read the Bible, Jesus summed it up for us in seven simple words: TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD BE TREATED. He told us that is the Law and the prophets. It’s also the core of his gospel message: TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD BE TREATED. Whether you’re having a good day or a bad day, whether you’re sick or well, whether you’re (as Paul would say) “abased or abounding”, whether you’re hated or loved, you treat others as you would be treated. You don’t just treat Christians as you would be treated, you treat everyone as you would be treated, old and young, rich and poor, friend and foe, black, white, and everything in between.
When you do that, when you treat others as you would be treated, Jesus doesn’t just stand at the door and knock, he comes right in to live with you and brings God’s Holy Spirit with him, the same Spirit that was in the Old and New Testament prophets, and the same Spirit that was in Jesus during his time on Earth. You’ll know when God’s Holy Spirit has arrived because you’ll have no fear, the way Jesus had no fear. You’ll only have love and joy and compassion. Not once was Jesus shown to be anything but cool as a cucumber, even in his anger against the hypocrites, even when he was getting the bum’s rush from Nazareth, and even during his crucifixion. You don’t get cool like that on your own merits; that level of cool only comes from the presence of God’s Holy Spirit.
So when you treat others as you would be treated, in season and out, in good days and bad, God’s Spirit will be with you, and you’ll keep your cool. You’ll stand your spiritual ground. You’ll endure to the end, which is what we’re all here for. If you don’t treat others as you would be treated, God’s Spirit won’t come to live with you, you won’t keep your cool, and you won’t endure to the end, which means you won’t get to Heaven, no matter how hard you try.
Seven simple words: TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WOULD BE TREATED. That is the Law and the prophets and the gospel.
Do that, and you’ll live.
A BORN-AGAIN BELIEVER 
I’m an academic, and have read hundreds of books.
However, today I own only one book- the Bible and I’m reading that every day.
Imagine arriving in heaven and telling God that you found no time to read the Bible.
I do other other spiritual reading as well , but on-line.
Thanks for the post. 🤗
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You’re welcome, Sally.
I also have only one book now. Actually, I have several copies of the same book, since I read them so much they fall apart and I have to buy new ones and can’t bring myself to throw the old ones away. My storage unit is like an old folks home for geriatric Bibles. Plus, I like to have a Bible at hand wherever I am, so there’s one next to the bed and one next to my laptop and one in my purse, etc. I was actually thinking today of getting one of those teeny-tiny Bibles that fit into your pocket.
I used to have thousands of books and was a voracious reader from an early age. I’m still a voracious reader, but now I only read the Bible. I pretty much stopped reading everything else when I was born again 21 years ago. The Bible is like that pearl of great value that you give up every other book for.
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