Our Rights.

What are our rights? Let’s start at the very foundation. What are our rights with God? What do we deserve? According to God’s Word what we deserve is eternal death or hell. The Bible states that sin brings death—spiritual death here and eternal death in eternity. In Romans 6:23 the Bible says, “The wages of sin is death.” Do you want to get what you deserve? You can choose that, but it is a very dreadful and unwise chose. Eternity is a very long time. The time on earth may be 100 years but it is a drop in the ocean to what eternity will be.

In our culture there is a lot of focus on our rights and little or no focus on our responsibilities. In extreme Socialism the poor person believes it is their right to share in the riches of a rich man, even if they are not willing to work or take the risks of business or investments. The homo-sexual believes they have the right to be promoted and honored by our society, even thought the Bible defines the act as sin. (Leviticus 18:22; 20:13; Romans 1:24-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-10) Likewise, sex outside of marriage between a man and woman is sin, however, the Bible says that homo-sexuality is unnatural and a huge distortion of God’s plan. (1 Corinthians 6:18-19; etc., etc.) Should we promote immorality? This can apply to most aspects of today’s immorality and lack of moral foundation of our culture not just homo-sexuality and other sexual immorality.

We have lost the moral base of our society and nothing good will come of it. We can observe the results on our culture. Sure, we need to respect all people and express the love of God to them, but we do not need to promote their sin or the sin of our culture. There is a lot of focus on entitlement but none, or little, in general on morality and responsibility in our culture. If there is no right and wrong then our culture will continue to move toward social self-destruction.

People are fighting for their rights and often that means imposing their rights on the rights of others. The mother demands the rights of her body over the rights of the baby’s body. However, there can be forgiveness for those who have had an abortion in the past, in and through Jesus Christ. The illegal aliens want their rights as if they were citizens, even though they come to a country illegally. They want to impose what they believe is their rights on others to support their sin. However, people that are not of that country have basic human rights, although not as citizens, for all people are created in God’s image and of great value. Just because they are not citizens of a country that country has to honor the legal human rights of being a person and should not break the law to keep their law.

Imposing our rights on the rights of others brings is a huge distortion and an abuse of common sense in our society. It only produces a very selfish culture each on inflicting their way on another without consideration to the other. This leads to narcissism and corruption and abuse. It is as man old friend used to say, “It is like two ticks on a dog and pretty soon there is no dog.” The relationship crumbles. Even one tick can kill it, if it is very corrupt and bound up in its own entitlement and selfishness.

Unforgiveness, and the lack reconciliation can also destroy relationships. There must forgiveness from the heart and from there, there can be reconciliation when there is acknowledgement of wrong and asking for forgiveness. There must not be extortion, vengeance, manipulation or retaliation like the world practices, but amends when and where appropriate as AA states: “We must be willing to make amends where we have done harm, provided that we do not bring about still more harm in so doing.” Forgiveness from the heart can occur without reconciliation, but reconciliation is the best, however, it may not always be possible. In small things we can overlook them or absorb them in love, but in matters of great offense they must be dealt with in love. As the scripture states, “And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8).

The criminal believes it is his right to steal what you have because he had a bad childhood or was abused. It is a lot easier to steal than to work for it. Often it is a much faster way to get ahead. The drug dealer believes they can prey on the weakness of others to make huge profits, even though they may assist in destroying many people lives perhaps leading to their death. Something similar can also occur in business.

God in Jesus Christ shielded his status in humility, as God in the flesh to come to earth and be among us in love. He laid down his rights to redeem mankind. There was no other way for salvation to occur. As the Bible states, “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

The Apostle Paul although, he Biblically was due financial compensation for the spiritual ministry in which he labored, laid his rights aside so as not to hinder the gospel. (see 1 Corinthians chapter 9) Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s captures the scene; “Whereas the primal relationship of man to man is giving one, in the state of sin it is purely a demanding.”

Love is committed to the good of another. What rights, pleasures, comforts, and resources could you shield or set aside for awhile or dedicate to Jesus for the benefit of others. Grace is receiving what you don’t deserve. Could we not do the same as God has done for us and share that love with others? We don’t want to be hypocrites nor do we want to be a patsy. Let us be wise in how we love God’s way and in his strength. God’s love is far different from the world’s and much beyond it.

As the scripture states, “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So, glorify God in your body” (Romans 6:19-20).

What are our rights? The Bible verse previously quoted, in full states, “ the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23) It is a gift, it can’t be earned. Will you receive God’s gift confessing yourself as a sinner and committing to turning away from sin and to God. Pray and ask him to be your Savior and Lord. Ask the Lord to do a great work in you, deep in your heart, by the grace of God and then grow to be a disciple of Jesus as you co-operate with him and with discipline yourself to grow spiritually. Now is the “day of salvation.”