What Are My Rights?

A few years ago my husband preached on this subject (not necesarrily the title). It really caught my attention.

Do you notice in the society that we live in today how often you hear people talking about their rights? Do you notice how often you hear the phrase "It's against my human rights?" I hear this so much that it nearly makes me ill. It is very misused and abused.

We as Christians can many times get caught up in this problem also, as my husband so lovingly pointed out. The Bible says in I Corinthians 6:19-20, "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

To make things short and sweet, as my husband said, "WE HAVE NO RIGHTS!!!" The only rights that we have are to spend an eternity in Hell. If we are the Lord's, then we know that we cannot do that. It says in I Cor. 6:20 that we are bought with a price. If we go into a store and buy something then we gain the right to have whatever we bought to work properly and able to be used for its purpose, correct? Well, since Jesus paid the price for our salvation He gained the rights to us. He has the right to expect us to do as we should not as we wish. NO RIGHTS!

Our rights are listed in Romans 12:1-2, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." These are all things that we cannot do on our own. The same One who bought us is also the same One that equips us to do and be what He wills.

I'm not sure about you, but I'd rather live without MY rights. When I am having my way and I'm in control of things they tend to get messy and all warped out of joint, then I'm miserable. When I live as He would have me to, which means surrendered to HIS will (with MY rights dead and buried beneath the cross); life may not be a bed of roses, but there is a peace that passeth all understanding.

Whose rights would you rather be under?
1. Your own, which is mostly for selfish gain and self gratification or
2. The Lord's, who's ways are perfect, just, holy, etc., etc.

Until the Shout,
Country Mama