What’s Wrong With Rights?

“It’s my rights!” This common human cry today is the consequence of man’s search for justice, but it’s without reference to God. The promotion of so-called innate human rights and privileges may be well-meaning, but it’s not consistent with the Word of God. God’s made it clear that, in His Kingdom, true rights are solely dependent on obedience to a covenant relationship with Him, through Jesus. Jesus came to deal with man’s sin, as it was sin that caused us to lose the rights God gave us at creation.

The existence of true human rights isn’t simply the consequence of our physical birth, as the world chooses to claim, but rather the consequence of ‘spiritual rebirth’ into God’s family. Without doubt we all have extraordinary innate value, but God alone has the authority to confer legitimate rights to human beings once again.

Jesus not only explained the true meaning of God’s laws as He walked on the earth, but He also fulfilled them. He clearly showed the way God sees the issues of authority and rights. He didn’t exercise His rightful and, in fact, supreme, authority by self-proclaimed privilege, but by humbling Himself to be perfectly obedient to the Father. Jesus is our model today.

"Let this same attitude, purpose and humble mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. Let Him be your example in humility. Although being essentially one with God and in the form of God, possessing the fullness of attributes which make God God, did not think this equality with God was a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained; but stripped Himself of all privileges and rightful dignity so as to assume the guise of a servant or slave, in that He became like men and was born a human being. And after He appeared in human form He abased and humbled Himself still further and carried His obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross! Therefore because He stooped so low, God has highly exalted Him and has freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name" (Philippians 2:5-9).

Prayer: Thank You, Father, that, through receiving Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I have the right to become a child of God, with all the amazing privileges that flow from that fact. Remind me to remain in humble obedience to You and avoid the trap of claiming rights that aren’t from You. Amen.