It’s My Right!
by David Cross
We live in a world obsessed by personal entitlement. Every need, every life-choice seems increasingly to be declared a right, indeed a human right, but there is no biblical basis for this popular way of thinking. To be valid, a right must be conferred by someone with the relevant authority; otherwise, it is simply self-proclaimed and therefore has no limit on what can be added to the list of entitlements. In fact, the only One who could legitimately confer so-called universal human rights on mankind would be our Creator, but He hasn’t done so.
If anyone could have claimed a position of privilege and entitlement, it would have been Jesus but, as we see from today’s verse, He did quite the opposite, as He humbly obeyed the instructions of His Father. Through His sacrifice on the Cross, He actually made it possible for us to claim the only entitlement that God has conferred on mankind, provided that we receive Jesus as Saviour: the right to be a child of God.
The Bible encourages us to see all of humanity as being hugely valuable to God, but it is very clear that there are no God-given rights apart from what is embraced within a covenant relationship with God through Jesus. We are called to have the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus Himself, setting aside the seductive pursuit of worldly entitlements and simply walking in dependence on our Heavenly Father for all that we need.
David Cross David is part of the Executive Leadership of Ellel Ministries, with particular responsibility for the Ellel centres in Western Europe. He is married to Denise and they have three grown up children and eight grandchildren. David has been a civil engineer and ski-touring instructor in the Highlands of Scotland. He is passionate about the teaching and practice of the healing and deliverance ministry of Jesus and has written several books: Soul Ties, Trapped by Control, God’s Covering, The Dangers of Alternative Ways to Healing(co-authored with John Berry), an A to Z Guide to the Healing Ministry, What`s Wrong with Human Rights? and, most recently, God`s Way out of Depression. You can follow a daily thought from David on Twitter: @dmcross62
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