Rights? Or no rights?

We as American’s have been taught since we were born that we have our rights. We have a right to our own opinion, a right to be ourselves, a right to work hard and get rich, a right to own our own things, the list goes on! It’s also been taught to us that if someone infringes on those rights we have a right to get mad and take action and do what it takes to “have our rights”. Even criminals have rights! When someone gets arrested the first thing the police officer tells them is their list of rights.

So, when it comes to Christianity, how does all this fit? I think sometime when we come into the kingdom of God we treat it the same way. We think we still have our “rights”. We have a right to do what we want, we have a right to feel comfortable, we have a right to go to church where we want, we have a right to our own opinion, we have our rights!

1 Cor. 7:23 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for by Christ]; then do not yield yourselves up to become [in your own estimation] slaves to men [but consider yourselves slaves to Christ].

1 Cor. 6:20 You were bought with a price [purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own]. So then, honor God and bring glory to Him in your body.

Romans 6:18 And having been set free from sin, you have become the servants of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in thought, purpose, and action).

Romans 6:22 But now since you have been set free from sin and have become the slaves of God, you have your present reward in holiness and its end is eternal life.

Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

So, in light of this, do we have our rights? Yes, we have a right to the things that God has provided for us, we have a right to health, wholeness, peace, hope, strength and all that God has for us. But we don’t have a right to ourselves. We were slaves to sin. We couldn't get free, even if we wanted to. God made a way and sent His son and freed us! The only way that could be done was to pay the price for sin. Jesus bought our freedom with His life. Now, we are slaves and servants to God! It isn’t a slavery is bondage, its a servant hood that we have to daily choose! We have to daily choose to lay down our own rights and our own wants and pick up that servant-life to Christ.

When we truly understand that Christ bought us, and purchased our freedom, how could we do anything less than be a slave to Him? How could I put my “rights” before His plan?

He has such good things for us! When we lay down our lives and say to Him “not my will, but Yours, not my rights but Yours, not my plan but Yours” then God can use for big things!