Introduction
“One of the greatest disciplines in spiritual life is the darkness that comes not on account of sin, but because the Spirit of God is leading you from walking in the light of your conscience to walking in the light of the Lord.” Oswald Chambers – Biblical Psychology
As followers of Christ, we’re often taught that surrendering our rights is essential to living a life of true discipleship. But what does it mean to give up our rights? And how do we understand God’s perspective on this concept?
When we speak of our rights, we usually think of things that are automatically ours, things that no one can take away from us. We say things like “I have a right to freedom,” or “I have a right to happiness.” But when God speaks of our rights, He often implies a responsibility. In fact, the Bible teaches us that our rights come with obligations.
Consider the Ten Commandments, for example. Each commandment outlines not only what we can and cannot do, but also why we should act in certain ways. We’re not just given rules to follow; we’re given principles to live by. And when we obey these principles, we’re exercising our rights as God’s children.
When the Commandment says, “Thou shall not murder.” it is also saying – I have a right not to be murdered.
But surrendering our rights means more than just following rules or living according to principle. It means trusting God with our lives and recognizing that He is sovereign over all things. When we give up our rights, we’re acknowledging that His way is better than ours, and that He has a plan for us that’s bigger than anything we can imagine.
So how do we surrender our rights? We start by recognizing that we have them in the first place. Then, we begin to let go of control and trust God with every area of our lives. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
In Romans 12:1-2, Paul writes:
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God—this is your true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Ten Biblical Rights We Have as Christians (Click here for source)
When I said above that “You have no rights”, I’m expressing that those we do have should come under God’s control. In other words, we relinquish what rights we think we have and adopt those given to us by our Father. We do have rights, but these can only be understood by the spirit. Remember – spirit speaks to spirit. Consider the following and their associated scriptures.
1. We have the divine right to participate in God’s life.
“…that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:15 ESV
2. We have the right to participate in God’s nature.
“…by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” 2 Peter 1:4 ESV
3. We have the divine right to participate in God’s mind.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,” Philippians 2:5 ESV
4. We have the divine right to participate in God’s being and preach.
“To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ,” Ephesians 3:8-9 ESV
5. We have the divine right to participate in God’s image.
“For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” Romans 8:29 ESV
6. We have the divine right to participate in God’s glory.
“And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.” Romans 8:30 ESV
7. We have the divine right to participate in God’s sonship.
“…he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…” Ephesians 1:5 ESV
8. We have the divine right to participate in God’s manifestation.
“For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” Romans 8:19 ESV
9. We have the divine right to bear God’s likeness.
“Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him…” 1 John 3:2 ESV
10. We have the divine right to be God-kind—God’s species.
“..since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable…” 1 Peter 1:23 ESV
We should be deeply involved in all ten of these “Rights”. In the world we live in, these rights are seldom visible, especially to the unbeliever. However, this is true even within Christian communities. By Biblical standards, we have no worldly rights. We gave them up when we turned our lives over to Jesus Christ and live a life of total abandonment, receiving back only what He allows.
Arguing
Arguing with someone, even with God, expresses our nature to be in control. I’m sure you’ve heard them all: “I’m right and you’re wrong…”, “I have my rights…”, “I have a say in this thing…” “I’m the parent, my child will not talk to me this way”. When you argue, whether you are right or wrong, you assume rights you do not have. You are seeking control. To a believer, as soon as you defend yourself, you are wrong. It has little to do with being right or wrong in the contention or whether your opponent is right or wrong, but are you setting an example of God’s way to handle disputes? Pray for your accuser, pray, and do not accuse. Bite your tongue. Say nothing. You will never win over your accuser by confronting them; you will only make the matter worse.
How deep are you in Christ? Are you deep enough, and do you have the patience to let Him defend your position? Much of this has to do with humility. Are you willing to be humble and take the heat without rebuttal?
Hurt Feelings: A Call to Forgiveness
Christ knew the weight of humanity’s sinfulness. He saw the darkness in men’s hearts, yet His response was not hurt or anger, but forgiveness and love. At Golgotha, He sweated blood, but it wasn’t a sign of emotional pain – it was a demonstration of His unwavering conviction that God’s will would be done.
He didn’t react with hurt feelings because He knew that men don’t earn forgiveness; they can only receive it as a gift. And so, He offered Himself as the ultimate sacrifice, bearing the weight of our sins on the cross.
In this same spirit, we’re called to forgive those who have wronged us. Not because they deserve it, but because we’ve been given undeserved mercy and grace ourselves. When we choose forgiveness, we don’t minimize the harm done or excuse the sin; we release its hold on us and break free from the cycle of hurt.
Forgiveness isn’t easy, but it’s essential. It’s a choice to love like God loves – not based on our feelings or circumstances, but on His unchanging character. So let’s choose forgiveness today and experience the freedom that comes with it.
In short, you don’t even have the right to hurt feelings.
Sympathy
Exercise the Will and the Word
I spoke a little about the Will and the Word in my paper titled “Echo”. Click here. The Will and the Word is the Will and Word of Jesus Christ expressed through us as believers. It is the single most powerful action a Christian can do. Instead of expressing our “Rights,” which are most often generated from feelings of self within ourselves, let us express the Will and the Word of Christ. “Will” to follow Him under all circumstances. This expression need not be voiced, and probably should not be when we are engaged in an argument, but it must be lived if we are to continue calling ourselves Christian.
First Things First
God wants you in the right relationship with Him before you can be in the right relationship with others. To do this, your nature must be changed. Your name will become “Christian” because you act Christian. This is a recognized behavior, not a self-proclaimed one. For example, someone may call themselves a prophet because they want to be a prophet but have never been divinely called and recognized as one by the Church.
The Ten Virgins
In Matthew 25:1-13, we read the story of the ten virgins. There are many twists to the interpretation of this parable. I’ll keep it simple and interpret it this way for this paper. All virgins are Christians. Five walk the walk, and five only look like they walk the walk. The five who are Christian in name only may not go up in the Rapture. That’s right, not all Christians may not all going to the raptured. This is seldom thought of but carries significant consideration. Simple. What name are you authorized to carry according to God’s will? This is not a name you can just claim. It is a name given to you as a believer and follower of the faith.
What is Your Name
Names are very important in the Bible. They are much more important than we make them out to be today. There are over six hundred names for God in the Bible. They reflect His attributes, character, and relationship with humanity. Each name serves as a window into a particular aspect of His nature, offering believers a deeper understanding of their faith. For us, a name reflects your personality, your attributes, who you are, and your lineage, and for some, it reflects what you do for a living (i.e, Alderman, Baker, Cartwright, Cooper, Skinner, etc. etc.) The Bible states that we have a new name, which is currently a mystery.
“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers, I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it.” Revelation 2:17 ESV
“The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” Revelation 3:12 ESV
The term Christian is also a name. Being born again, we can now call ourselves by the name Christian. If you are to call yourself a Christian, you need to live as a Christian. You must live this life you are called to. If you do not, you are like the Pharisees—hypocrites.
Ask yourself, are you a “…friend of God” or merely an acquaintance?
Example: If you think you are called to be a prophet and study to be a prophet, and go around acting like a prophet, are you a prophet? I say no. Unless the Church recognizes you, by your actions, as a prophet, you are not. The same is true of those who call themselves Christians.
One of the primary reasons for water baptism is to announce to the world and be recognized by the world that you are a Christian – a born-again follower of Jesus Christ. However, if you stop there and do not continue to build that relationship with your redeemer, you have stopped following and are a hypocrite. You will have no “oil” in your lamp as five of the ten vergins.
You need to change your name or change your behavior.
Conclusion
You have no worldly rights!! Either change your behavior or change your name. The five virgins who did not enter the wedding feast suddenly realized their shortcomings, but it was too late. They went back for more “oil”. My wife and I have discussed the Rapture many times. Will you be taken away or will you be left behind?
People say, “What a fool you are! Why don’t you insist on your rights? Jesus Christ says, “If you are My disciple, you will insist only on your right to give up your rights.” From Biblical Psychology – Oswald Chambers.
Enough Said
“Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of hosts.” Jeremiah 15:16 ESV
