Today everyone seems to be demanding their rights! We constantly hear cries such as these: "I am not being treated fairly!" "I am not getting what I deserve!" "I am the victim of discrimination!" If I want the same rights and privileges and opportunities as those people have!"
There are times when a person must stand up for his rights. Did the Apostle Paul claim his rights and privileges as a Roman citizen (Acts 22:25-29)? ______ Did a mother in Solomon’s day claim her right to have her own child (1 Kings 3:16-2-)? ______ Did Daniel claim his right to pray to His God (Daniel 6:4-13)? _______ Even the Declaration of Independence mentions certain unalienable rights (rights which belong to us and which must not be taken from us) such as Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The original purpose of our government was to secure and protect these basic rights.
There are other times when people must be careful not to demand rights that are wrong! Suppose you were to enter a bank and say, "I’m lacking money at this present time and I feel I have a right to possess enough money to purchase the things I need and want. Therefore I now claim my rights and demand that you hand over $5,000." Of course, the bank would have the right to call the police and have you thrown behind bars!
When someone demands certain rights which he is not entitled to, this results in bondage and not freedom. Freedom does not mean doing what you want to do. Let’s take the illustration of a freeway. Cars can move at high speed without interruption because there are laws, and my freedom to move is dependent upon the obedience of everybody there. If we were free to move in any direction, at any speed, in any lane, there wouldn’t be freedom for anybody. It would not be a freeway! True liberty comes by obeying the law--whether man’s laws (such as on the highway) or God’s laws (as found in the Bible).
Let us now consider some of the various groups of people who are demanding their rights today:
"We need higher wages!" "If our salaries are not increased we will go on strike!" "We must have better benefits and a generous retirement plan!" "We are not making enough to support our families!" "We want a four-day weekend!" "We should have a coffee break every half hour!" "We need to work less and earn more!" "Minimum wage should be $50.00 an hour!"
Did John the Baptist tell the soldiers to go on strike until their salary was increased (Luke 3:14)? _______ What should a Christian be content with (Hebrews 13:5)? __________________________________________ What two things are necessary to have in this life (1 Timothy 6:8)? 1) _____________ 2) _______________________ Will the Lord provide these things for His children (Matthew 6:25-34)? _______ What great sin means the opposite of CONTENTMENT and starts with the same letter (Colossians 3:5; Ephesians 5:3)? (this word means "the desire to have more, and MORE and MORE!").
The Bible has much to say about the MASTER-SLAVE (SERVANT) relationship which can be applied to the EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE or the BOSS-WORKER relationship today. What is the duty of the employee (worker) towards his employer (boss) according to Colossians 3:22 (circle the correct answer)?
GOD HAS GIVEN THE EMPLOYEE THE RIGHT TO OBEY HIS EMPLOYER, WORK HARD (Colossians 3:23) AND BE CONTENT WITH HIS WAGES! How happy is the worker who claims this right!
"I should get this job because my skin is green, and every company should hire a certain number of green-skinned people!" "I should be elected as Governor because I am a woman and this State has never had a woman Governor!" "I should play on this professional baseball team because I’m an Eskimo and there is not one Eskimo on this team!"
Today the government has produced such a thing as AFFIRMATIVE ACTION which means that people are often hired on the basis of race, nationality and sex rather than intelligence and ability to do the job. As a result many companies are forced to employ less-skilled and less-qualified workers. Suppose 20 people (8 Whites, 3 Blacks, 4 Indians, 2 Chinese, and 3 Italians) all applied for work at a company which had only 5 openings. Let’s assume that only the Blacks and Chinese applicants were really qualified and able to do the job. Let’s also assume that the Company had a regulation which said that at least one person from each race or nationality must be hired. How many UNQUALIFIED workers would this company hire? Suppose 10 men and 10 women were to apply for 6 job openings as secretaries at an insurance company which has a rule that an equal number of men and women must be hired. Assuming that none of the men type or do shorthand, how many unqualified people would get the job? _____________
Apparently the Lord Jesus Christ did not believe in AFFIRMATIVE ACTION. When He called His 12 disciples (Luke 6:13-16), not one woman was chosen. Also, only one nationality was represented (they were all Jews). Not one Gentile or Samaritan was selected! Almost all of the disciples were from the same region (Galilee) and the majority of them were fishermen. No Pharisee was included in the group and none of the twelve were Sadducees. Basically they all had the same color skin. Was the Lord guilty of discrimination? Perish the thought!
If a person wants to work for the Lord, he must be qualified. God hires people, not on the basis of color, nationality or sex, but on the basis of whether the person is qualified. God does not allow anyone to serve Him UNLESS that person is SAVED, SANCTIFIED (set apart), SUBMISSIVE and SURRENDERED! But if these qualifications are met, it does not matter if the person is male or female, black or white, Italian or Spanish. God is not a R_______________ of P______________ (Acts 10:34).
GOD GIVES EVERY PERSON THE RIGHT TO SERVE HIM (assuming they meet the qualifications)! How happy is the person who claims this right!
"I feel enslaved--let me get out of this house!" "I want equal employment opportunities--I deserve the same kind of jobs men are getting!" "For a woman to be ‘just a housewife’ seems to be the lowest form of slavery around." "I demand equal pay for equal work--if I hold the same position as a certain man, then I should get the same pay he gets." "I want the right to be ordained into the ministry and to be a pastor." "I demand my rights to have an abortion." "I’m a good ballplayer, so there is no reason why I should not play on this all male team!" "I want to be free from the responsibility of raising children--therefore we need more and more Child Care Centers!" "Women should have the same kind of jobs that men have, including holding public office, being President of the United States, being a military general, a soldier, serving as a garbage collector, etc."
God in His wisdom created man, and He created them ___________ and _____________
(Genesis 1:27). To each He gave different roles and responsibilities. The man was to
handle FOREIGN POLICY and the woman was to take charge of DOMESTIC POLICY. The man would
thus be responsible for defense, diplomacy and foreign exchange--for supplying and
defending the household. The woman is responsible for managing the household so that it is
worth defending and supplying. Together they complement each other and make a great team!
In Proverbs 31:10Ñ31 we have a description of a virtuous or godly woman. Is there
anything in these verses that speak of her DOMESTIC responsibilities (relating to her
household and her children, etc.)?
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Do you find the same in Titus 2:3-5? ____________________________________
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According to the Bible, who should go to war, males or females (Numbers 1:2-3, 20, 22, etc.)? _________________________ A man should be willing even to give his own life for his wife or children or country if necessary (compare Ephesians 5:25).
Does the Bible allow women to be preachers and pastors (1 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:34-35)? _____________
GOD HAS GIVEN WOMEN THE RIGHT TO SUBMIT TO THEIR HUSBANDS, TO LOVE THEIR CHILDREN, TO BE KEEPERS AT HOME AND TO LOOK WELL TO THE WAYS OF THEIR HOUSEHOLDS. How happy is the wife and mother who claims this right!
"I want the government to protect me from my parents, especially from terrible child abuse, such as spanking!" "I demand the right to sue my parents!" "I want to be liberated from all parental authority!" "I want to be able to choose my own parents, and if I don’t like the ones I was born to, then I should have the right to ‘divorce’ them and find some better ones." "There should be a minimum wage of $10.00 an hour for household chores!" "I want to move to Sweden where spanking is outlawed and where children really have rights!"
According to Ephesians 6:1-2, what are a child’s two basic duties towards his parents? 1) _____________________ 2) ___________________________ GOD HAS GIVEN EACH CHILD THE RIGHT TO OBEY HIS PARENTS IN ALL THINGS AND TO HONOR THEM WITH ALL DUE RESPECT. How happy is the boy or girl or teen who claims this right!
"As a homosexual, I believe I should be treated as any other person!" "I have a right to teach in a public school." "More and more homosexuals should be given opportunities to run for public office." "We do not want to be discriminated against, but we want you all to recognize that we have a legitimate cause!" "I demand the right to be a member of a Bible believing church and to eventually be ordained as a pastor!"
Could you imagine if a group of murderers or thieves got together and demanded similar rights? What if all adulterers banded together to seek equal rights and acceptance in society? What does God think of the terrible sin of homosexuality (Leviticus 18:22; 1 Corinthians 6:9)? ____________________________________
GOD HAS GIVEN EVERY HOMOSEXUAL THE RIGHT TO REPENT OF HIS SINS AND COME TO THE SAVIOUR TO RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS AND THE NEW LIFE THAT IS FOUND ONLY IN HIM (1 Corinthians 6:11). How happy is the homosexual who claims this right and who allows the living God to transform a sinner into a saint!
All men have been given the right to have a SAVIOUR, because the Bible says that the living God is the ___________________ of all ________ (1 Timothy 11:10). Though God is WILLING to save _____ men (1 Timothy 2:4), He ACTUALLY saves only those who _______ (1 Timothy 11:10).
GOD HAS GIVEN TO EVERY MAN THE RIGHT AND PRIVILEGE AND OPPORTUNITY TO KNOW HIM AND BELIEVE ON HIM AND HAVE HIS VERY BEST!
How happy is the man or woman, boy or girl who claims this right! God has also given men the right to REJECT the Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:18; 3:36). God does not force men to come to the Saviour! He has given men the right to remain in their sins (John 8:24)! God is very discriminating when it comes to heaven. No unbelievers are allowed (Revelation 21:8)!
Very little is said today about God’s rights. Does not the Creator have some rights? Does He not have the right to be heard? Does He not have the right to be believed? Does He not have the right to be honored and worshipped? Does He not have the right to be the Boss? Does He not have the right to tell me what to do and how to live? ARE YOU GIVING UNTO GOD THE RIGHTS THAT BELONG TO HIM? How happy is the man or woman, boy or girl who lets God have the right and freedom to simply be God!
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