You Have the Right

Read Philippians 2:1-30

3. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.
4. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.
5. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.
6. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.
7. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form,
8. he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.
9. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10. that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11. and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Philippians 2:3-11

Perhaps no other topic today—except for salvation—is more obscured by falsehood than that of rights. Just about everyone thinks that he or she is entitled to a long list of rights not guaranteed by the Bible or the Constitution. For instance, some people believe they have the right to do illegal drugs. Others think they have the right to play their stereos loud any hour of the night. Some even believe they have the right to break the law and get away with it.

Clearly, the demand for rights has gotten out of hand in America. But Paul has an antidote for Christians caught up in or dismayed by a rights-obsessed society. His advice is to imitate Christ, who sacrificed his rights as God’s own Son to save his people. As you read, consider how you can become more like Christ, our humble Lord and Savior.

Jesus had the right to be worshiped, obeyed, and honored as God. Yet he did not lay claim to that right. Instead he lowered himself, gave up his rights, and died a humiliating death for our sins. He had more rights than anyone will ever have, and he gave them all up to save his people (Philippians 2:5-11).

All kinds of evil deeds have been committed in the name of rights. Selfish attitudes, such as “I deserve it,” “It’s my right,” and “You have no right to stop me,” have been used to justify cheating, abortion, materialism, and countless other sins.

Those who follow Christ must not only refuse to selfishly uphold their rights but avoid having selfish attitudes as well. Instead, believers should allow God to develop an attitude of humility within them.