As I was driving home this morning, I was listening to a Christian radio station. I usually don't listen to Christian stations unless music is playing, but the program that was being aired really caught my attention. The part that caused me to ponder and to examine my life was talking about as Christians, if we are living as a disciple of Christ, we have to give up certain rights. I knew that, but, the program got really specific. Here are a list of rights that Elizabeth Elliot came up with if that we are to surrender to Christ as we live for Him and become more like Him:- The right to take revenge (Rom. 12:19-20)
- The right to have a comfortable, secure home (Luke 9:57-58)
- The right to spend our money however we please (Matt. 6:19-21)
- The right to hate an enemy (Matt. 5:43-48)
- The right The right to live life by our own rules (John 14:23-24)
- The right to hold a grudge (Colossians 3:13)
- The right to fit into society Rom. 12:2, Gal. 1:10)
- The right to do whatever feels good Gal.5:16-17,1 Peter 4:2)
- The right to complain Phil. 2:14
- The right to put self first Phil. 2:3-4
- The right to express one's sexuality in ways that are contrary to the WAYS of God (1 Cor. 6:18-20)
- The right to rebel against authority (1 Peter 2:13-15)
- The right to sue another believer 1 Cor. 6:1-8)
- The right to end a disappointing marriage (Matt. 5:31-32)
Re you willing to give up your rights?
What about the right to say when the authority of God's word matters and when it doesn't matter?
ReplyDeleteJust food for thought but Ps. 118:8, Pr. 30:5-6 and many other verses warn against putting the authority of God's word in subjection to non-Bible sources. However, as the saying goes, one has to take off their own shoes before they can take a walk in someone else's moccasins, and similarly, when it comes to cases of The Bible vs. Tradition, one has to be willing to let go of the traditions of men in order to see the truth that is hidden in plain sight in the text of scripture.
BelovedDiscipleBibleStudy.com has a free eBook that just compares scripture with scripture in order to highlight the facts in the plain text of scripture that are usually overlooked about the “other disciple, whom Jesus loved”. You may want to weigh the testimony of scripture that the study cites regarding the one whom “Jesus loved” and may find it to be helpful as it encourages bible students to take seriously the admonition “prove all things”.
This is only one example, but if we get to cast aside God's word on any issue, then we can cast it aside whenever we don't like what it says.