Riiiiiight(s)…

In the news and social media I have been bombarded with that talk about rights. “We have rights! Our rights are being taken away, They are trying to control us.” It got me to thinking about my place in society as a Christian. What are my rights and how do I fight for them? Do I fight for them at all? Do I work within the framework set forward by the government to keep us safe? Are all the protocols that are in place really needed? As a free worshiping Church should we be allowed to physically gather?

It is a lot so I decided to see what the Bible had to say about this. What do I do when I feel as though my rights are being infringed upon? How do I respond? This is the question that each person has to answer for themselves. My hope is that with this article that you have more information that is helpful to aide you in this position.

Here are some Bible verses that have been used in in the past to justify standing up and being loud about it:

1) Galatians 5:1 - It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. 

2) Acts 18:9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent.”

3) 1 John 4:1 - Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

4) 1 Corinthians 16:13 Be alert, stand firm in the faith, act like a man, be strong.

5) Proverbs 31:8 Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute.

6) John 2:15 - So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.

Yes, I believe that maybe a few of these verses are taken out of context but they are about acting against injustice and they show an active pursuit of making things right. I don’t think they are telling us that we are supposed to be passive.

I want to look at the other side this discussion:

1) 2 Corinthians 11:16-33  - I repeat: Let no one take me for a fool. But if you do, then tolerate me just as you would a fool, so that I may do a little boasting. In this self-confident boasting I am not talking as the Lord would, but as a fool. Since many are boasting in the way the world does, I too will boast. You gladly put up with fools since you are so wise! In fact, you even put up with anyone who enslaves you or exploits you or takes advantage of you or puts on airs or slaps you in the face. To my shame I admit that we were too weak for that! Whatever anyone else dares to boast about—I am speaking as a fool—I also dare to boast about. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they Abraham’s descendants? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? (I am out of my mind to talk like this.) I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have laboured and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.

2) Matthew 26:52 -"Put your sword back in its place," Jesus said to him, "for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.

3) John 18:36 - Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.”

4) Romans 13:1-7 - Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.  Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves. For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same; for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil. Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing. Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

5) 1 Peter 2:13-17 - Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.  Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

There it is, cut and dry right? NOPE! It is hard to know what to do with this. I can offer my perspective here but here is the thing, I can’t make the choice for you. Each person has to decide for themselves how to respond to this topic.

I am reminded of King David before he was king. He and King Saul did not get along near the end of Saul’s reign, AT ALL. Saul tried to kill David a few times and David was going to kill Saul at one point, or at least let Saul know that he could have killed him if he wanted to. King Saul was “relieving himself” in a cave and while he was doing that David got close to him without his knowledge and cut a piece of his robe off to let him know he could have kill the corrupt King. Then he did something that I think is worth looking at.

1 Samuel 24:6-7 - [David] said to his men, 'The LORD forbid that I should do such a thing to my master, the LORD's anointed, or lift my hand against him; for he is the anointed of the LORD.' With these words David rebuked his men and did not allow them to attack Saul. And Saul left the cave and went his way." 

Paul also tells us this:

Philippians 2:3-9 - "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: 

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death -- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name…

What do we do with all of this?

Stand up, flip tables, make whips, find the truth, don’t be silent, speak for those who can’t speak for themselves, obey, put away your weapons, suffer for the gospel, set an example. It seems inconsistent. There are times When Jesus himself resulted to name calling (Matthew 23).

So how do we know how to respond to this? What do we do? We are called to be Christ-like. Jesus was brought to the cross to make his point and save humanity. He could have sparked a revolution that would have shook the foundations off the planet. Jesus at times got angry but who did he get angry at? When he got angry how did he respond? He called Peter Satan. He called religious leaders vipers and snakes. He said that people who lead children astray should tie a brick around their necks and throw themselves into the lake. Not very passive.

I think we need to remember that our destination is NOT anywhere on earth, as we know it. It is HIS kingdom as it is promised. We must use discernment to know when to act and when to set an example. When God was being misrepresented was when Jesus got angry. It was when people who should have known better abused their power or disobeyed that he would cleanse a temple.

Did Jesus abuse Pilot? Did he attack the Romans? No. Did he even speak out to them? No. He went quietly to a beating and death. They wouldn’t know enough to be able to understand. Pilot tried to talk to him about what was going on and he couldn’t understand it. But what happened after he died? A Roman soldier saw Jesus for who he was. “This man truly is the Son of God.”

So, when we look at Covid-19, Black Lives Matter, or our current leadership we have to decide for ourselves when to act and when to be silent. What will make the greatest impact for the Kingdom of God?