Having Your "Rights"

HAVING YOUR "RIGHTS"

Dr. Ironside tells a story from his childhood we should all remember:

"Many years ago as a little fellow I attended a meeting in Toronto where some difficulty had come up between brethren and they did as the apostle suggests. My dear mother took me along . . . and I well remember how horrified I was to see men I esteemed and had been taught to respect apparently so indignant with each other. I can remember one man springing to his feet and with clenched fists saying, ’I will put up with a good deal, but one thing I will not put up with, I will not allow you to put anything over on me; I will have my rights!’

An old Scotch brother who was rather hard of hearing leaned forward holding his ear and said, ’What was that, brother? I did not get that!’

’I say, I will have my rights,’ said the man.

'But you did not mean that; did you? Your rights? If ye had your rights, you would be in hell; wouldn’t you? And you are forgetting - aren’t you? - that Jesus did not come to get His rights, He came to get His wrongs, and He got them.’

I can still see the man standing there for a moment like one transfixed, and then the tears broke from his eyes and he said, ’Brethren, I have been all wrong. Handle this case as you think best,’ and he sat down and put his face in his hands and sobbed before the Lord, and everything was settled in three minutes. When in this spirit it is so easy to clear things up; when we bow before the Lord, He straightens them out."

(First Epistle to the Corinthians, pp. 184-185)