“Understanding Your Rights”
1st Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
Often times you will see someone or speak with them and ask the question “How are you doing” and many times the reply that you get, if we are honest with ourselves we do not really want to hear. They begin by saying things aren’t going to well, my back is aching, my chest is tight, my kids are driving me crazy, my marriage is on the rock, all in all things are going to pot, my day is bad, my life is bad, there seems as if there is no rest for the weary, I’m tired and I wish that everything was over, the devil is making mince-meat out of me and I don’t know just how much more I can take. These are saved folks talking like this. They go through life being bombarded by the devil, tossed around like an old rag doll, held in psychological slavery, they are emotionally destitute, they are spiritually impoverished, and are literally at the point of just about ready to lose their natural minds.
The reason they are suffering the things they are suffering and the reason why their lives seems to be in utter turmoil is because they have failed to understand their rights, they have not yet comprehended that they have certain rights that are afforded to them just because of who and whose they are.
The Christian of today faces many challenges in life; there are many obstacles that must be faced. Trials and tribulations must come, for as the old cliché states “into every life a little rain must fall”, but in the midst of it all you must understand your rights.
Rights, according to Webster’s Dictionary, is something to which one has a just claim, the power or privilege to which one is justly entitled, and something that one may properly claim as due. There is the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which is recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family it is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. It establishes that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. It states that no one shall be held in slavery or servitude; no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment. Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law. That’s the rights of just being human-beings.
There are civil rights and political rights, as well economic, social and cultural rights. There are women’s right, gay rights, and religious rights. There is what is called Miranda Rights, which states even if a person has committed a crime and you know with out a shadow of doubt that they are guilty, they have rights, before they can be arrested they are informed of their rights. If they are not informed of these rights before hand it could lead to the dismissal of the case and they could be set free even though proof has shown that they are guilty. So it is imperative that they know their rights. There are spiritual rights that we as children of God must understand as well.
The Bible says in 1st Peter 2:9 “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”
This scripture gives us such an illustrative awareness of the rights that are ours if we just come into the realization of them. The writer, the Apostle Peter, under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, is trying to plant into the spiritual intellect the concept of understanding just who and whose we are and the rights that we have because of our status.
To be chosen is to be one who is the object of choice or of divine favor, an elect person, selected, and preferred for a certain and divine purpose, the object of choice. Oh you didn’t catch that, an object is something that when viewed stirs a particular emotion, something toward which thought, feeling, or action is directed, a cause for attention or concern. We are a chosen generation, when God looks at us it stirs His emotion of Love and compassion and He directs His blessing down upon us, WHY, because we are chosen and are the cause for His attention and concern. We are chosen somebody say chosen.
We are chosen by God Himself, to fulfill a specific purpose in His divine plan and have been predestined (predestinated) to the culmination of that plan ever since the beginning of time, for the Bible says in Jeremiah 1:5 “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Also John 15:16 says “Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
a. God has chosen us to be a witness to the world, to bring forth fruit, to minister to the world, and to be stewards of the mysteries of God. The Bible says in Isa. 43:10 says “Ye are my witness, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I am he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.” 1st Corinthians 4:1 says “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God.” The word minister has several different meanings, but to get the full understanding let us endeavor to comprehend the meaning in this fashion, minister means: an under-rower. An under-rower, were the slaves that sat in the belly of the ships and pulled the oars to carry the ship across the water.
** God is the Captain and His ship is the word of God, we are his ministers (slaves the under-rower) to carry His word across the world. **Understand that slave, when it comes to doing God’s will, does not indicate one that is bound and oppressed; rather it implies an indentured servant.
An indentured servant is a person who works for another in return for payment of travel expenses and maintenance.
We are working for the Lord Jesus Christ in order that we may spread His word to this world that men and women, boys and girls may be saved, this is the meaning of working out you own soul salvation. We are ministers, under-rowers, working for the Lord expecting to be caught up in the rapture and travel to that Holy place and spend eternity (to maintain forever) with Him.** I am looking to travel to a building not made by man, but made by God’s hands.
b. To be steward of the mysteries of God. The word steward means: overseer, supervisor, or administrator. The steward was always a slave, but he was placed in charge of the other slaves. (This does not mean that everyone will be a pastor, but everyone has charge over the word of God to ensure that it is delivered to the world). These earthen vessels have been chosen to house a treasure that the excellency of the power may be of God and not of us.
** The mysteries of God. A mystery is not something hard to understand, rather it is something that has been hidden and kept a secret.
2nd Corinthians 4:3-4 says “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
So we understand that we are chosen for a divine purpose in God’s plan for humanity. The reason you are where you are in your life, the reason you are at the place you are, the purpose for the things that you are facing in your life is because you have been chosen. It was God that chose us and not us that chose God. The Bible says for we are a chosen generation, it said nothing about He is a chosen God. God chose us, the reason you have been chosen to go through the things that you are going through is because God chose you because He knew the depth of your spirit was not limited to your circumstances.
We are a “royal priesthood”; this statement when fully comprehended is so profound and prolific that when we truly grasp the content of it’s meaning it astonishes the natural mind. The concept of royalty encompasses certain characteristics that should parallel the children of God’s spiritual life. In his book entitled “Spiritual Maturity” J. Oswald Sanders wrote the following “The idea of royalty is normally associated with certain desirable characteristics whose spiritual counterparts should appear in the life of the Christians. In the reigning Queen of England, even though she does not exercise the absolute power of the royalty of Paul’s day, expect to find a nobility of character. Consciousness of her royal descent and strict self-discipline have produced in her a dignity and bearing which becomes one in her exalted position. We look in her for charm of personality, nor are we disappointed. To rich and poor alike she shows the same gracious interest and concern. On her royal tours, no matter how exacting the demands or how exhausted she becomes, there is no loss of charm and winsomeness. Then, too, there is a consciousness of authority begotten by constant exercise of the prerogatives, which her royal position confers on her. Those who come in contact with her are conscious of her authority and take no liberties. She suffers from no limitation of wealth. For her, to desire is to have. No matter what riches are displayed in clothing or jewels, there is always the impression of unlimited resources as yet untouched. She enjoys, theoretically at any rate, an unfettered freedom. The whole land is hers, and others enjoy its use only by grant from her. She can go where she will, do what she likes throughout her whole realm. What a fascinating picture of Christian living this vivid picture portrays; nobility, charm, authority, wealth, freedom. Our God invites us to believe that these spiritual qualities and prerogatives may and should be enjoyed by every child of the King of kings. If we do not manifest and enjoy them, it is not because they are beyond our reach, but only because we are living below our privileges. God is always liberal with His gifts. If it is love He bestows, it is love that passeth knowledge, joy, it is joy unspeakable and full of glory, peace, it is peace that passeth all understanding. God is the God of the superlative.”
As a royal priesthood we have conferred upon us an unlimited resource, God said He would supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory, regardless of how many come to Him, He has resources that have yet to be touched. I am reminded of a song we used to sing that said “There’s room at the cross, those many have come there’s still room for one, there’s room at the cross for you. We have unlimited freedom, because He said whom the son has set free is free indeed, and where the spirit of the Lord is there is liberty, we have authority over the devil and this world, for all power in heaven and earth is in His hands and we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We have the ability to demand that the devil be bound and that the spirit of God be released in our lives, that is the authority that we have if we ask in His name. It is our prerogative rather or not to come under the subjection of satanic influences in our lives. Because we are a royal priesthood, there are things that are placed under us, they are our subjects and we are not to be bound by them, but rule and reign over them.
Sin does not have dominion over us we have dominion over sin. The Bible says in Romans 6:14 “For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.” Therefore since we have dominion over sin, when the devil tries to attack us with things contrary to the will of God, we have the authority and right to bind it from coming into fruition. Depression is subject to us, sickness is subject to us, financial ruin, bankruptcy, marital destruction, and family dysfunction is subject to us. Not because we are of any importance, but because we have been placed into a royal status through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ that whenever we come in contact with such things, they are conscious of the authority that is placed within us and can take no liberties upon us. There is no reason why we have to walk through this life or even go through a day being depressed, feeling defeated, emotionally destitute, psychologically frustrated, or spiritually imprisoned. Because of the royal status that we hold, because we are chosen of God, for God; therefore, in all things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us and there is no need for any special consideration or allowances to be made for the weakness of the flesh, because the victory of Jesus Christ is our victory.
Like the Queen of England, if she desired something she would have it because of the authority she has and it was her right to have it. Because we are a royal priesthood, to desire for us is to have. If we desire strength, than strength is ours, joy, than joy is ours, peace, than peace is ours, he said in His word that He would give us the desires of our hearts. In the name of Jesus I got the victory. In the name of Jesus demons have to flee, because of the names of Jesus, No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper. Because of your royal status it is your prerogative to live free from the bounds of sin.
I am reminded of a commercial that I heard on the radio, I can not remember which brand it was for, but it was about some type of aspirin, the commercial goes something like this: The door bell rings and a lady answers the door, the man’s voice say Hell-o I’m headache and I want to spend the day with you today, the lady replies no I don’t think so and closes the door on the headache, soon the phone rings, she answers it and the voice says, it’s me headache again, I was wondering could I come by about lunch time, the lady replies no, the voice said well what are you doing about 3:00, the lady says I’m going to pick up the kids from school, the headache says, can I come along for the ride, the lady says I don’t want to be bothered, the headache shows up at the house again at dinner time and says to the lady how about now, the lady says not today because I have taken this aspirin. Eventhough it is a commercial we can learn from it and apply the concept to our spiritual life, when the devil tries to place something upon us all we have to do is say NO. We have that prerogative. We have been given dominion over these things.
Dominion means: absolute ownership, supreme authority. Understand that we either have dominion over circumstances or they have dominion over us, there is no middle ground, we are either there playthings or they are our subjects.
You have the right to tell the devil to get that hell out of your life. We are Sons and Daughters of the King, (KINGS KIDS) and when you are the kings kid you have superior rights, when someone infringes on those rights they literally have offended the King Himself. In history, if the King didn’t invite you into their presence you could not appear before them or else it was death that you faced. When the devil infringes upon you, he has done so without permission from the King and therefore must be put to death. You have the RIGHT to put that devil to death in your life because you are a KINGS KID.
STOP being violated by the Devil, Know your Rights:
1. You have the right to have life and life more abundantly.
2. You have the right to Praise the Lord.
3. You have the right to be Healed.
4. You have the right to be delivered.
5. You have the right to eternal life.
6. You have the right to be more than conquerors.
7. You have the right to be called the Sons & Daughters of God.
8. You have the right to be FREE.
When you understand your rights then the devil will not be able to make mince-meat out of you anymore. Remember you are a Royal priesthood and a chosen generation.
Elder Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.
Boanerge Ministries
