Rights

WE live in a time when it seems that everyone is concerned about exercising their “rights.” Indeed, society has become somewhat polarized as various groups form around their perceptions of rights that they feel they are being denied. The more intense the struggle to achieve those rights, the more social conflict seems to escalate.

Paul indicated to the Galatians that before God, no one has any rights; whatever rights humanity once had have been forfeited as a result of sin. To bring this situation home to his readers, Paul used the metaphor of a slave (Galatians 4:1-3), an image that the Galatians probably knew well, as the Roman Empire depended heavily on slave labor (Romans 6:16).

The Galatians had become children of God, but before that they were in bondage to sin, to the “elements of the world” (Galatians 4:3; compare Colossians 2:8, 20). As slaves to sin, they had no rights before God. He owed them nothing. They belonged to sin, which they were forced to serve. Emancipation from that position had to come from a source other than their own power, ingenuity, or morality.

Such is the plight of all sinners before God—helpless and hopeless (Romans 3:23, John 3:19-20). But just as God gave life, resources, and responsibility to humanity in the beginning (Genesis 1:26-2:4), so now He has given Christ His Son to rescue or “redeem” people from sin and grant them all the privileges of adoption into the family of God (Galatians 4:4-7). No one deserves that, which is why receiving Christ’s new life and the rights therein is truly a gift.

If as believers we have received these treasures from God, then we ought to let others know that the same opportunity is available to them.

Courtesy of Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary
Unless otherwise noted, Scripture taken from the New King James Version®, NKJV © 1982 by Thomas Nelson.
Used by permission. All rights reserved.