NO RIGHTS AND EVERY RESPONSIBILITY

You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)

It is a difficult truth to comprehend, but it is a truth nonetheless: When we, by grace through faith, place our trust in Christ alone, we are to resign all our rights to our Redeemer AND we have every responsibility to Him. Let’s take a look.

We are responsible to surrender our right to choose where we will serve Jesus, for we know that our Lord “set His face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51), the place where God the Father sent His Son for our redemption.

We are responsible to surrender our right to do whatever we feel like doing, because our Lord came from heaven “not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me” (John 6:38).

We are responsible to surrender our right to our every possession, for we know that our Lord “had no place to lay his head” (Luke 9:58), yet He is the Creator and Sustainer of everything that was, is, and is to come.

We are responsible to surrender our right to be the center of attention, for our Lord told us that He “did not come to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28), making Himself the servant of all.

We are responsible to surrender our right to the making of our own reputation, because our Lord Jesus, who is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, “made Himself of no reputation” (Philippians 2:7).

We are responsible to surrender our rights to neglect the needs of others, for Jesus “went around doing good” (Acts 10:38), and that even included doing good to those who were doing bad to Him.

Oh, the joy of becoming a child of God and to be rid of the penalty and the power of sin, which stained everything in our lives! But at the same time, as disciples of Jesus, we have immense responsibility to bend out the grace that has been given to us and direct that grace toward all those with whom we come in contact. Remember, those without rights are slaves, and that, as Paul tells us in today’s verse, is exactly what we are: slaves of Christ. Never forget that our Lord Jesus Christ “took on the very nature of a servant” (Philippians 2:7); if we are to be called His disciples, we too must take on this form, regardless of cost or circumstance.

No rights and every responsibility to our Redeemer is the way of the redeemed. And that way is as comforting as it is challenging.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!