What are Your Rights as a Son or Daughter of God?
We must begin to understand what it is to be a child of God. That is so far out of reach for most all of us it is almost impossible to exercise the rights of a child. Even under the best of circumstances - with a very loving father and mother, we still understand the shortcomings of our parents. If we happen to have grown up with parents who had their ups and down (and in some cases more downs than ups) it is really hard to get a proper understanding of relationship that is always positive and loving. (Read Jerimiah 29:11)
It may actually take some time for our realtionship with the Father to grow and our faith to develop to the point of our being able to exercise our full position in His family.
As The Obedient Child We always have access to the Father. The book of Hebrews teaches us as children we have the right to come "Boldy into the Throne Room of God." And the father of the prodigal son turned to the unhappy brother and said, "if you had ever wanted anything, all you had to do was ask!"
One of the greatest concepts that begins to dawn in our hearts and minds is that of ambassadorship.
Our Rights of Ambassadorship. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:20 "we are ambassadors for Christ."
As an Ambassador, on the soil of another country (even the country of an enemy) inside the perimeters of the Embassy the laws of the country you represent are to be obeyed and respected by the natives of that country.
Another Basic Right is that of a "member of a body." We have the right to expect protection from Christ who is the head of our body. Paul compares the church under Christ as a body under the head. All we have to do is listen to the "Head and obey." The Scriptures are God's communication to us. We need to follow them. Christ is the head of that body - you and I are parts of that body - see 1 Corinthians 12.
Your mind would not tell your body to do anything it could not do. For example, it will not tell you to crash through a brick wall. Even so, a mind that is altered by drugs has been known to tell the body it can fly and the body has obeyed by jumping off a buliding. However "the body of Christ" can trust it's Head - Jesus Christ.
If Christ commands it the body can do it without doubt. We can completely trust Jesus to not only look out for us but to tell us only the things that will grow us and perfect us. We are safe as long as we obey Him.
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