“Rights” Need To Be “Right”

“I gave them your word;
The godless world hated them because of it,
Because they didn’t join the world’s ways,
Just as I didn’t join the world’s ways.
I’m not asking that you take them out of the world
But that you guard them from the Evil One.
They are no more defined by the world
Than I am defined by the world.
Make them holy–consecrated–with the truth;
Your word is consecrating truth.”
John 17:14-17 (MSG)

Last Saturday was American Independence Day. They rebelled in response to heavy taxation and other abuses by their leader, in this case, the King of England. As they forged their new Constitution, the source of legal authority upon which the US is governed, they determined to prevent future abuses of power and to preserve justice for all peoples. Thomas Jefferson, who later became the third President of the United Stated, penned into the Constitution of the United States of America the famous words, “We hold these truths to be self-evident-that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

The Constitution was adopted in 1787, yet it was not until 1865 that slavery was abolished in the United States! Did it not occur to the founding fathers that slavery was wrong? Apparently not. When we look at “rights”, we need to look at the values that determine what is right-‘rights’ need to be ‘right! It is not always cut and dried, black and white. People argue over, and go to war over, what is considered right by one and wrong by another. Consider a few of the contentious issues today-abortion, homosexuality, euthanasia, and even the ‘right’ to die?! Who determines what is RIGHT?

God, the Creator of Mankind, certainly has the ‘right’ and authority to determine right and wrong, good and evil. Adam and Eve were thrown out of the Garden of Eden, and brought upon humanity the death penalty of sin, for taking to themselves the knowledge of, or right to decide what was good and evil (remember that the first thing they decided was ‘wrong’ was to be naked in front of God!).

“Thy Word is Truth.” Said Jesus, the Word of God (John 17:17, KJV; s.a. John 1:1). We need to look into the Word of God for the principles that will guide us to right:  II Timothy 3:16 says, “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 

Prayer
Help us to study your Word, the Bible, for the Truth that lives there. May that Truth live in our lives through your Spirit dwelling in us.
Amen

Study by Nancy Silcox