In this day of “rights” and political and moral upheaval we often over look what the Bible states on the rights of man.

First the term rights does not appear in the Bible and what many cloud with the term rights is just simple rebellion against the laws of God, his commandments and their own conscience.

Exodus. 20:4Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:

Rom 1:32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.

John 3:19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Rom 2:15  Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

  When it comes to rights, man often tells God who made thee a ruler and a judge over us.

 Does the clay form the potter, of course not? Yet this is why many mentally make an impotent “God” that grants them free reigns.

 For if man had the right to “do his own thing” then the Scripture would not have the “thou shalt nots” and frankly would be a thinner book.

 It is the restrictions and limitations that God places and the consequence for their violations (called sin) that is objected to.

From the pair in the Garden to the writings of Paul the “thou shalt nots” appear.

Gen 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Mr. And Mrs. Adam were not given a right to the tree but a limitation.

 It was this restriction that the serpent used; he led Eve to believe that it limited her unfairly (almost as though her rights were being violated). And of course, there were no consequences but advantages.

 Gen 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

 In a few short verses the allurement was, superior power, superior spirituality, superior position and superior knowledge.

 And so it is today man does not have the God given right to disobey, but he does. And just like the original fallen pair he will excuse himself, justify himself, blame others or even blame God himself  (Gen. 3: 10-13).

Gen 3:10  And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself (excuse).

Gen 3:12  And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat (blame God, justification and blame others).

 And while we are not speaking of many moral legal rights of citizenry, but we are speaking how God given commandments are violated by using so-called rights.

 Have you ever seen a group of protestors demanding their rights not to steal, not to swear, not to commit adultery and not to covet?

So it maybe asked does the natural man have any rights given by God?

 The answer is no!

Regardless what Jefferson wrote, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men."

 This not to say I am unpatriotic or unthankful for the rights I have here as an American, but Jeff missed the mark here, men are not created equal but different and there are no unalienable rights for the natural man and many governments oppress their people.

John 9:1 And as [Jesus] passed by, he saw a man which was blind from [his] birth.

  Psalms 9:17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, [and] all the nations that forget God.

 Every good thing given is by common grace and the longsuffering and mercy of God, man has no right to them. God owes man nothing and can wipe out if he sees fit as in the days of Noah.

Job 35:7  If thou be righteous, what givest thou him? or what receiveth he of thine hand?

Deu 32:39  See now that I, [even] I, [am] he, and [there is] no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.

We praise him for his goodness not his debt towards us.

Psa 107:8  Oh that [men] would praise the LORD [for] his goodness, and [for] his wonderful works to the children of men!

 The natural man has no rights to them. He cannot claim the rights of a citizen of heaven for he is an alien.

(Eph 2:12)  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:

(Eph 2:19)  Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;

Here in America we hear the clamour and outcry of those who believe they have had their rights violated (and some have been), but in the main it is those that believe they have rights that the Bible speaks ill of (sodomy, abortion, perversion and pornography).

 If anything the natural man as well as the Christian has not rights but duties.

(Ecc 12:13)  Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man.

Christians Rights

You have as a Christian the right to approach the most powerful and only wise, holy potentate there is.

Heb 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

You have the right to legally call the eternal God your Holy Father, while others call some future worm food in Rome the same.

John 17:11  And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we [are].

  The Holy Father’s name is not Pope John &%% (pick a number) this is a Vatican garage sale based on simony and not the Scripture.

You have the right to claim unconditional promises such as the verse below.

Phi 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ:

What shall we then say to these things? If God [be] for us, who [can be] against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? [It is] God that justifieth. Who [is] he that condemneth? [It is] Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? [shall] tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

(Rom 8:31-38)

John 6:37  All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

You have the God given right based solely on what Jesus Christ the Lord did at Calvary to be called a son of God.

But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name:

(John 1:12)

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Yet at the same time you have no independent rights for you have been purchased and are not your own.

1Co 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

You have the right as an adopted child in times of heartache and sorrow to claim Romans 8:28 and even though you may not understand life’s traumas you know that the Father has your best interest at heart.

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to [his] purpose.

(Rom 8:28)

God’s Rights

Who gave God rights? The only limitations and obligations that our Holy God has are those he has placed upon himself.

Tit 1:2  In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

2Co 1:20  For all the promises of God in him [are] yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.

Psa 119:160  Thy word [is] true [from] the beginning: and every one of thy righteous judgments [endureth] for ever.

And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

(Gen 8:21)

John 14:23  Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

   Seeing the Earth is the Lord’s and all creation, he as the sovereign owner has no one to answer to.

Job 9:12  Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?

Deu 32:39-40  See now that I, [even] I, [am] he, and [there is] no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal: neither [is there any] that can deliver out of my hand.  (40)  For I lift up my hand to heaven, and say, I live for ever.

Rom 9:21  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour?

2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?

 The sum of the matter is this though man has no rights in himself, God by his permissive will let’s man exercise his own will. But God and God alone has the self appointed right to have man answer.