For the purpose of service for God and service to other, God  may at times have us give up our rights. This is exactly what Jesus did when he came to this world to save us. How do you feel about giving up your rights for the benefits of others?

We are nearing the conclusion of our examination of the Life of Christ and others from the perspective of Living in a Crucible. 

Symbolically, a crucible is the fiery trials we experience as we grow and develop.

Crucibles are painful, they are uncomfortable, and they hurt, but they are beneficial in developing our character.

From the Sabbath School Adult Bible Study Guide 2022 Quarter 3: Sabbath.School

See also Hope Sabbath School and 3ABN Sabbath School

Inviting the Holy Spirit’s Presence

Holy Father, giving up our rights is not an easy thing to do. Nevertheless, not our will but your will be done. In Jesus Name Amen.  

Today’s culture encourages us to demand our rights. It seems as if all people groups are standing up for themselves and seeking to make certain that they obtain the rights due to them as law abiding citizens. This is not a bad thing in and of itself. And in many cases, it is necessary, especially when it involves the rights of those who are marginalized or treated unfairly. But as followers of Jesus, like him, there may be times when God may ask us to give up our rights for the sake of service to Him in ways that will impact us for eternity. The point is giving up our rights could be difficult and uncomfortable, creating the conditions of a crucible.

I am certain many are asking what do you mean we must give up our rights? We and our ancestor have fought hard to obtain these rights. Before you turn a death ear hear what Paul has to say in Philippians 2:5–9.

5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,

6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,

7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.

8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

9 For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (Philippians 2:5-9 NASB

Paul here is talking about the things and rights that Jesus gave up to submit to his Father’s will. This issue of rights is one of humility. It is a push and pull between individual that can become a problem when it relates to marriages and even parental relationships between parents and children.

Humility means we possess the mind “which was also in Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.” Philippians 2:4–8.

. . . [Paul] was convinced that if we could be led to consider the amazing sacrifice made by (Jesus) the Majesty of heaven, selfishness would be banished from our hearts. The apostle lingers over point after point, that we may in some measure comprehend the wonderful condescension of the Saviour in behalf of sinners. He directs the mind first to the position which Christ occupied in heaven in the bosom of His Father; he reveals Him afterward as laying aside His glory, voluntarily subjecting Himself to the humbling conditions of man’s life, assuming the responsibilities of a servant, and becoming obedient unto death, and it was the most humiliating and revolting, and the most agonizing –the death of the cross.—The Ministry of Healing, p. 501.

So, these verses show us three steps Jesus took in submitting Himself to God’s will.

Notice that before Paul tells us what these three steps are, he tells us to: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5, NIV).

What three steps did Jesus take to be in the position to save us?

First, “Jesus has always been as God is. But He did not hold to His rights as God. He put aside everything that belonged to Him and made Himself the same as a servant who is owned by someone” (Philippians 2:6, 7, NLV).

Jesus gives up his equality with God and moved to earth in which He took on the form and limitations of us human beings.

Second, Jesus did not come to earth as some dignitary or some powerful person. But he came as a servant to serve us human being who were created a little lower than angels.

And Third, as a human Servant, Jesus life was by no means peaceful, nor did he experience long life on this earth.

Jesus is our example; he is our model. In obeying and submitting to God’s will sometimes it become necessary for us to give up things that we rightfully feel we deserve. This is not to say that we should forfeit our legal rights and equality as citizen of this earth. And they should be protected. But our rights should not supersede that which God requires or demands of us. Any rights we seek to maintain that hinders our relationship with him we must be willing to give up.

For we Philippians 2:9 find that in Jesus giving up his will and submitting it to his father,

9 … God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, (Philippians 2:9)

Thus, by humbly submitting our wills to God, we are exalted.

Pray and ask yourself “What rights am I holding on to right now that actually might be a barrier to submitting to Jesus’ will in humbly serving my family, my church, and those around me? To what extent am I willing to endure discomfort to serve others more effectively?

Many sincerely want to know God’s will for them, but are still confused about what God’s will is. How then can we know God’s will for us? Find out in Day 3: Dying Comes Before Knowing God’s Will