How to be a Faiulre - Part 8: Stand on Your Rights

0:00CR101radio.com Podcast and more! This morning I'd like to deal with a more subtle and dangerous way to feel your

1:22thoughts. What do you get out of standing on your right? Supposing your husband is dead wrong? Supposing everything you're thinking about him is absolutely right? You're going to make the big log crawl down and then met his wrong and really make up for things this time. Let's say he does do it, hitting every minute of it just because he wants peace in the family. Well, you've got your rights, but the results are a little sour all the way around and there's less room for love. The man who stands on his rights will get them, but with his rights come failure and frustration, hatred and a loveless life. Jesus never asked us to stand on our rights.

2:22He asked us to surrender them. He said, Whomsoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with them twin, Matthew 541? Agript many people have been puzzled and bothered by that statement, but only because its obvious meaning is so hard to take. If a man violates our rights, we instead of saying, I won't go your way, since dead. I'll give up my rights and go the second mile with you. Most of us are unwilling to go the second mile with those we love, and here Jesus is actually insisting that we do it with those who abuse and even hit us. He does not suggest this as a technique to when friends and influence people. His one purpose in suggesting this course is that we might be true and faithful children of our Father which is in heaven. You see, God went the second mile with us. If God were to stand on his rights, our case would be hopeless with him.

3:24We've broken his commandments, have been poor stewards of our lives, tend to love ourselves more than we love him. As the Samas observed, if the hall Lord shouldest mark in equities, O Lord, who shall stand? Sam 133. Lord, if you should start demanding your rights and chalking up our offenses, what chance would we have? But God does not stand on his rights with us. Instead, He goes the second mile and much, much further. It was a very long second mile from his right to condemn us to his mercy through Jesus Christ, who is God's second mile with us. Today, God is not standing on his rights with us. He's walking that second mile. How can we dare then to stand on our rights with anyone? How can we claim God's mercy when we are merciless towards each other? The second mile of Jesus Christ for us led him to a convict's death in the cross,

4:29and that lonely hill called Golgotha. If we have walked there with him, we left our rights there at the cross. We died to our rights, and now we stand on the new ground of grace. We know our case is hopeless on any other ground, and we have joy in the presence that walks with us and gives us new life. The Lord walks the second mile with me today, hour after hour. He overlooks his rights when he deals with me. I can make no claim to any righteousness of my own. I only walk with him and share in his. Who walks with you today? You and your rights in lonely frustration, or does he walk beside you, going the second mile with you as you do the same for others? It's a long road ahead, and it leads to home only if the guide be with you. He says, I will go with you. I will never leave thee nor forsake thee, Hebrews 13.

5:30I left my rights at the cross. Deny thyself. Deny your rights. Take up your cross and follow me. Why walk alone?