In the last blog, the emphasis was on not using our personal rights to the detriment of others.  The last thing we should ever want to do is cause a  brother or sister in Christ to stumble.  It is far better to sacrifice personal freedoms that we have in Christ than to cause someone to lose their soul just so we can exercise some particular right that we might have in Christ.

If you are searching for a reason why we should give up personal rights at times, you do not have to look any further than the example Jesus set for us.

Romans 15:1-3 (ESV)
¹  We who are strong have an obligation to bear with the failings of the weak, and not to please ourselves. ²  Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. ³  For Christ did not please himself, but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached you fell on me.”

How contrary is this message from that which is pushed, promoted, and propagated by the world today?  This society in which we live is all about pleasing self, but Christianity is about serving others and denying self.

In Matthew 16:24 Jesus said, “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”  Several men were once dining together, and when one of them seemed unduly attentive to the food before him, the host said, “That’s right, eat it all, for to take care of self is the first law of nature.”  “Yes,” said an elderly man sitting near, “but to deny self is the first law of grace!”  Denying ourselves is the foundation of our lives as Christians.  One who is not willing to deny himself will soon find himself in the grasp of Satan because it is a demonstration of selfishness and gives sin an open door into our lives (1 Peter 4:1-4). 

Rather than being self-centered, Paul tells us to please our neighbors by doing what is best for them (ver. 2).  In the context of this passage, we do this by being willing to sacrifice personal liberties.    This is the mindset of one who is more interested in saving souls than he is in his own rights.

By the way, who is our neighbor?  In the parable of the good Samaritan, Jesus teaches us that our neighbor is our fellow man (Luke 10:25-37).  Anyone who is in need is our neighbor, and we should do our best to be helpful to them.

What is the greatest need that anyone ever has?  The clear answer is the salvation of the soul.  Whether we are talking about teaching the gospel to the lost or helping a brother or sister overcome some kind of sin, there is nothing greater we can do for a person than to help them overcome sin (Galatians 6:1-2).  So then, with these things in mind, we should be willing to sacrifice our personal rights for the spiritual well-being of others.  When we do this, we are imitating Christ.  Here is the answer to the question of why we should be willing to sacrifice our own rights for others.  It is simply because Jesus did, and He is the standard that we should be following in our lives (ver. 3).

Has there ever been anyone who sacrificed more than Jesus?  The answer is no.  No one has ever given up as much as He did when He left the glories of heaven and took on the form of a servant (Philippians 2:1-8).   Everything Jesus sacrificed, was done for you and me.  Jesus was not pleasing Himself when He died on the Cross.  We were the ones who deserved death, but Jesus died for us.  We were the ones who deserved to suffer, but Jesus suffered for us.  In the ultimate sense, Jesus gave up His liberties simply because it was in our best interest.  Now Paul says to us in essence, “Follow Jesus!”

Let us not be obsessed with self-ease, nor infatuated with having our own way.  Instead, let’s follow Jesus and be willing to deny ourselves, even if it means a little discomfort (1 Peter 2:19-21).

As you wind down for the night, think about these things