My natural, God given rights are your natural, God given laws which you ought to respect and live by. If I have any right from God, then you must live by that law.

When teaching Boundaries by Cloud and Townsend, I point out the principle of “to and for”. It is a boundary message about responsibility. In a nutshell it says, I’m responsible “for” myself, but I’m responsible “to” everyone.” A is confused about life’s boundaries who confuses these. If you begin to think you are responsible for others, that’s wrong. Every man is responsible “for” himself. But the other important point not to miss is that there is a degree of responsibility we have “to” all men. Why? Because all men have these God-given rights so that what is their right is my law to respect them.

You and I must respect the law of God. The founders of United States didn’t give us the rights of “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”, but they were respecting the unalienable rights given to each man by God. Thus no government or system of law can rightfully legislate contrary to man’s right given by God.

Since rights can be abused and God can take away a right, then a government may act justly to remove those rights as well. A man loses his rights when he trespasses against God or against his fellow man. There are consequences affecting a man’s rights so that they can be taken from him if the man doesn’t live in respectful way towards his fellow man’s natural rights from God.

Love does no harm to another. The faith understanding of God should translate into respect for our fellow man. The two great commandments to love God and to love our neighbor lend perfectly to the understanding that there is a sense of responsibility we have to all. We know we should not, and we know when we do, trespass against God. And we know we should not, and we know when we do, trespass against our fellow man. We did not follow the law of love.

“For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” Gal. 5:14.

Interestingly, and not unexpectedly, the next verse says shows there is a consequence for biting and devouring others. It comes back on us.

“But if you bite and devour one another, take care that you are not consumed by one another.” Gal. 5:15. When we trespass the natural, God-given rights of our fellow man, we trespass the law of God and make ourselves to suffer.

Draw near to God and be blessed. Dan Mayfield

Romans 6:3-7.

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