Acts 25:9-12

Thankfully, Paul knew his rights! Is it important to know your rights? Absolutely! The Jews were still planning to kill Paul if they could get Festus to agree to send him to Jerusalem. But Paul, knowing this, as reflected by these words, “…no one has the right to turn me over to these men to kill me,” appealed to Caesar.

In the last couple of weeks, as usually happens on Facebook, I started watching a video reel showing traffic stops recorded on police officers’ personal cameras and dash cams. It seems my Facebook feed is now filled with these videos. What has amazed me is people’s arrogance and complete disregard for the law, claiming rights they are not entitled to, which eventually gets them arrested. I have also been amazed at the level of patience police officers have to exercise when dealing with these people. It is a reminder to me to pray more for these men and women who put their lives on the line to keep us safe.

There are things we are allowed to do and things we are not. If you do not know your rights, you can be taken advantage of by corrupt people. You can also miss opportunities that might greatly help your position.

When I played professional golf, there were times when I got myself into a difficult position and needed to call an official to find out what my options were. It was important that I asked what my options were because officials could not volunteer information I didn’t ask for, as that would be considered advice. Often, there were favorable dropping positions available, but they couldn’t tell me unless I asked, “What are my options?”

The societal rules we live by are there for our protection. Sometimes we unknowingly violate them, and hopefully, we learn from those mistakes and are wiser for it. However, we must also be aware that there are those who would like to take our rights away for their own advantage.

Look no further than the Kingdom of God. Satan attempts to keep us in the dark about all the wonderful promises that were purchased and made available to us through Jesus’ sacrificial gift of Himself on the cross. As believers, we often live so far beneath our privileges because we do not know the Bible like we should. There are covenant promises available to us as believers in Christ, but we have to put in the effort to educate ourselves about what they are.

Paul knew both God’s promises and his rights as a Roman citizen, and both served him well in this instance. God had told Paul that he would testify in Rome. Now, through his appeal to Caesar, that was going to happen. God’s purpose and plan for Paul’s life were not going to be thwarted.

Knowing what belonged to him did not make Paul arrogant; it made him prepared. There is a difference between demanding something we are not entitled to and confidently standing upon something that has rightfully been given to us. The same is true spiritually. We cannot stand on promises we do not know. The more we know God’s Word, the better equipped we are to recognize what Christ has provided, what the enemy would try to steal, and what we have every right, through covenant, to believe God for.