Have We No Rights? Part 8

No matter how uneducated and degraded the group, there are always in it one or more who are leaders. No matter how poor and ignorant he is, the one who has been truly saved, and knows that he is saved, is always capable of witnessing to others of his own group. No matter how poor a little group of Christians is, if they continue in prayer and patient effort they will surely be able to provide for themselves a meeting house that is as good as their own homes, or a little better.

The Church of G.o.d is not dependent upon Gothic arches and stained gla.s.s windows, upon ministers in Geneva gowns and upon robed choirs.

It is not dependent upon material resources, or this world's learning.

None of these things are essentials. The only things that are essentials to the Church of Christ are found in Christ and in the penitent and forgiven soul, no matter what his race or culture or economic status. The Church of Christ can function on any level at which men for whom Christ died are living.

It is very easy for the missionary to become a little "pope." G.o.d forbid that we should do this! G.o.d forbid that we should consider ourselves the exclusive channels for bringing G.o.d's grace to needy souls, or the only ones capable of hearing G.o.d's voice! G.o.d forbid that we should forget that every believer, as soon as he is born again, is indwelt by the Holy Spirit! And may G.o.d open our eyes to ways and means of doing what is perhaps the greatest task of the missionary, the task of bringing the young church to the place where it can get along without us, the task of working ourselves out of a job!

CHAPTER 12

_He Had No Rights_

He had no rights:

No right to a soft bed, and a well-laid table;

No right to a home of His own, a place where His own pleasure might be sought;

No right to choose pleasant, congenial companions, those who could understand Him and sympathize with Him;

No right to shrink away from filth and sin, to pull His garments closer around Him and turn aside to walk in cleaner paths;

No right to be understood and appreciated; no, not by those upon whom He had poured out a double portion of His love;

No right even never to be forsaken by His Father, the One who meant more than all to Him.

His only right was silently to endure shame, spitting, blows; to take His place as a sinner at the dock; to bear my sins in anguish on the cross.

He had no rights. And I?

A right to the "comforts" of life? No, but a right to the love of G.o.d for my pillow.

A right to physical safety? No, but a right to the security of being in His will.

A right to love and sympathy from those around me? No, but a right to the friends.h.i.+p of the One who understands me better than I do myself.

A right to be a leader among men? No, but the right to be led by the One to whom I have given my all, led as is a little child, with its hand in the hand of its father.

A right to a home, and dear ones? No, not necessarily; but a right to dwell in the heart of G.o.d.

A right to myself? No, but, oh, _I have a right to Christ_.

All that He takes I will give; All that He gives will I take; He, my only right!

He, the one right before which all other rights fade into nothingness.

I have full right to Him; Oh, may He have full right to me!

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 1: This word is not used in any disparaging sense, but simply meaning "originating in a given place."]

[Footnote 2: Colloquial Chinese term for a bride.]

[Footnote 3: Bound small in childhood.]

[Footnote 4: Adapted from _The Lord Stood by Me_ (Philadelphia: China Inland Mission, n.d.), pp. 67-75 (out of print).]

[Footnote 5: Cf. ch. 8.]

[Footnote 6: General Director of the China Inland Mission at that time.]