Each of us is born with certain rights based on our birth and where we were born. While there is in some cultures a special right to the firstborn, all who are born have a birthright. The concept of ‘birthright’ might help your faith, so let me unpack it for you here.
I was born in Australia, so that gives me certain birthrights in Australia. The land of Australia belongs to me, since I was born there. I have a share in all the wealth that is contained in Australia.
I have no right to the wealth of Bolivia, Norway, Egypt or Canada. I only have birth rights where I was born.
However I can also have birth rights based on my parents. If I was born in a foreign land I would still have claim to Australia because my parents are Australian. This is where dual citizenship can occur, due to the place of birth and the nationality of the parents.
Some nations allow certain rights to extend over multiple generations. Because my wife can trace herself back to Irish heritage there was suggestion she could claim Irish citizenship. She didn’t pursue that possibility but it shows that it is possible in some nations.
I was born into this world, so I inherit rights to the resources of the world. I can breathe the air, drink the water and eat the food. I can exercise all the God-given rights of a natural man, with the right to life and to justice and to freedom to live as God created me to.
That’s a birthright I carry inherently within my being, from the moment I was born. I don’t need anyone’s permission to enjoy the created world since I was born into it.
I was also born in the family line of Adam, who was given dominion over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and so on. So I inherit the right to tame animals and to employ the resources of the world as I see fit.
I have a natural inheritance from the place I was born, earth, and the family I was born into, Adam’s family line.
Sadly, Adam damaged my inheritance, through sin and my world is under a curse. So it’s not so easy to get the good out of the natural world as it was when Adam was first created. Death and decay, thorns, pests and disease consume the things of this earth. However, with the sweat of my brow I can keep growing a new crop and raise a new herd, and so on, as I enjoy the lovely blessings of this world.
I can enjoy sea breezes, glorious sunsets, blazing starry nights, sweet aromas, delicious nectars, soothing warmth, cold drinks, warm waters, sustaining foods, energy, productivity, mobility, friendship, loving relationships, family, social interaction, cooperative productivity, well ordered society, care and compassion and so much more. I can also enjoy God’s protection and blessing as I honour Him and obey His laws and principles.
All of that is ‘birthright’. And it’s yours too, since you were born on planet earth as well.
By my natural birth I am a natural child of God. The Bible records that Adam was God’s child, being created by God. When the historian, Dr Luke, recorded the genealogy of Jesus he traced it back through the generations to Adam, then to God.
“Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.” Luke 3:38
So you have a family line that traces back to God. You are therefore entitled to relationship with God. That relationship comes through Jesus, but stop and recognise that your pets are not entitled to that relationship. No creature is entitled to it except those who are in God’s natural family line, the line of Adam. We humans, sons of Adam, can become God’s children, but angels and animals can’t. That’s a family heritage you possess, because of the family line you were born into.
So by being born on planet earth, in the family line of Adam, you hold some very privileged birth rights. Other creatures on our planet and in the spirit realm will never have those rights. Satan and his demons don’t have those rights. Satan often has to work through people, to access their special rights to misuse them. Satan stirs up people to attack people, like Cain killing his brother Abel.
A major problem with the inheritance we have from Adam is the way Adam’s sin brought a curse on the world and on us. The open fellowship we should be able to have with God has been broken.
So God set up a plan of salvation where God, Himself, would become human and pay for our sins. So we can be forgiven and made new by putting our faith in Jesus as our saviour.
And that process brings about a New Birth! With a new birth comes a new birthright!
Jesus taught that mankind needs to have a second birth experience, which we refer to as being ‘born again’.
“Jesus answered him (Nicodemus), Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:3
“Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” John 3:5,6
When Jesus talked of being born of ‘water and the Spirit’ He is saying we must have a natural birth, having a human birthright, and then be born again by the Spirit of God.
That second birth causes us to be born in the Kingdom of God, by the Spirit of God.
So now, along with our natural human rights, and along with our right to connect with God, as God’s human child, we are re-born and have all the rights of the Kingdom of God. It is as if we were born in heaven and can claim all the rights that come to one born there.
We have the right to eternal life, and to the power of the Holy Spirit, and to peace, joy, freedom, victory over Satan and sin, and so on. These things become our heavenly birthright.
And our spiritual Father is God. So we inherit all that belongs to God, His Kingdom. We have God’s authority to act in this world to extend the Kingdom of God. We are God’s Ambassadors. We are able to deliver the Kingdom of God to others, by preaching the Gospel to them. We are able to bring heaven into the darkest corners and the most darkened lives.
If you ever have any doubts about who you are and what authority you have on the earth stop and reflect on your birthrights. Your natural birthright gives you standing among men and in the face of the systems of this world.
Your spiritual re-birth gives you standing in the throne-room of God, with all of God’s authority to extend the Kingdom of God.
You are wonderfully blessed and equipped for this life and for eternity, thanks to your wonderful Heavenly Birthright!
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