What rights do followers of Christ have as soon as they recognize their need to be forgiven and receive Jesus as their Savior?

(NASB) John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.”

No one can take away from us the right to be a child of God once we have received Christ as our Savior.  God has no grandchildren!  All followers of Christ are God’s children.  Celebrate!  Praise God!  Be thankful for such a rich inheritance.  Our birthright through faith in Christ Jesus is valuable and to be highly esteemed.

The custom in the times of Jacob and Esau was for the family name and titles to be passed down through the line to the eldest son.  This is how God’s covenant would be passed down from generation to generation in the lineage of Abraham and Isaac.

With this in mind… consider what Esau gave up in the following historical real life happening.

Esau hunted meat for the family; he was an outdoorsman.  He was his father’s favorite son and the eldest twin.  On one expedition, he came home and had not eaten in some time.  He was famished!

Jacob, the younger twin brother, was cooking a wonderful stew… it smelled really good to a starving man. Esau asked to have some of the stew.

Jacob did not let such an opportunity slip by; he highly esteemed the birthright which was not his, but his older brother’s.  He came up with a plan to get what he wanted.

Jacob said, ‘Sell me your birthright for a bowl of this stew.’  And Esau completed the deal.  What was the use of a birthright when he was so very hungry right then?  (Genesis 25:28-34)

Esau did not view his birthright as valuable.
Jacob did consider the birthright valuable.

Esau lived for the moment and did not look into the future.
Jacob did look beyond the moment.

Esau did not esteem his birthright and easily gave it up.
Jacob did esteem the birthright.
He took advantage of Esau’s weakness to get what he wanted.  Jacob connived to get his way.

~ Take it to heart ~

Some questions we can ask ourselves:

What do I do to get what I want?
Do I take advantage of others?

Am I like Esau?  What do I despise which God views as of great value?
Am I like Jacob?  What do I value which comes from God Himself?