Matthew 6:33 “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.”
Soren Kierkegaard once surmised the effort that should be taken when seeking the Kingdom of God….
Should a person get a suitable job in order to exert godly influence?
The answer was “no!” We must first seek the Kingdom of God.
Should we give away all our money to feed the poor?
Again the answer was “no”, we must seek the Kingdom of God.
Perhaps we should go out and preach the truth of Gods love to the world?
Once again, the answer was “no”, we must seek the Kingdom of God.
“The person who does not seek the Kingdom of God first, does not seek it at all”
Richard Foster
Without the source of our effort first originating with the pursuit of God, everything we do will be a practice in either legalism or asceticism (religious self-discipline).
What does it really mean to seek the Kingdom of God?
The idea Jesus was relating in Matthew 6 was in regard to where our treasures lay and what our priority in life should be. Whatever people seek after has to have a starting point, regardless of where their hope will end.
The Kingdom of God is the starting point.
John 3:5 “Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
Seeking after the Kingdom of God is first knowing who is King.
The King of kings is Jesus.
Entering into God’s Kingdom is not as simple as traveling over land and sea to find some hidden kingdom, His Kingdom is not of this world. Knowing and understanding God’s law is important in knowing what is required for entry.
Godly Perfection
To be a citizen of God’s Kingdom we must be found righteous. The righteousness of God is perfection. Since perfection is unattainable from a humanistic endeavor, there must be a way to gain perfection.
The rules are quite simple…
*People can’t buy their way into God’s Kingdom.
Matthew 19:24 “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
*It’s citizens can’t be sinners.
Ephesians 5:5 “For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.”
*People can’t choose to go on their own accord.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
*A person must accept God’s method for entry.
John 6:44 “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day.”
God’s call to sinners is made clear by the Father. The doorway to eternal life is through the Son and yet the Kingdom of God is a mystery to those who walk in darkness.
If a person doesn’t understand their position before God, they won’t understand the way God works, what His expectations are for His people, or how to follow.
Coming to Jesus is first understanding the need for His grace. The moral law makes that need evident by revealing sin. By accepting Jesus’ grace, the sinner accepts Jesus’ perfection and gains access into God’s Kingdom through repentance.
The one who has been shown grace and accepted it has had righteousness imparted to them and God’s righteousness is His perfection.
Why is seeking God’s Kingdom so important?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that everyone who believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Apart from Christ, there is an eternal hopelessness.
The problem is that sinners can’t seek without being called, and those called cannot pursue God’s Kingdom without faith.
The Lord knows the heart of man and supplies all that is needed for entry.
First things First
Soren Kierkegaard reminded those who desired to walk in righteousness that without first having the righteousness of God, they were incapable of attaining anything on their own.
Hebrews 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
True spiritual power is endowed by the Creator. The people of God who dwell in His Kingdom understand the necessity of doing God’s will, not their own.
Righteousness is defined as walking in accordance with God’s divine or moral law. When a believer walks in righteousness, they understand the necessity of obedience and walk in it by God’s strength.
The ability to discern God’s leading is given to the one who seeks after God. The Lord reveals elements of His perfect will to the one who desires to know it. The Word of God is the standard by which God’s people follow after Him.
The Kingdom of God is comprised of those who have been made righteous in Christ. As the spirit filled believer seeks after God, they find that He is leading them in the way they should go. Every decision is filtered through the lens of God’s perfection, the perfect law of the Lord becomes that lens.
Psalm 19:7-8 “The law of the LORD is perfect,
reviving the soul;
the testimony of the LORD is sure,
making wise the simple;
the precepts of the LORD are right,
rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is pure,
enlightening the eyes”
If you a citizen of God’s Kingdom, you know the value of obedience.
God’s citizens show the works of God by a demonstration of the Spirit in their lives. Other believers can see the elements of God at work and the joy of the Lord draws them together in unity.
Believers know the works of God because they know how God works. Seeking first God’s Kingdom is to strive to walk in accordance with God’s will. God’s will always works in love and that love is demonstrated in the heart of the believer, it shows forth in love toward others.
When believers walk in accordance with God’s Kingdom, God promises to supply their every need. The false teacher leads people to seek after the blessing without first placing a priority upon being faithful to God in love.
Good works come from a good God, and when believers walk the narrow path they find their journey leading them to the feet of Jesus.
At the feet of Jesus lies grace, mercy, and great reward.
U.T. 