The Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

In Matthew Chapters 5-8, Jesus starts teaching a large crowd and His disciples. He starts with what is known as the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes. He teaches about being a disciple in the world, personal relationships, giving to the poor, prayer, fasting, anxiety, judging others and finishes with building on a rock foundation. In the middle of this teaching, He states:

Matthew 6:33 "But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

Jesus is teaching on anxiety and the worries of the world. He talks about how we shouldn't be anxious for what we will eat or drink, or what we will wear. Comparing our lives with the birds of the air, He states how we are of much more worth to our heavenly Father than birds, yet they are fed and clothed. Stating we have little faith, He goes on to say how worry cannot add a single hour to our lives. He knows our needs, and states as much in verse 32:

"For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things."

He then goes on to state our foundational Scripture of Matthew 6:33. We need to understand the language of the Bible so we are going to breakdown the meaning of the verse.

Seek- to go in search of or in quest of; try to obtain or go to, desire

Kingdom- royal power, rule or realm (rule meaning principle or governing regulation governing, conduct/ action), royal domain, sphere, authority, power of God

Righteousness- equity, justification (righteousness through Jesus 2 Cor 5:21), the condition acceptable to God

Added - place additionally or lay beside, join to

So, we can re-write this verse using the definitions used above:

Go in quest of, desire the power and authority of God first, His rule or realm, and His justification and all these things will be additionally given or joined to you.

God isn't concerned with your needs; He is concerned with your faith. He knows we have needs, everyone does, even the Gentiles. It takes faith, according to verse 30, stating we have little faith! We need to seek Him first!! Anytime we go to the world system before going to God, we are in rebellion! We are to seek Him first in faith, knowing He has our needs covered!!

We are the righteousness of God through Christ Jesus, according to:

2 Corinthians 5:21 "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

So, if we are to seek His Kingdom, authority, rule, realm, how do we do that? What do we need to learn, seek, go in quest of concerning the Kingdom of God??

Acts 1:1-3 "The first account I composed, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen. 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God."

After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples, and teaches them over a period of forty days, speaking of the Kingdom of God. Jesus spent His last forty days on earth teaching Kingdom principles, to de-program His disciples from the world principles they had lived with for the first thirty or so years of their lives. This was a whole new way of thinking for them. This was the way to access godly things, spiritual things. Jesus was leaving them soon, and wanted them to know how to do what He did! The healings, deliverances, the miracles! But, Acts goes on to say: