Featured Mat 6:33

yep, you nailed it!

 

Seeking God and His righteousness includes studying God's word and growing in our understanding of God's will for our life. Now if God advocates marriage and family, then these would be part of seeking God's kingdom.

Doing or saying things in the name of Jesus means doing what is in accordance with our knowledge of Jesus. And of course part of that is we should give thanks through Jesus to God the Father.

 

Apparently some did not see your closing verse or understand what you said. Studying God's word is the revealed will of God and thus disobedience is failure to set God first as any disobedience to God's revealed will for your life is a failure to seek God first.

 

Seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness has NOTHING to do with behavior, does NOT include bible study, or anything like that.

 

What is the Spiritual interpretation and application of "all these things shall be added unto you." ? ? ?

What are "these things?" Are they added in this life? Is their addition contingent upon our seeking?

By comparison, "Seek, and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you."

Do we seek the "Kingdom of God" now, in this life? Is it a promise that we shall "find" and that doors will be opened in this life?

Or are "these things" for the hereafter?

Just what is this "Kingdom of God"? Earthly? Spiritual?

:saint:

 

Paul stated very explicitly in Romans 14:17 that the Kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit

As far as I know, every single time Jesus gave an instruction to seek or ask, it is explicit stated at least once (usually in Luke) that the Holy Spirit is to be sought.

Judith quoted Matt 6:33, yet ignored 7:7-11 where He said "ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it will be opened."

Jesus goes on to ask if your son asked for bread will you give him a stone?

Look at the parallel passage in Luke 11:9-13. Jesus explicitly states that the asking, seeking, knocking, is for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

True righteousness, found in the washing if regeneration. Even the woman at the well (John 4:10-14). Jesus said if she had asked, He would have given her Living Waters.

And John 7:36-40 tells us explicitly that these Living Waters - that which Jesus said to ask for - was the Holy Spirit, who had not been given yet.

Everything Jesus did and said before His death was in the Old Testament (see Hebrews 9:15-17). The New Covenant (or Testament) did not begin until Jesus died.

And up until He died, NOBODY was made literally righteous. NNE was born again, NNE was forever perfected by the blood of Christ.

Jesus was telling OT believers to seek to BECOME the righteousness of God (2Corinthians 5:21)

Kingdom of God (Holy Spirit) and His righteousness. It has nothing do do with behavior, but the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5)

 

Some have suggested the idea of Matthew 6:33 is get saved, and the good times will roll. Easy Believism 101

But we are to continually seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Each day we are to strive to follow Christ, serve Christ, and reach others for Christ. In order not to degrade or invalidate our witness, we are to walk the talk as best we can.

Consider this thought, does the verse say we are to seek the Kingdom of God for ourselves only, or for ourselves and those we love?

 

Well, we agree on something. This is not a salvational text for sure. It is a daily application for saved people for sure. It certainly is not about others, as you cannot implement this text in the life of others but only in your own life.

However, this text does promise that the "good times will roll" but that does not mean experientially the "good" times will feel or look good, but that it will work ulitmately for our good (Rom. 8:28).

 

You couldn't have missed any further.

It would appear you haven't searched the scriptures for every time Jesus instructed His hearers to ask, seek, and/or knock.

He was telling THEM to seek the Holy Spirit, who had not yet been given. The righteousness of God is what they were to seek. Not found in the leaven of the Pharisees, that ministry of death found in the Law. It was but a schoolmaster, browbeating its adherents with a facade of righteousness - because of the weakness of the flesh.

True righteousness, the righteousness of God. New heart, new spirit. Not found on tablets of stone, but in the heart. It's a work of the Holy Spirit, whereby there is a fountain of Living Waters.

Has nothing to do with you, your effort, your works

 

Notice the present tense in the description of the beatitudes "are" demonstrating a present condition. The Holy Spirit was already with his disciples INDIVDIUALLY as in new birth/indwelling/union but the Spirit had not come to them INSTITUTIONALLY as the new public house of worship.

Jesus is describing the TRUE righteousness of the spiritual kingdom of God (ch. 5), the TRUE worship of the spiritual kingdom of God (ch. 6) and the TRUE grounds of discernment of the spiritual kingdom of God (ch. 7).

 

In context Jesus is addressing those Jews who are indistinguishable from the gentiles by reason of their worldly concerns, desires, and apprehensions.

This is very much like the condition of many Christians today. We are all too often first concerned with how we are going to secure our needs.

Jesus reminds and assures both them and us that God knows our needs and seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness first is followed by God's faithful provision.

It can be helpful to ask the Lord to bring to mind those things we should reflect on that can in a similar way impede our faith. I would hate to have to stand in front of Jesus with my head held low because I had more faith in my 401K than I had in him.

 

Are we concluding that the Kingdom of God is the Body of Christ? Is the Kingdom of God present outside of each individual? Does it embrace people groups? Are we living in the Kingdom of God now? Is it "waiting" to come in to each person or group by invitation, or at "just the right time"?

WHO was Jesus speaking to when He said, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His Righteousness? Does the "and" imply that the Kingdom of God and Righteousness come one after the other? Or, are they instantaneous?

Does the Kingdom of God exist around the world? Where does it exist? Where do we find (or see) evidence of it?

Thanks............

 

Hi Getting it Right, thanks for your post #13, it asks important and interesting questions. One of the meanings of the word translated "kingdom" is reign, i.e. the kingdom refers to the area where God reigns.

If we are unsaved, we are separated from God and therefore from the reign of God in our life. However, when we are saved, and indwelt with the Holy Spirit, we can follow and be conformed, and thus allow God to reign to hopefully an increasing degree in our life.

Recall our daily prayer,

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. ​

Do you see the parallel with continually seek first the kingdom and His righteousness, and all these will be provided?

 

@JamesL

What do you think of Van's post in 14??

Any comments you'd like to add or insert?

:wavey::type:

@Van

What are "all these things?"

 

Psalm 37:25
I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging for bread.

Like I stated in a previous post, apostle Paul stated very explicitly what the kingdom of God is - righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit. And he contrasted it against a mindset of restrictions in eating and drinking.

The Kingdom of God is righteousness. Jesus said "The Kingdom of God does not come with observation. Nor shall they say 'Look here or there'. For behold, the Kingdom of God is within you (or among you)." - Luke 17:20-21

 

If you review the preceding few verses, i.e. Matthew 6:25-32, several specific things are mentioned (our life and the duration of our life, the needs of our bodies, food, drink, clothing) but basically the idea is do not wander from the path of righteousness to seek the necessities of daily living. The third soil of Matthew 13 let the concerns of this life choke out the priority of seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness.
As one preacher said, God does not want to be your first priority, He wants to be your only priority.

 

My apologies.........

I asked my questions in hopes to join in a pleasant conversation with posters, then had to leave.

Sorry about that!

:saint:

 

Present tense "are blessed" doesn't seem to have near the thrust of future tense "will, or will be...."

will be comforted
will inherit the earth
will be filled
will receive mercy
will be called children of God
your reward will be great in heaven

You are blessed because you have been given great promises for eternity

I don't think it can be simplified like that.

 

:thumbsup: Good post. Righteousness, joy, and peace in the Holy Spirit, the land of milk and honey.