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Commands of Christ

Seek God’s Kingdom

Where is this command found?

“No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life … But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

Matthew 6:24-33

Applying This Command

Have you ever stopped to consider the question, “What is God’s Kingdom and how does it relate to me?” That is a big question! Yet, at its root, it is quite simple: God’s Kingdom is where He reigns as King! At a first glance, this answer may seem insignificant. But it sheds incredible light on the command Jesus gave in Matthew 6:33, to seek God’s Kingdom.

The life of a believer is not to be one lived in fear and anxiety about having their basic needs met. Why? Our Heavenly Father, Who is the King of kings, is more than able to provide for the citizens of His Kingdom. It is for this reason that our primary responsibility is to seek the King’s will in all we do and to carry it out. This is the secret to a successful kingdom! When a kingdom operates in this manner, not only does the kingdom prosper as whole, but so do the individual lives of each citizen. So it is in God’s Kingdom.

As believers, we are no longer bound to serving the fears and worries of the kingdom of this earth. Why? Because we have been set free from it by the finished work of our King, Jesus Christ. In Him, we have a completely new life, citizenship and values! If we desire to experience the fullness of this new citizenship, we must seek God as our King in every area of our life. As we do, He has promised to supply our every need!

Bible Verses for Meditation

In addition to meditation on Matthew 6:33, meditating on the verses below will provide you with further insight and understanding of Christ’s command: Seek God’s Kingdom.

John 3:3

“Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:29–30

“… There is no man that hath left house, or parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God’s sake, Who shall not receive manifold more in this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.”

Matthew 5:6

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.”

John 6:27

“Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed.”

Philippians 3:7–8

“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.”

Related Episodes

From the Podcast

Dive deeper into the command Seek God’s Kingdom with these episodes from the Commands of Christ podcast!

Study Question

Q: God created man to have fellowship with Him on earth and throughout eternity. Why, then, would He allow Satan to set up an opposing kingdom and deceive whole nations into following him to eternal destruction?

A: The very nature of God is love, and the nature of love requires that the one being loved have free choice in whether to accept or reject the love that is offered. God controls the universe, but He has given man the ability to make choices. Those who make right choices experience the power of God and the reward of eternal life. Those who make wrong choices experience sorrow and eternal death.

The kingdom of Satan is, in itself, a demonstration of the free choice of love. Satan was fashioned as a beautiful creation of God’s splendor but chose to reject God’s love and be his own boss. Paul affirms that everything that happens is under God’s control as he responds in His foreknowledge to the will of people. “Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor? What if God, willing to show his wrath, and to make his power known, endured with much longsuffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction: And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory” (Romans 9:21–23).

Another reason God allows Satan’s kingdom to exist is to cause believers to be continually aware of their need for God’s protection, provision, and direction. Our need for the Lord increases our love for Him.

The ultimate purpose of God’s overall plan is “that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:7).

For Further Study

You can learn more about the command Seek God’s Kingdom in the book Commands of Christ: Series 2.

Other Resources

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