SwordWerx

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Swordworx Once known as "Biker's Chapel", "Swordworx" is an online Christian learning community led by former United States Naval chaplain, writer, and educator, Dr. Randall Parr. All Biblical/Theological questions and topic requests are welcome. Be kind.

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Biker's Chapel Biker's Chapel is an online Christian learning community led by former United States Naval chaplain, writer, and educator, Dr. Randall Parr. We welcome all Bible-related questions and topic requests. Be kind.

SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD
What that means

Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33). The verse’s meaning is as direct as it sounds. We are to seek the things of God as a priority over the things of the world. Primarily, it means we are to seek the salvation that is inherent in the kingdom of God because it is of greater value than all the world’s riches. Does this mean that we should neglect the reasonable and daily duties that help sustain our lives? Certainly not. But for the Christian, there should be a difference in attitude toward them. If we are taking care of God’s business as a priority—seeking His salvation, living in obedience to Him, and sharing the good news of the kingdom with others—then He will take care of our business as He promised—and if that’s the arrangement, where is worrying?

But how do we know if we’re truly seeking God’s kingdom first? There are questions we can ask ourselves. “Where do I primarily spend my energies? Is all my time and money spent on goods and activities that will certainly perish, or in the services of God—the results of which live on for eternity?” Believers who have learned to truly put God first may then rest in this holy dynamic: “…and all these things will be given to you as well.”

God has promised to provide for His own, supplying every need (Philippians 4:19), but His idea of what we need is often different from ours, and His timing will only occasionally meet our expectations. For example, we may see our need as riches or advancement, but perhaps God knows that what truly we need is a time of poverty, loss or solitude. When this happens, we are in good company. God loved both Job and Elijah, but He allowed Satan to absolutely pound Job (all under His watchful eye), and He let that evil woman, Jezebel, break the spirit of His own prophet Elijah (Job 1–2; 1 Kings 18–19). In both cases, God followed these trials with restoration and sustenance.

These “negative” aspects of the kingdom run counter to a heresy which is gaining ground around the world, known as the so-called "prosperity" gospel. A growing number of false teachers are gathering followers under the message “God wants you to be rich!”; but, that philosophy is not the counsel of the Bible—and it is certainly not the counsel of Matthew 6:33, which is not a formula for gaining wealth. It is a description of how God works. Jesus taught that our focus should be away from this world—its status and its lying allurements—and placed upon the things of God’s kingdom.

TWO APPROACHES TO GOD
Do you see yourselves as slaves or adopted children?

People sometimes misunderstand their relationship to God when they become Christians. Some see themselves as conquered POW's in bo***ge and approach God as a camp commander with fear and dutiful submission. Others see themselves as liberated, adopted children, approach Him with love and call Him "Father". Here's what the Bible teaches about these two approaches to God:

Romans 8:15 says, “For ye have not received the spirit of bo***ge again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, ‘Abba! Father!’” (KJV). This verse contrasts two spirits: an impersonal “spirit of bo***ge” or “spirit of slavery” and the Holy Spirit, called here “the Spirit of adoption.” Other translations render the phrase the Spirit of adoption as “God’s Spirit when he adopted you as his own children” (NLT), “the Spirit makes you God’s children” (GNT), or “a Spirit that shows you are adopted as his children” (CEB).

Two different spirits. Two different mindsets that we can have in our approach to God: we can approach Him as slaves in bo***ge, or we can approach Him as adopted children. The Bible presents a high view of adoption and uses it to parallel the relationship God wants to have with us. The spirit of slavery views God has a slave owner and we His trembling subjects. The spirit of adoption views God as a loving Father and we His beloved sons and daughters.

A spirit of slavery is manifested in legalistic religion. Many cults and even some Christian denominations put such emphasis on rule-keeping that they instill fear and a sense of dread in their members. God is presented as a taskmaster who is never quite satisfied with anything we do. The bar is always set a bit too high, so people find religious activities to keep themselves busy in the hope that God will accept them for their effort. Even those who have been born again through faith in Christ’s sacrifice for their sin (John 3:3) can cling to a spirit of slavery, never realizing the freedom that is theirs with the Spirit of adoption.

This spirit of slavery was rampant within the Jewish culture when Jesus came to earth. He soundly rebuked the religious leaders for instilling such legalism in people with whom God desired to have a loving relationship (Mark 7:7–9; Matthew 23:15–16). Paul cautioned the early churches to be watchful for the return of that spirit of slavery. In Galatians 5:1 he wrote, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

In startling contrast is the Spirit of adoption, the Holy Spirit of God who brings us into God’s family. Jesus invited believers to address God as “our Father” (Matthew 6:8–9). God explained His desire to treat His people as sons and daughters (2 Corinthians 6:18). God has made this spiritual adoption possible through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16–18; 1:12; 14:6; Romans 8:14). Based on our faith and confession of allegiance (Romans 10:9–10), God adopts us into His eternal family. He makes us joint heirs together with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). We receive the Spirit of adoption when we accept, by faith, the grace that has been offered to us in Christ (Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:23; Luke 10:27). It is the Spirit of adoption who teaches us to call out to God as our “Abba, Father.”

There is a vast difference between the way sons serve their fathers and the way slaves serve their masters. Slaves may perform duties; sons perform acts of love. Slaves dutifully obey; sons gladly obey. Slaves are motivated by fear of punishment; sons are motivated by love of relationship. Slaves ask, “What is required?” Sons ask, “What else can I do for you?” The Spirit of adoption changes us from fearful slaves to joyful sons and daughters. The Spirit of adoption allows us to “come boldly before the throne of grace” (Hebrews 4:16) as a beloved child runs to his father in times of trouble. Because of the Spirit of adoption, we can enjoy serving God without fear or obligation. Serving in our Father’s kingdom becomes life’s highest ambition (2 Corinthians 5:20).