What Does It Mean To Put God First

Mt. 6:33 pretty well answers this question.  “Seek ye first his kingdom and his righteousness…”  The kingdom of Christ is the “church of Christ.”  In Mt. 16:16, “And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God.”  Then Jesus answered: “Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah: for flesh and blood had not revealed it unto thee, but my Father who is in heaven.  And I also say unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”  Mt. 16:17-18 “I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”  v19-20.  In the preceding verses, Peter confessed Jesus as the Son of the living God Mt. 16:16   Jesus blessed Peter and said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church…”  The ROCK was the confession Peter made that Christ is the Son of God.  Some have taught that PETER was the rock the church was built upon.  NOT SO.  The ROCK is the fact that Christ is the Son of God, DEITY.  The church is the “CHURCH OF CHRIST’, not the church of Peter.  Jesus purchased the church with His own blood – Acts 20:28.  Therefore the church is the church of Christ.  Jesus said it was. I will build MY church.”  Mt. 16:18 Jesus claims it.  Jesus died for it.
God has done His part for man’s salvation.  We must do our part.  Jesus died for us.  We must submit to His teaching, the New Testament, and put Him first in our lives.  When Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of Go…”, He meant DO IT.  Jesus did NOT mean 2nd, or last place, but first, do it.  God has standards for us to live by.  We cannot change those standards.  We will be judged by such, therefore it is important to learn them to live by them.  THE BIBLE IS THE STANDARD OF AUTHORITY for it is of God.  What we need to know is in the Bible.  STUDY IT.
Truth In Love, Vol. 6, No. 12, December 2013