First Things First

In the Kingdom of God, being a Servant of the King is not becoming righteous. Being His Servant is the result of seeking His Righteousness and becoming like the King.

For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:32-34.

One of the fallacies of our day and in our culture is the faulty thinking of a ‘Me first’ attitude. We very seldom think of the other person of being my equal or certainly not more valuable than myself. Of course, the latter part is never true in the thinking of God. Take a quick glance at what Paul writes in Galatians 2:6, “But from those who were of high reputation (what they were makes no difference to me; God shows no partiality)--well, those who were of reputation contributed nothing to me,” And again in Romans 2:11 he uses the same thought, “For there is no partiality with God.”

To be a Believer in Jesus Christ simply means that we must loose ourselves from the erroneous thinking that we are more important than the next person in line.

For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's descendants, heirs according to promise. Galatians 3:27-29.

The important phrase in Galatians 3:27 is, “for all of you who were baptized in to Christ….” I write this because people who are not Born Again will not be ‘in Christ’ no matter how many times that they have been baptized. They must be Born Again, for Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." This is also the birth of being a Servant to others and of becoming like the Christ.

Being a Servant of Christ is not determined by who I am or what I possess, but rather by Whose I am and the personal recognition of the same. Each of us was purchased with huge cost.

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. 1 Corinthians 6:17-20.

And the price He paid enables us to become joined in Him and in one spirit with Him, and in this we are also enabled to become His righteousness. This righteousness also demands that we be His servants.

He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal. "If anyone serves Me, he must follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him. John 12:25-26.

Everyone who claims the Name of Christ must release himself from his personal claims and follow the Lord. Just as the fishermen, James and John left their nets and Matthew left his Tax Office, we must leave behind that which is most important to us. This is Servant Identity. This is seeking His righteousness and not our own.

Jesus is Lord
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