Put God first is a sentiment that has certainly been embraced by most, if not all professing Christians, but exactly how to apply it differs from one individual to another. It is therefore imperative that we first learn to put things in true and proper perspective.

The worse thing anyone can do is to spend his/her time (life), resources, even destroying very important relationships pursuing what is believed to be of such great importance to God, and ends up to be all in vain.

As a matter of fact, the worse indictment that has been labeled on those who profess to know God is that of vain worship, and this is duly supported by Jesus Christ who said to the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men. You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your own traditions” (Mk.7:6-9).

Jesus also cautions his followers saying; “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles? Then I will tell them plainly, I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers” (Matt.21-23).

Therefore the things one needs to do in order to put God first in his/her life are:-

a. Put things in true and real perspective

It is not just a matter of putting God first at all cost whether it is his according to his will or not, but rather put things in true real perspective, and seek first his will.

God has a plan for man before the foundation of the world, for it is stated clearly in the scriptures, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing, it is the gift of God – not because of works, lest any man should boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance that we should walk in them.”

We are both the material, and co-workers with Christ whom God is using to accomplish his plan for man. The apostle Paul tells us; “For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it. For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”

Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, his work will be shown for what it is; for the Day will disclose it because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1Cor. 3:10-15).

It is therefore unwise and insensible on the part of anyone who will not try to put things in true perspective and just simply follow trend despite the serious warning given by Jesus Christ saying; “For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.”
The apostle Peter echoed a similar sentiment when he says; “But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Sovereign Lord who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. Many will follow their shameful ways and will bring the way of truth into disrepute” (2Pet.2:1-2).

Since it is the many and not the few that are being led astray, one should not become insensitive and naive to the babble of confusion that plague the Christian religion, and simply take for granted everything that is said and done in the name of God. For thus says the word of wisdom; “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?

One cannot afford to be complacent; the stake is too high to have the wrong perspective of God’s order of things, which can cause one to build his/her thesis on the wrong premise. The prize at stake here is enormous. It is not simply granting one access into a kingdom as citizens, but rather being heirs, rulers of a kingdom, and having a glorified body, which varies in glory. For just as there is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars, and star differs from star in glory, so will it be with the resurrection of the dead.

b. Be renewed in the spirit of the mind

The apostle Paul said; “Now this I affirm and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds; they are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Eph.4:14-19).

Those who put God first in their lives however, did not come to know Christ that way. Assuming that they have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, they will put off their old nature which belongs to their former way of life, and which is corrupted through deceitful lusts, and they will be renewed in the spirit of their minds, and will put on the new nature, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

They will put God first by not conforming themselves to this world, but rather be transformed by the renewal of their minds, in order that they may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. They will set their minds on things that are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. They will put to death all what that is earthly in them, because the unrighteous, the immoral, idolaters, adulterers, sexual perverts, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, revilers, and robbers will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Putting God first is to strive to enter by the narrow door; for many I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the house holder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from. Then you will begin to say. ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity! There you will weep and gnash your teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from East and west, and from North and South, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last” (Lk.13:24-31)

Anyone who breaks one of the least of God’s commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commandments will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

c. Seek first his kingdom of God

In consoling his followers the Lord says to them; “Do not be anxious saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ Or ‘What shall we drink?’ Or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well” (Matt.6:31-33

The Kingdom of God and his righteousness is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. It is for this purpose he sent his Beloved Son into the world to die for the sins of man, and resurrected him in glory, in order to fulfill the everlasting covenant and promise he made to Abraham and his descendants.

With regards to the covenant God made with Abraham the apostle Paul wrote, “When the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that they might receive the full rights as sons.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, so that by faith they might receive the promise of the Spirit.
Because they are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into their hearts crying, “Abba! Father” So they are no longer slaves, but sons, and since they are sons, God has also made them heirs. Heirs to the promise God made to Abraham and his descendants (Gal.4:4-8; Gal.3:14).

In affirming the immutability of the covenant which God made to Abraham and his descendants, the apostle Paul wrote; “Brethren, let us take an example from every day life. Just as no one can set aside, or add to a human covenant that has been duly established so it is in this case: The promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. The scripture does not say “and to seeds”, meaning many people, but “and to your seed”, meaning one person, who is Christ” (Gal. 3:15-16).

The promise was extended to David from whom Jesus Christ descended and thus says the Lord; “The days are coming, when I will fulfill the gracious promise I made to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah. In those days and at that time I will make a righteous branch sprout from David’s line; he will do what is just and right in the land. In those days Judah will be saved and Jerusalem will live in safety, this is the name by which it will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness.’

“For this is what the Lord says: David will never fail to have a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, nor will the priests, who are Levites, ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices” (Jer.33:14-17).

With regards to the everlasting covenant the Lord made with the house of Israel the prophet Isaiah wrote; “For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David, and over his kingdom, to establish it, and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and for evermore. The zeal of the Lord will perform it.”

Jesus Christ fulfills this covenant by having an everlasting kingdom, and an everlasting priesthood.

For it is written; “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come – one in the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?

For the one of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. For it is declared: “You are a priest for ever in the order of Melchizedek”.

Those who formally became priests took their office without an oath, but Jesus Christ became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest for ever.” Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. The former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. For it is fitting that we should have such a High Priest, one who is holy, blameless, pure, separated from sinners, exalted above the heavens.

Unlike the other high priests, Jesus Christ does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priest men who are weak; but the oath which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect for ever” (Heb.7:11-17; 21-28).

The kingdom of God is the principal and ultimate objective of our calling for thus it is written; “Come to him, to that living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him. You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture in says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the head of the corner,” and a stone that will make men stumble, a rock that will make them fall”; they stumble because they disobey the message, as they were destined to do.
But you (the believer) are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, that you may proclaim the wonderful deeds of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1Pet.2:5-9).

It is stated that, “Jesus Christ was slain, and by his blood he ransomed men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and has made them a kingdom of priests to God, and they shall reign on the earth” (Rev.5:9-10).

The stone which the builders rejected and has become the chief corner stone is Jesus Christ the King of God’s kingdom. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him.

The first message Jesus Christ preached when he began his ministry was; “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the gospel.” (Mk.1:14-15). When asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God was coming, he replied, The kingdom of God is not coming with your careful observation, nor will people say, ‘Here it is, or there it is,’ because the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Lk.17:20-22).

The establishment of God’s kingdom on earth was revealed to the first world ruling king in a dream, and was later interpreted by the prophet Daniel. In interpreting the dream to the King Daniel said, “In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed: nor will it be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand for ever; just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. The great God has made known to you what will take place in the future. The dream is certain and its interpretation is sure” (Dan. 2:44-45).

According to Daniel the kingdom of God will be established during the reign of the fourth kingdom on earth (the Roman Empire). He wrote; “As for the fourth beast, there shall be a fourth kingdom on earth, which shall be different from all the kingdoms, and it shall devour the whole earth, and trample it down, and break it in pieces.” But the court, shall sit in judgment and his dominion shall be taken away, and to be consumed and destroyed to the end.

And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High’ their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall verve and obey them: (Dan. 7:23, 26-27).

The kingdom of God and his righteousness is the principal and ultimate objective for to live in righteousness and holiness. We have been admonished saying; “Let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and godly fear; for our God is a consuming fire” (Heb.12:28-29).

The kingdom of God is our anticipated reward when Christ returns. He will separate the sheep from the goats, and say to the sheep on his right hand, “Come you are blessed by my Father; inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world” (Matt.25:34).

Man’s temporary sojourn here on earth, is to help him learn how to use his God-given talent, ability and resources, and whatever God has placed under his jurisdiction to the glory of God. This helps him qualify for ruler-ship in the kingdom of God. He is expected to be a faithful steward occupying his time and using his resources diligently until Jesus Christ returns, because it is stated that; “He who is faithful in a very little (everything earthly) is faithful also in much, and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteousness mammon, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?

Jesus Christ depicted the establishment of the kingdom of God as, a noble man who went into a far country to receive a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten pounds, and said to them Do business till I come. But his citizens hated him and sent an embassy after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by trading.”

Those who gained interest were commended by the noble man saying, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities, and to another five cities. But to the one who did not invest his money, what was given to him was taken away from him and given to the one who invested the most. Then the Lord said, I tell you that to every one who has will more be given; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them before me” (Lk.19:12-27).

With brotherly love

Lucius Joseph