“But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Years ago, I had one person in a Bible class make the comment that it took no effort at all to be a Christian or to live the Christian life. In his words, it was the easiest thing one could do, that it came naturally, and one had to give little to no effort at all to please God. Is his statement true? We understand there are two forces at work in the world around us, vying for our attention. In its simplest form, either we are following God or Satan, either holiness or sin. Satan uses temptations that appeal to us, to lure us away from God into the domain of darkness. Experience tells us how effective a tool this is. To make the effort to live for God means the devil will also work to divert us away from Him. While it is the only life that is blessed, it does indeed take effort – a struggle, a battle – against sin which wants to destroy us (2 Corinthians 10:5-6).
Several times in Scripture, Jesus spoke of the nature of this effort to follow His example. In Matthew 6:33 above, Jesus said we must seek first His kingdom and righteousness. The word seek means “to seek in the sense of to endeavor, to try to gain, to strive after, with the idea of earnestness.” As used in Matthew, it is a present tense, meaning something we should be doing continually. It is also an imperative, carrying the idea of a command – something we must do, not an optional extra. It obviously carries the idea of what involves one’s careful attention and effort, not something that “just happens.”
Elsewhere, Jesus taught those in the cities and villages He visited, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24). The Greek word for “strive” is agonizomai, from which we get our word agonize. It carries the idea of conflict and was used to refer to contending for victory in the public games (1 Corinthians 9:25). It generally came to mean to fight or to wrestle (John 18:36). Figuratively, it is the task of faith in persevering amid temptation and opposition (1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 4:7). It also came to mean to take pains, to wrestle as in a contest, straining every nerve to the uttermost towards the goal. Again, it is an imperative, something we must do if we’re going to overcome sin, and if we’re to reach the goal of eternal life.
To this we could add a host of other Scriptures, but the truth is clear. We are in a battle for our souls, and we must engage the enemy to gain victory in Christ. We can’t just drift through life at our leisure and find it. Once we’ve been immersed and added to the body of Christ (Acts 2:38, 47), there is a life to be lived, and it’s one that is essential to having salvation. Satan is doing all he can to rob us of this precious promise. How do you approach life? The Hebrew writer reminds us, “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away. For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation…” (Hebrews 2:1-3a).
So, what is your life? Do you spend any time studying the Word of God? Are you actively praying? Do you assemble with brothers and sisters to be encouraged in Christian living and to not give up? Are you engaged in spiritual living? It takes effort in Christ to live faithfully for Him. Anything less will be devastating for us. Don’t be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin (Hebrews 3:13). Take your salvation seriously and fight the good fight of faith (1 Timothy 6:12). To do otherwise gives the devil an inroad into our minds, our hearts and our lifestyles. God was serious about our salvation by sending Christ to die for us. How serious is it to you?
