“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? … But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:25 and 33).
Many of us are living almost in a fanciful world of make believe. We believe we have been set free. We have been washed and redeemed, made holy — pure, clean, washed — and are living righteous lives for God. At least that is what is somewhere in the shadowlands of our mind and understanding.
But in reality, you may have doubts that leave you wondering, “Have I really been set free?” You may have areas of struggle and because of this question in your mind, you pray daily, “Lord, set me free! Deliver me from bondage, from the power of sin, from these habitual patterns, addictions. Please set me free!”
I am pleased to tell you that the way you see your life and the way the Father sees you is different. You are pleading, “Lord, change me!” while you have already been changed because you have met Jesus Christ and have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. When you were cleansed by his precious blood, you were made free and you are now a new creation. You do not need to come to the altar and beg and plead in despair and guilt.
When Jesus talks about “seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” he is assuring us that he has won the victory for us! There is no anxiety, no fear, no condemnation because he never changes. So when you come to the altar, come to worship and praise him for his love and grace because you are redeemed.