We should not seek to find revenge against those who sin against us, but leave vengeance to God (Romans 12:17-21). It is not done with a "perhaps" or a "maybe," but with joy and with firm conviction, with a consciousness that one is in agreement with this dynamic and loving personality. One of the benefits of salvation is that you get endued with the righteousness of God. We are not just doing nothing! It has already been paid for. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2021, Bible Study Tools. Clearly, the Reformers were following Scripture in emphasizing this theme. The people of thiis world are so deceived by Satan that they do not even know what to look for. This is not only unique, it is also a relief because it takes the burden off. "This is the only way to be happy and filled. But this does not eliminate the obligation that Christ gives us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. In Galatians 5:22–23, the apostle Paul details the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, … I don’t know what is the most important thing to know about the righteousness of God, but knowing that you are approved in his sight might be one of them. The Word Seek In Greek. In short, you belong to him both now and forever. It goes on to quote David’s mention of how a man is blessed when God imputes, or credits to his account, righteousness without work. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Answer: Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:33). One thing you must understand is that God’s declaration of righteousness over you is not temporary – it is eternal. This dovetails perfectly with the hunger-and-thirst metaphor in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:6). This is a powerful statement: "There is none who seeks after God." Amos especially indicts Israel's corrupt court system. It does not. John W. Ritenbaugh Amos 5 and the Feast of Tabernacles. And second, yes, he is always present with his children in the sense of his covenant commitment to always stand by us and work for us and turn everything for ou… Living faith is direct; it has its foundation in diligently, actively, consistently, zealously seeking Him in study and prayer and in conforming to His will. The Bereans "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11). It is our response to His grace by believing through faith that what God has told us about salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ is true. But faith, trust, is sensitive in the same way. It also serves to relieve John’s doubts. According to Jesus, God's Kingdom and His righteousness are the very top priorities in all of life. We can give our minds over to physical things - exercise, eating well, and so forth - and there is a place for these, too. It means putting Christ and the things of the Spirit first in our lives. The great obstacle to seeking the Lord is pride. What this means is the case is dismissed forever. The fact is the price of your righteousness is so high that all the money in the world could never buy it anyway. He looks around him and all that has been accomplished. The best part is the Holy Spirit is here to help you do it. The reward is to find Him. The doctrine of the righteousness of God means that we, as the children of God (if you are a Christian), should seek to imitate our heavenly Father (5:48). You can find a lot more verses on how Jesus taught about the kingdom of God. Like a boat trying to dock against the tide, if we do not actively pursue God, then we will slowly drift away from Him (Hebrews 2:1). anazeteo- to seek carefully and diligently. This, in turn, increases faith. Paul learned to be content in whatever state he was in (Philippians 4:11). Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Think of it in this fashion: When God sees you he approves of you because you are a bearer of his righteousness. But He has overcome the world! Why is it important that we ask each and every day for this? John W. Ritenbaugh Another wonderful aspect of God’s righteousness is that it really doesn’t cost you anything, but it cost Jesus everything. Yet there was a savior who came down from heaven and shed his blood so that all our guilty, sinful stains would be washed away and we would be declared righteous. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. Central to understanding verses 4-15 is the word "seek," which appears four times: three times in relation to seeking God Himself and once to seeking good. "Set your mind on things above" adjusts the focus of our attention so that we do not become distracted by things that are less important for any longer than needed, so that they occupy the right proportion and amount of time in our lives. What Does it Mean to Truly Seek God?,Shane Idleman - Read more about spiritual life growth, Christian living, and faith. In geometry, it is impossible to draw more than one straight line between two points. The “mount” was a hillside near Capernaum, where crowds of people had gathered to hear what this new teacher had to say. “ – Matthew 6:33 (NIV) “ “Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: 19 When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. Live like it. With the help of the Holy Spirit live like one who has been tried and found not guilty, because that is what you are. That is a pressure that is simply too great to carry and one I don’t want you to carry. The Word Seek In Greek. What inspires the thoughts that make me do this?" It is not enough to ambitiously yearn to accomplish. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:6). Nevertheless, they are not God. But when he realized that the righteousness of God was gift given to us, it became the sweetest word and caused him to be transformed. Your goal as a believer should be to look, act, think, and behave like Christ did. Seeking the kingdom first This results in a man’s iniquities being forgiven and his sins covered. This means that there are 1.5 times as many scriptures about righteousness as there are about faith. The word “seek” in “the Gentiles seek” (verse 32) is the Greek word epizeteo. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you—This is the great summing up. It usually does this immediately within a given verse in which the word "pride" appears by showing pride to be synonymous with its fruit. It is the conscious fixing or focusing of our mind’s attention and our heart’s affection on God. Righteousness, is not as complicated as a lot of people perceive it to be. On top of this, we must begin to look at our own lives, asking ourselves, "Because this is the pattern of my life, what can I do to avoid this problem in the first place?" I would say that a person who views God’s grace or declaration of righteousness as a license to sin has no understanding of justification or grace. Seeking the kingdom first Does everything we do pass the bar of His standards? His proud thoughts are of the greatness of man because he perceives that man has accomplished all of this, not God. or, "What shall we wear? The teaching here involves simplicity of intention in living one's life. One generation passes away, and another generation comes; but the earth abides forever. In a legal courtroom when a case is dismissed, sometimes it is dismissed with prejudice. Psalm 105:4. The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Ten). As the old song goes: “There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s veins. He holds everything in being. We seek His righteousness by agreeing to allow His death to pay for our sins. The Offerings of Leviticus (Part Eight): Conclusion (Part One). In light of verse Matthew 6:33, verse 24 shows we must focus our attention on our highest priority. Is God a reality to us all the day long, or are there long periods when He is not in our thoughts? Our priorities must be set according to this standard - the overriding goal of our Christian lives. We'll send you an email with steps on how to reset your password. God does not impute, or account, man’s sin to him. Seek is a doing word. We seek not only a coming kingdom, but one in which the governing laws, precepts, and principles shall themselves show forth the Righteousness … It does not say that God is the rewarder of everyone but "of those who diligently seek Him." If we are seeking where a problem might lie in our lives, we will be examining: "When did I first notice this problem? In "the Lord's Prayer," Jesus is instructing His followers to rise early every day and ask God to send the unleavened, sinless Bread of Life to dwell in them. This is apparently the only material request in the entire model prayer; all the other requests are for spiritual aid such as forgiveness, protection, and guidance. The inevitable result of doing this will be wonderful blessings and eternal life. Selah Psalm 24:6. The phrase sounds easy enough — seek first the kingdom of God.In Matthew 6:33 (ESV) it says: “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to … Leavening consistently symbolizes the corruption of sin (for instance, I Corinthians 5:8, "the leaven of malice and wickedness"). Another wonderful aspect of God’s righteousness is that it really … Martin G. Collins We should consider righteousness in three dimensions. Just a few verses later, in Matthew 6:25-26, 31, He teaches: Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. The fundamental differences are in how important God is to each and how accurate their thoughts about Him are. Yes, you could tell him that God is powerful, loving, kind, and merciful, but those words describe the acts of God more than His nature or character. Jesus said that the main thing we should seek after is God’s righteousness. . 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