Jesus commands us to seek two things – God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matthew 6:33). When we center our lives around these two things, our lives will come into divine order. But when we put other things first, our lives will be in disorder.
Most people spend their lives seeking other things first – worrying about material things like money, food, and clothing. Most people order their lives around pursuing these things. They spend the bulk of their lives (most hours each day) seeking these things.
But Christians are to be different. Jesus said if we seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, we won’t need to worry about these other things. If we seek first the two things God told us to seek, then everything else we need will be added to us by God. When we put God first, he will give us whatever material things we need.
This doesn’t mean we’re supposed to sit around doing nothing, waiting for God to provide for us. Instead, we’re supposed to actively do the specific things that God tells us to, working hard to expand his kingdom. Only then, God will provide for all we need.
The Psalmist says, “I have never seen the righteous forsaken, nor their seed begging bread” (Psalm 37:25). Even in the Old Testament, righteous people were taken care of by God. From the beginning of the world, God has been faithful to provide for the needs of his people. He fed people in the Old Testament with birds and in other supernatural ways. How much more will he take care of his people in the New Covenant, now that Jesus has come? Our Father will take care of us. But in order to see this divine provision, we must fulfill the condition for receiving it – we must seek first his kingdom and righteousness.
Two of the biggest themes in the New Testament are the kingdom of God and righteousness. Jesus frequently talked about the kingdom of God in his parables. Righteousness is a regular theme throughout the books of the New Testament. God wants us to understand these two concepts so that we can build our lives around them.
What is the Kingdom of God? The kingdom of God is the place where God is king. It’s the place where he rules and his authority prevails. The kingdom of God is God’s government. We enter the kingdom of God when we are born again, and after that, we are to live inside the kingdom of God. The church is the beginning of the current manifestation of the kingdom of God upon the earth, and it is to reveal the government of God’s throne in the world. God wants his kingdom to grow on the earth. He wants us to increasingly submit to his authority, and he wants us to increasingly manifest his kingdom to the world.
What is righteousness? Righteousness means being aligned with God. It means being according to God’s word. We are made righteous when we first trust in Christ and are born again, as we receive the righteousness of Christ as a free gift. After that, we are to continue to seek righteousness so we grow into being more according to God.
As born-again Christians, we have already found the kingdom of God and his righteousness. But we have not found them in fullness. We are not yet perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect, and the kingdom of God is not yet dominating the world. To fulfill our purpose upon this earth, we must continue to seek these things. This pursuit will continue until the kingdom of God is everywhere, and we are completely righteous, seeing Christ face to face. We have not yet attained full maturity, and therefore, we must continue to seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness.
Let’s look more closely at righteousness.
We are made righteous by faith, just like our father Abraham. Abraham believed God, and this faith was accounted to him as righteousness (Romans 4:3). God has an accounting book, and in God’s accounting book, the column for righteousness is empty for everyone who is apart from Christ. Apart from faith, no one is righteous (Romans 3:10). But when Abraham believed God, his faith was accounted as righteousness. Next to Abraham’s name in God’s accounting book, the column for righteousness was no longer empty because Abraham had faith. This faith was accounted as righteousness. So it is for us. When we believe in Christ, our faith is accounted by God as righteousness.
There is an equivalency in God’s economy between faith and righteousness because faith makes us righteous. It’s not by what we have done, but it’s through the gift of Christ which is received by faith.
Through the gospel, righteousness is revealed from faith to faith (Romans 1:17). Our Christian lives begin by faith, and they continue by faith. We are not supposed to just get our tickets punched to heaven and then live in our own strength. Instead, we live by faith in Christ. This is why the Bible repeatedly says, the just (righteous) shall live by faith (Romans 1:17). In order to increase in our experience of righteousness, we must increase in our faith.
The Bible commands us to pursue righteousness (1 Timothy 6:11; 2 Timothy 2:22). This is a command to Christians. We are already righteous and headed to heaven, but we must grow in our experience of righteousness. Some Christians may grow more in righteousness than others, for some may pursue righteousness more than others. Some Christians live more according to God than others. Jesus said blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled (Matthew 5:6). Some Christians are hungrier for righteousness than others, and therefore they will be filled with more righteousness than others.
When we increase in righteousness, then we will bear the fruits of righteousness (Philippians 1:11). These fruits will glorify God. These fruits are holiness and the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
Whoever practices righteousness is righteous (1 John 3:7). Our righteousness is shown by our works, just as our faith is shown by our works. Works do not save us, but they are a sign that we are saved. In a similar way, our righteous works are a sign that we are righteous. Those who do not live righteous lives are not righteous. It’s important not to be deceived about this (1 John 3:7), and think that those who live unrighteous lives are actually righteous.
In order to increase in righteousness, we must walk in the Spirit (Romans 8:4). Walking in the Spirit means walking by faith. Walking by faith means seeing invisible things from God and walking according to those things. When we walk according to faith, we are increasingly aligned with God. Therefore, as we walk by faith, we experience more righteousness.
The word of God gives us training and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). God’s word instructs us about righteousness by showing us God’s divine standard. As we believe and obey the word of God, we are increasingly aligned with God, which means we are increasingly living righteously.
Jesus was perfectly righteous because he did the Father’s will at all times. He was always in line with his Father. When Jesus died on the cross, he freely gave us his righteousness. Our eternal position is one of righteousness, but we are working out this righteousness of Christ as we live on this earth. The righteousness of Christ is increasingly manifested in our lives (in our words and actions) as we walk according to faith.
There is a connection between the kingdom of God and righteousness. When we are righteous, then we are under God’s authority, and we can live and operate in his kingdom. The more righteous we are in our day-to-day lives, the more we will experience the kingdom of God.
We are commanded to receive righteousness so that we can reign in life by Jesus Christ (Romans 5:17). We will reign in life, representing God’s kingdom, through the power of righteousness.
May God give us grace to build our lives around the pursuit of the kingdom of God and righteousness.
(by Peter, not A.I.)
Lincoln House Churches 