The Importance Of Seeking righteousness
Joyce Meyer’s TV broadcast this morning is VERY important for everyone seeking marriage restoration, especially when NOTHING seems to be working, even though we think we’re doing all of the “right” stuff! The more time I devote to studying the Bible, the more I realize how often we tend to leave out a very important part of the Bible verses we quote the most, and it’s usually the condition upon which the whole thing hinges! As careful as I try to be, I still got nailed this morning, because I’m guilty of leaving out” AND His righteousness” when MISQUOTING Matthew 6:33 (NKJV), which says But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. But most of us just say “Seek first the kingdom of God…, and TOTALLY leave out the important condition of seeking His righteousness.
Why is it so difficult for us to understand and grasp that the ONLY thing we receive from God that’s unconditional is His love? As far as I can find, every other blessing, provision, promise and protection IS conditional. Somehow the modern day Christian church has perverted God’s grace to the point of teaching that it’s okay to sin, because He’ll forgive us. But I love how Joyce pointed out that grace is provided to KEEP us from sinning in the first place, and NOT so we can keep right on sinning, which is clearly confirmed in the following verses:
Hebrews 10:26-27
If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
1 John 3:6
No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
Romans 5:19-21
For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. The law was added so that the trespass might increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Wow! Grace REIGNS through righteousness!? How could it be any clearer or simpler than that? Romans 6, which the NIV titles “Dead to Sin, Alive in Christ”, very clearly spells out the relationship between sin, grace and righteousness, and it does NOT teach that grace gives us license to keep on sinning. Instead it teaches that once we have become Christians, we have the grace to stop sinning and live in the righteousness of Christ, as illustrated in verses 1-3, which says What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?
So I really appreciate and thank Joyce for her message this morning, because it helped me realize that it’s VERY important to focus on seeking the righteousness of Christ just as we seek His grace, and that it is through His grace that we find righteousness. You can watch her awesome message, True Righteousness – Part I, here.
And we should always remember that James 5:16 tells us Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. And I know we all want our prayers to be powerful and effective!