Most of the time we focus on seeking the Kingdom of God, forgetting what the full verse says: “But seek first his kingdom AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all these things will be given to you as well.” My brother, my sister, have you been seeking the Kingdom without the righteousness of God? Let’s clarify something today: the righteousness of God, which is one of the most prominent attributes of God, In fact, the righteousness of God is synonymous with His justice… Now, what justice are we talking about? One verse could help us understand it: “Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away” (Psalm 37:1-2). Yes, seeking the righteousness of God means that, as the children of God (if you are a true Christian), you should seek to imitate Jesus by doing what is right before God. Jesus taught us us that true righteousness is not what men see as righteous based upon external appearances and the Bible declares that: “You are the ones who justify yourselves in the eyes of others, but God knows your hearts. What people value highly is detestable in God’s sight” (Luke 16:15). True righteousness is judged by God alone, in accordance with His Word. Because of this, we need to beware of attempting to judge the righteousness of others (Matthew 7:1).In other words, it is not because you yourself or someone tells you you are doing good, that you are truly doing good. Always ask yourself sincerely: what does God think about what I am doing? And not only that: never forget that the righteousness of God is evident in the way He consistently acts in accord with His own character. So, a one-off good action or attempt to do good does not make you a righteous person! Why? Because God always acts righteously, and so any child of His should! Every action of God is consistent with His character… Can you say the same about yourself? Many people say things they do not do… yet they believe they are righteous! Now, let’s also clarify that righteousness is very important for your salvation. Apostle Paul says that God justifies us, the sinners, by declaring us righteous because of the cross (Romans 3:21-28). Therefore, the Good News of the Gospel is that salvation by grace is offered to all men, and by the righteousness of Jesus Christ, all men may be forgiven of their sins and made righteous before God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Today, many churches are selling different “good news”: the good news of the blessings, that of healing, that of prosperity, etc… none of that can be offered by God without the implementation of God’s own principles: seek His kingdom and His righteousness first… or when your soul does not prosper first (3 John 1:2)… Indeed, the cross accomplished a just salvation for us in making us righteous before God only when we accept Jesus and when we open our hearts to Him every day, until His return. So, know that everything you want to achieve in 2015 will be accomplished with the Lord only when God is first in your heart, when you seek His Kingdom and His righteousness first… Stay blessed in Jesus’ name. [facebook] [retweet]