The Daily Word of Righteousness

Fruit Is Change, #6

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33—NIV)

We have been commanded to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.

We are to seek the Kingdom of God, not Heaven, but the Kingdom of God.

We are to seek God's righteousness, not our own righteousness but God's righteousness.

God's righteousness is assigned to us when we place our faith in Jesus Christ. From the moment we receive Christ we are to read our Bible, pray, gather with fervent believers, and obey the Holy Spirit each day. As we live in the Spirit, think in the Spirit, walk in the Spirit, we begin to change into the image of Christ. God speaks to us from His Word. We grow in Christ. This is God's righteousness, not our own.

One of the greatest misunderstandings in the history of the world is that concerning the role of the commandments given by Christ and His Apostles.

Are Christians to obey them or not? Modern Christian theology says it is not necessary, not essential to our salvation that we obey the commandments given by Christ and His Apostles.

The Christians of today are unaware there are any commandments contained in the New Testament. They have been blinded by tradition.

If you have a great deal of time to spend, start at Romans and go through the New Testament. Write down each commandment as you come to it. You will be amazed at the number of them.

Are the commandments found in the New Testament to be obeyed? Of course they are to be obeyed! Why are they included in the New Testament if they are not to be obeyed?

We Christians say the New Testament is the very Word of God. Why then do we not do what it says to do?

It is only as these commandments are obeyed that Christ is formed in us.

But we can't obey the New Testament commandments in our own strength. Exactly! We have to come boldly before the Throne of God and ask for help in doing what the New Testament commands.

Many of the Lord's commandments are in the form of cause and effect. If we are a peacemaker we shall be called a son of God. If we are pure in heart we shall see God. Can you see that these actually are commandments even though they are such by inference?

If we are not a peacemaker (and numerous Christians are troublemakers) we never shall be called a son of God. We can receive Christ every week but we never shall be called a son of God until we are a peacemaker.

If we are not pure in heart we never shall see God. We can claim mercy and grace all we want to but we cannot set aside the Words of Jesus Christ.

The way we show our love for Christ is by keeping His Word. Can you say Amen?

The Apostles were more direct in their commandments.

It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; That each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, Not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; And that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him. The Lord will punish men for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. (I Thessalonians 4:3-7—NIV)

To be continued.