Topical Bible: Seeking God: Includes Seeking: His Righteousness

◄ Seeking God: Includes Seeking: His Righteousness ►

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Topical Encyclopedia

Seeking God is a central theme throughout the Bible, emphasizing the importance of pursuing a relationship with the Creator. This pursuit is not merely a passive acknowledgment of God's existence but an active, intentional effort to know Him, understand His will, and align one's life with His purposes. The Bible presents seeking God as a vital aspect of faith, promising that those who earnestly seek Him will find Him.

Biblical Foundation

The call to seek God is woven throughout Scripture. In the Old Testament, the prophet Isaiah exhorts, "Seek the LORD while He may be found; call on Him while He is near" (Isaiah 55:6). This invitation underscores the urgency and availability of God's presence to those who pursue Him.

The Psalms frequently express a deep longing for God. Psalm 63:1 declares, "O God, You are my God; earnestly I seek You. My soul thirsts for You, my body yearns for You, in a dry and weary land without water" . This imagery conveys the intensity and necessity of seeking God as essential to spiritual life and vitality.

Seeking His Righteousness

Seeking God inherently involves seeking His righteousness. Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount, instructs His followers, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you" (Matthew 6:33). This directive places the pursuit of God's kingdom and His righteousness as the foremost priority in a believer's life, promising that God will provide for their needs as they focus on His purposes.

The pursuit of righteousness is not about self-righteousness or legalism but about aligning one's life with God's standards and character. The Apostle Paul, in his letter to the Romans, emphasizes that righteousness comes through faith: "But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been revealed, as attested by the Law and the Prophets" (Romans 3:21). This righteousness is a gift from God, received through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Promise of Finding God

The Bible assures believers that seeking God is not a futile endeavor. In Jeremiah 29:13, God promises, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart" . This promise highlights the sincerity and wholeheartedness required in the pursuit of God, assuring that such a pursuit will lead to a genuine encounter with Him.

The New Testament echoes this assurance. In Hebrews 11:6, it is written, "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who approaches Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him" . This verse underscores the necessity of faith in seeking God and the certainty of His reward for those who diligently pursue Him.

Practical Aspects of Seeking God

Seeking God involves several practical aspects, including prayer, meditation on Scripture, worship, and obedience. Prayer is a primary means of communication with God, allowing believers to express their desires, seek guidance, and cultivate intimacy with Him. The study and meditation on Scripture provide insight into God's character and will, serving as a guide for righteous living.

Worship, both personal and communal, is an expression of adoration and reverence for God, drawing believers closer to Him. Obedience to God's commands is a tangible demonstration of seeking His righteousness, reflecting a life transformed by His grace.

In summary, seeking God is a dynamic and ongoing journey that encompasses a heartfelt pursuit of His presence, a commitment to His righteousness, and a reliance on His promises. Through this pursuit, believers experience the fullness of life that comes from knowing and walking with the Lord.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Matthew 6:33
But seek you first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God," &C.
... If ye seek not this kingdom as the one thing necessary, and your seeking proclaim
that ye account it so ... But this kingdom of God also includes the kingdom ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon xviii but seek ye.htm

The Boasted Merit of Works Subversive Both of the Glory of God, in ...
... The ingratitude of seeking righteousness by works. ... The example of Christ includes
this and all offices of ... was spent in doing the works of God; his whole soul ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 15 the boasted merit.htm

The First Evangelists
... and they should beware lest, in seeking to prevent ... in the same tender recognition
He includes the feeblest and lowliest of the family of God: "Whosoever shall ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 37 the first evangelists.htm

Thirtieth Day. The Unction from the Holy One.
... be at the call of sinners seeking their God ... intelligent and most willing, approval
of His blessed will. ... They shall be all taught of God,' includes every believer ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/murray/holy in christ/thirtieth day the unction from.htm

Sirs, what must I do to be Saved? and they Said, Believe on the ...
... And this reason includes both the obedience of Christ to the ... It is seeking that as
a preparation for faith, which ... left in the mind contrary to the law of God. ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/sirs what must i do.htm

Submit Yourselves Therefore to God. James 4:7.
... true acquiescence in God's moral law includes actual obedience ... to seek holiness or
obedience to God, and to ... is a very different thing from seeking supremely our ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/submit yourselves therefore to god.htm

"And this is his Commandment," &C.
... a rational and deliberate action, which necessarily includes the sense ... inseparably
knit with it, love to God and men ... wrong your own souls by seeking to prevent ...
/.../binning/the works of the rev hugh binning/sermon iii and this is.htm

His Freedom from Sin.
... possibility of not sirning,[22]22 which includes the opposite ... for the faintest trace
of self-seeking in his ... of such an extraordinary indwelling of God in him ...
//christianbookshelf.org/schaff/the person of christ/his freedom from sin.htm

Letter i. To the Bishop of Aquileia.
... every bestowal of good works is of God's preparing: because a ... and thus that if any
one, seeking his own interests ... as to what this term here includes, but think ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/leo/writings of leo the great/letter i to the bishop.htm

Human Inability
... If coming to Christ includes the utterance of a prayer, man ... Let his statement be
but true, it is idle to ... me to exercise the mental idea of seeking God, as it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/human inability.htm