Topical Bible: Seeking God: Saints: Characterised By

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In the Christian tradition, seeking God is a fundamental aspect of the life of the saints, those who are set apart for God's purposes. This pursuit is not merely a passive desire but an active, intentional endeavor that shapes their character and actions. The Bible provides numerous insights into how saints are characterized by their pursuit of God.

1. Diligence in Seeking: Saints are marked by their diligent pursuit of God. Hebrews 11:6 states, "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 and earnestness in seeking God, highlighting that such a pursuit is rewarded by God Himself.

2. Wholehearted Devotion: The saints are characterized by a wholehearted devotion to God. In Jeremiah 29:13 , God promises, "You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." This indicates that a complete and undivided heart is essential in the quest for God, reflecting a deep commitment and love for Him.

3. Obedience to God's Commands: Seeking God is closely linked with obedience. Psalm 119:2 declares, "Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, and seek Him with all their heart." The saints demonstrate their pursuit of God through adherence to His commandments, showing that seeking God involves aligning one's life with His will.

4. Prayer and Supplication: Prayer is a vital expression of seeking God. The saints are characterized by their reliance on prayer as a means of communion with God. Philippians 4:6 encourages believers, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." Through prayer, the saints express their dependence on God and their desire to know Him more intimately.

5. Desire for God's Presence: A longing for God's presence is a hallmark of the saints. Psalm 42:1-2 beautifully captures this yearning: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul longs after You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?" This imagery reflects the deep desire of the saints to be in the presence of their Creator.

6. Pursuit of Righteousness: The saints seek God through a pursuit of righteousness. Matthew 6:33 instructs, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you." This verse emphasizes the priority of seeking God's kingdom and righteousness above all else, indicating that the saints' lives are oriented towards God's standards.

7. Trust in God's Guidance: Trusting in God's guidance is a key characteristic of those who seek Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 advises, "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." The saints demonstrate their trust by acknowledging God in all aspects of their lives, relying on His wisdom and direction.

8. Joy in God's Word: The saints find joy and delight in God's Word as they seek Him. Psalm 119:105 states, "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." The scriptures are a source of guidance and joy for the saints, illuminating their path as they seek to know and follow God more closely.

In summary, the saints are characterized by a diligent, wholehearted, and obedient pursuit of God, marked by prayer, a longing for His presence, a commitment to righteousness, trust in His guidance, and joy in His Word. These attributes reflect a life devoted to seeking and knowing God, as revealed through the scriptures.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Psalm 24:6
This is the generation of them that seek him, that seek your face, O Jacob. Selah.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Enoch, the Deathless
... Other saints have their failings and sins recorded with an admirable candour ... the
duties and cares of life, or in seeking a cloistered and ... But faith pleases God. ...
/.../milligan/men of the bible some lesser-known/enoch the deathless.htm

Christ About his Father's Business
... God had written divers books of example in the lives of the saints. ... My shop is opened
on God's behalf; I am seeking to win profit for God; I am seeking to ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/christ about his fathers business.htm

The Third Day in Passion-Week - the Last Controversies and ...
... the Rabbinic warnings against pride and self-seeking when connected ... is obedient to
the will of God, He brings in ... of all the blood of martyred saints, from that ...
/.../edersheim/the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter iv the third day.htm

The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs.
... of the duty of Gentile converts, and seeking to be ... Saviour of the world "the Lamb
of God." [230] Issachar ... says that Messiah "shall give unto the saints to eat ...
//christianbookshelf.org/deane/pseudepigrapha/the testaments of the twelve.htm

Removal to Stamford-Hill, and Commencement of the Fifth ...
... in their confessions that the saints make intercession ... present, consisting of converted
Romanists, seeking Protestants, and ... touched by the Spirit of God, and I ...
/.../chapter xvi removal to stamford-hill.htm

Exposition of the Moral Law.
... A conduct duly regulated by the divine Law, characterised by charity ... a just man,
and one that feared God, though a private individual, in seeking to persuade ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 8 exposition of the.htm

Crucified, Dead, and Buried. '
... so surrendered Himself to the human feeling, seeking the bodily ... have understood,
that it meant that God's Own Hand ... day, it was with victorious saints who had ...
/.../the life and times of jesus the messiah/chapter xv crucified dead and.htm

part ii
... Direct this aspiration to seeking for heavenly light ... our Father, if we become worthy
of it; picture to yourself what must be the beauty of God's saints, of the ...
//christianbookshelf.org/calvin/my life in christ/part ii.htm

The Pilgrim's Progress
... When little tripping maidens follow God, And leave old doting sinners to His rod;
'Tis like those days wherein the young ones cried, Hosanna! ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the pilgrims progress.htm

Church Abuses.
... of principle in the matter of preferment-seeking and Court ... Anything like the worship
of God in the beauty of ... minds with the hated reign of the Saints to be ...
/.../the english church in the eighteenth century/chapter viii church abuses.htm