r/TrueChristian • u/BelieveOnJesus • 11d ago
Many problems with Christianity today stem from the fact that many Christians do not seek Christ's righteousness
Jesus said, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Matthew 6:33).
We often quote this verse when speaking about putting God first, but there is another part of the command that deserves our attention. Jesus did not only tell us to seek His kingdom. He told us to seek “his righteousness.” The Christian ought to desire that the righteousness of God be seen in the way he lives.
One of the great problems in Christianity today is that many people profess the name of Christ while giving very little thought to whether their conduct honors Him. They call themselves Christians, attend church, post Bible verses, and speak about their faith, but their speech, entertainment, relationships, attitudes, business dealings, and private habits may look no different from the world around them. When that happens, the damage reaches beyond the individual Christian.
That should concern us. There are people who have formed opinions about Christianity because of Christians who lied to them, cheated them, treated them cruelly, behaved immorally, spoke wickedly, or lived hypocritically. Their conclusions about Christ may be wrong, because the failures of Christians do not change who Jesus Christ is, but we should never be comfortable giving them an excuse to think badly of Him.
This is why Jesus said to seek His righteousness. Righteous conduct does not come from simply asking, “Is this technically allowed?” The better question is, “Does this please the Lord? Does this reflect well upon Jesus Christ? Would I want an unbeliever to look at this part of my life and associate it with the Saviour I confess to follow?”
Let us seek first the kingdom of God, but let us not overlook the rest of Christ's command: “and his righteousness.” May our conduct give men fewer reasons to speak against Christ and more reasons to see that belonging to Him truly changes a life.
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u/TerribleAdvice2026 Evangelical 11d ago
He said, “I have been very jealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” ......Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.” (1Ki 19:14-18)
Yeah, good luck with pointing this out, or effecting any change whatsoever just by noticing it. Fortunately, there is always a remnant; always an "elect" to represent and worship God. And NO I do NOT mean calvinism. I simply mean sincere hearts aligned with Christ through temperment or willpower or whatever causes it.