But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
Matthew 6:33 (ESV)
In this verse, Jesus not only tells us what to do, but He also gives it to us in a very specific order, first to seek the kingdom and then the righteousness of God. He who is not part of the kingdom can neither understand nor act according to the righteousness of God. For it is the acceptance of the kingdom, salvation in Jesus Christ, which will reveal to us the application of God's righteousness.
Luke 19 tells us the story of Zacchaeus. He is a living example of receiving the kingdom and showing the righteousness. Tax collector of his time, he was a rich man but rejected by his people because he stole them. When he received Jesus and understood his need for grace, he decided to receive the kingdom into his life by sharing half of his possessions with the poor and then to show righteousness by restoring four times the value of what he had stolen. Authentic proof of his conversion.
It is not righteousness that brings the kingdom, rather it is the receiving of the kingdom that convinces us of God's righteousness and inspires us to apply it with love and compassion. If you have already received Jesus Christ, I invite you to apply the righteousness of God in your heart. If you haven't done it yet, don't wait until tomorrow because you don't know what tomorrow will bring.
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