Supplementing Faith with Virtue (goodness/righteousness)

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

In this message Jesus was teaching about not worrying about the future but instead putting your faith in God. Jesus was teaching that our priority should be seeking God’s kingdom and his righteousness. Because we have faith in God through Jesus Christ, Jesus was teaching us to supplement our faith with his righteousness (virtue).

In other words, we should live a righteous life so that we receive the kingdom of God. These are the fruits therefore: “All these things shall be given to you as well”. The things that we spend time and energy worrying about shall not be fulfilled unless we rest our faith in God and then strive to live a righteous life. God already knows what we need and he shall provide as long as we focus on entering his kingdom (through living a righteous life).

We are longing for good fruits through our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore we need to be good ourselves just as he was and is a good teacher and Lord. If we do not add goodness/righteousness into our faith, how do we expect to bear fruits?

Jesus told the Pharisees who thought he was driving away demons from a man by Be-elzebul’s power, “The good man out of his good treasure brings forth good and an evil man out of his evil treasure brings forth evil,” (Matthew 18:35).

Prior to that Jesus figuratively said that you make a tree good and its fruits will be good. In order to bear good fruits of knowing Christ we need to add goodness to our faith and our prayers will be effective and productive.

Living a good life simply means doing the will of God. The kingdom of God is for the righteous and that is why Jesus was teaching us to first seek that. Jesus also said, “Not everyone who says to me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of Heaven but only he who does that will of my Father who is in Heaven,” (Matthew 7: 21).

In other words Jesus was saying that many people may have faith in him but that alone is not enough to enter the kingdom unless you live a righteous life to supplement your faith.