But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. Matthew 6:33-34.

Our text not only admonishes us to "seek ye first the kingdom of God [but also], and his righteousness." This means to seek to serve the Lord's will not only under the first table of the law of love, but also under the second table of the law of love.

The word righteousness as used in our text, "seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness," comes from the Greek word dikaiosune, which means, "equity of character or act," i.e., according to the second table of the law of love, preferring our neighbour before ourselves.

So we are to seek first, ahead of ourselves, equity to our neighbour. We are to set our neighbour ahead of ourselves. That is seeking God's righteousness "first." It is seeking equity of character and act.

The Lord is wroth with sin. He is so wroth with sin that He put His own Son in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross to take away the penalty of sin rather than let one sin go unpunished. However, let us not get the wrong picture of God, He is glorified with righteousness. Why? It is the habitation of His throne!

Therefore, He promises a great reward for those who walk in the obedience of faith serving Him under the second table of the law as well as under the first. The reward is for those who reverence His will, honoring God and reverencing Him through righteousness or in the way of equity of character and actions to our neighbour. Don't forget righteousness is also walking under the authority of God because He has commanded it.

See how the Lord is glorified with righteousness; the promise set forth in our text, "...and all these things shall be added unto you," is the great reward for those who walk in the obedience of faith.

ISA 33:14-17 says, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?"

Now see V:15, "He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil." In every instance that refers to our right character towards our fellow man, walking in righteousness.