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[0:00] Prophet Zephaniah, the second chapter and the third verse. Zephaniah chapter 2 verse 3.

[0:10] Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. Seek righteousness, seek meekness.

[0:21] It may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lord's anger. We were looking at this statement of Zephaniah to the comfort and encouragement of the Lord's people in days of confusion, in days of imminent judgment, which many solemn things have brought before us in that first chapter concerning the great day of the Lord that was so very near.

[0:54] Very soon Nebuchadnezzar would come and take the people captive. He would break down the walls of Jerusalem and destroy the temple.

[1:06] And in this day, the Lord's people, the meek of the earth, the godly remnant, for there is always a remnant according to the election of grace.

[1:19] We saw in Zephaniah 3 verse 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the name of the Lord, the remnant of Israel.

[1:32] The remnant of Israel, the meek of the earth, then are directed to these three things. First of all, they should seek the Lord, and then also they should seek righteousness, and they should seek meekness.

[1:49] And we are seeking to look ourselves at these three matters. And this morning we spent some time considering the first, seek ye the Lord.

[2:03] The Lord's people in any crisis, whatever it be, not just in circumstances of imminent judgment upon the nation, although we might well discover greater judgments upon this nation because of its great wickedness before God.

[2:23] But whatever it is of crisis, whatever it is of distress and affliction that comes in our own experience, whatever it be that brings us into a low place, whatever it is that makes us to be afraid under these circumstances, we are directed here how we, who are the meek of the earth, how we are to live.

[2:51] And the first thing that we are directed to is to seek the Lord. Since all the Lord's dealings with us are for our good, then we want to seek in whatever the circumstances he has brought us to experience.

[3:06] We want to seek his face. We want to understand what he is saying to us. We saw also that the Lord would have us to raise a testimony in the earth. And when the words of men and women around us are so stout against God, oh, it is for us to seek the Lord.

[3:26] And that we might make it plain that the things of God matter to us. And the word of God is that word that we take very seriously.

[3:37] Indeed, we want to raise a testimony. And then we saw also that if we are not seeking the Lord in the time of distress, in the time of difficulty, then what ground have we to think that we are any different from the world?

[3:54] If there's never been a work of grace, then it will be the trial and it will be the testing circumstance that exposes that we are only those that make an empty profession, but that we are not those that possess grace in our hearts.

[4:10] But if we possess grace in our hearts, come what may. Job says, though he slay me, yet will I trust him. If we are the Lord's people, then in whatever happens, whether it is happening to us personally, whether it's involving those that depend upon us, those that we love, whether it is in the church that we attend, whatever circumstances have come to pass that cause us to be concerned, that cause us to be cast down.

[4:42] What are we to do in that? We are to seek the Lord. The Lord's people will seek him. They will seek him with all their heart. And seeking him with all their heart, they shall surely find him.

[4:54] Now I don't want to take longer to go over the ground we covered, but to pass now to the first of the two matters before us this evening.

[5:07] Seek righteousness. Seek ye the Lord, all ye meek of the earth, which have wrought his judgment. And then this second seek, seek righteousness.

[5:19] Now what is righteousness? Righteousness to the Lord's people can be thought of in two ways. There is the righteousness of their justification.

[5:31] There is the righteousness of their sanctification. And I hope that we are able to differentiate justification and sanctification. How needful it is to be clear as to these things.

[5:45] Now what is it then, this righteousness, that is the righteousness of justification. The Lord's people are justified. Their justification is in Christ.

[6:02] And it isn't, you see, that the Lord's people are seeking to be justified. If they are the meek of the earth, if they are those which have wrought God's judgment, it is because they are a justified people.

[6:19] It is because of what grace has bestowed upon them, that they are the meek of the earth. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

[6:30] It's because God has blessed them, and God has graciously revealed himself to them. It is because of that that they are justified. Now I believe in justification, which is a very glorious thing, that God declares his people to be righteous.

[6:51] That's the meaning of justification. God's declaring of his people to be righteous. And God declares his people to be righteous before the foundation of the world.

[7:05] God declares his people to be justified. And I believe in of the people of God. I mean that God, in choosing us first, did not choose us to be unrighteous.

[7:20] When God chose a people for himself, do you think for a moment that he chose them in sin? Do you think that he chose them in unrighteousness? No, I believe that he chose them righteous.

[7:32] He declared over the people of his choice, even as he declared in time over his son, thou art my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.

[7:44] And when he chose a people out of love, he declared over that people, that they were those that he loved, unto whom his righteousness was imputed.

[7:55] Now I find that there are those that do not believe this. I come continually into conflict with those that deny the old doctrine of eternal justification, that God, before time began, justified the church.

[8:11] But the more I'm opposed, the more I hold to it, my friends. I believe in an eternal justification, that the saints of God were always righteous in God's sight.

[8:22] And then there was in the decree to create, and the decree to permit the fall, there were those things that became necessary involving the coming and the doing and the dying of Jesus Christ.

[8:36] So that that eternal justification is brought about, and the terms of it are fulfilled by the Son of God and by the work which he performed, the Saviour's obedience and blood that hide all our transgressions from view.

[8:57] And then I believe concerning that which is eternal justification, according to the Father's will, and that justification brought in time by the Saviour's work and blood upon the cross.

[9:11] I believe that in addition there is the experience of it, when there is that application by the Holy Spirit to the heart of the elect vessel, and he comes to know that he is justified.

[9:25] Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God. And I believe then in the imputation of the righteousness of Christ to the people of God, which they are brought to in their own experience, that his righteousness is theirs, that he has secured a place for them which they did not deserve, which they could never have obtained for themselves, notwithstanding their being an Adam by nature.

[9:58] They are those that are in Christ by the divine will. And this is justification and the knowledge of it given to us by God in the working of the Spirit of God in our hearts.

[10:13] And when we've been brought to it, we are justified by faith and we have peace with God. So when we're reading in this verse and considering this verse, seek righteousness, and this is addressed to the Lord's people, it's not that they are seeking to live in such a way that they will make themselves just.

[10:33] It is because they are justified by a sovereign God. It is because of that that they are addressed to seek righteousness, that is to seek the assurance of their righteousness.

[10:48] Isn't that needed by us in the time of distress, in the time when we're afflicted, in the time when we're confused about this or that? Don't we need to seek righteousness that we might know that our salvation is secure, that we might know that work which is of our God from first to last, the Father's will and the Son's work and the Spirit's application.

[11:15] The child of God seeking righteousness is seeking that he might be shown the rock from which he is hewn and the pit from which he is digged, that he might know Jesus Christ, his righteousness.

[11:28] Jehovah sit tune you, the Lord my righteousness. And I trust this night that there are those of us here that can say that he is my righteousness.

[11:41] I have no righteousness in and of myself. I'm not trusting in a righteousness that comes through anything that the church might do for me. It's not by my works. It's not by the ceremonies of any denomination under heaven.

[11:56] It's by the righteousness of Christ. On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Seek that righteousness, that assurance that your hope is in Christ.

[12:10] It's not your change of heart. It's not your advance in holiness. It's not your progress heavenward. It's none of these things at the ground of your acceptance.

[12:22] It's the righteousness of Christ that is imputed, unconditionally imputed, not even faith as a condition of that imputation. It's all faith is a work by which if we put forth faith we achieve a righteousness.

[12:38] Faith is that God-given grace whereby we know what God has done. That salvation is of the Lord. That justification is God's great work for the sinner, declaring him to be righteous.

[12:49] You say, but I don't feel to be righteous. The question isn't whether you feel to be righteous, my dear friends. It is that Christ is righteous. And the righteousness of Christ is about us like a garment.

[13:04] The robe of his perfect righteousness is that which God sees when he looks upon us. And therefore there can be no judgment.

[13:14] There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. So that is righteousness and the seeking of righteousness. But then what about righteousness in that other sense of sanctification?

[13:28] What is that? The sanctification righteousness of the Lord's people is also in Christ. Christ is our righteousness in justification.

[13:39] Christ is our sanctification also. He is the righteousness of our living. We live in Christ. We are those that live by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us.

[13:56] We are justified and we are sanctified. We have a righteousness of justification and a righteousness of sanctification in Christ.

[14:06] Christ is our sanctification. 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and verse 30. What of him are ye in Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification and redemption.

[14:26] This sanctification that Christ is to us is the Father's will for us. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 and the third verse for this is the will of the Father even your sanctification.

[14:42] And this which is Christ's sanctification and the Father's will is the Holy Spirit's work. For we are told in Romans 15.6 being sanctified by the Holy Ghost.

[14:58] So sanctification belongs to the Christian. the Christian who has been justified through faith is he who has a sanctification in Jesus Christ.

[15:09] 1 Corinthians 1 and verse 2. Here is Paul writing to the Corinthians and if you know something of the background of the Corinthian church you will remember that it was far from holy in its deed.

[15:23] They were a very mixed up and divided congregation and there were many things that grieved the apostle and many things that he sought in the letter that they might give attention to and put right as God enabled them.

[15:39] It wasn't that they were perfect by any means but when he addresses the Corinthians at the beginning of that first epistle he uses these words Paul speaks thus 1 Corinthians 1 2 to the Corinthians sanctified in Christ Jesus called to be saints with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord both theirs and ours.

[16:05] And I think it comes out in the 6th chapter of 1 Corinthians even more vividly that Paul regards them as sanctified in Christ Jesus. We read in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 Now know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God be not deceived neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with mankind nor thieves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherit the kingdom of God and such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.

[16:56] Notice the order of the verse when an order in the Scripture departs from the usual order there's always a reason for it. And there you see that washing is put before sanctification and sanctification is put before justification.

[17:13] And that is because the Apostle is stressing certain things. He is emphasizing certain things. you are washed you have been washed you were washed washed in the blood of Christ now unto him who hath washed us from our sins in his own blood says John in Revelation 1 and made us kings and priests unto God his Father and to him be glory and dominion forever.

[17:42] Amen. He has washed us from our sins they have been washed in the blood of Christ even those that have been guilty of some of the awful things in that solemn list such were some of you but ye are washed and then ye are sanctified it means that by that experience of the blood of Christ that has come to them by that forming of Christ in their very hearts they are not as they were.

[18:10] They have a sanctification now. They are those that have a righteousness that has made an utter difference to their way of life and therefore they are those that are justified that as they walk about they give demonstration that they are not what they were this is what they once were but they are washed by the blood of Christ they are in the experience of Christ they live by these faith of the Son of God who loved them and gave himself for them and they gave evidence that they are the declared righteous people of God they are not what they were before their experience of these things and therefore I think we see clearly what is meant in the seeking righteousness of our text in Zephaniah 2 verse 3 seek righteousness seek that ye might know that difference in Christ who has washed us who has cleansed us who has justified us we are not what we were but you say if Christ is our sanctification how is it that we are so sinful we are honest we cannot help being honest if there is any reality within us we know that we are far from sinless perfection how anyone can credit sinless perfection is to me a very great wonder because almost everything that we do from day to day any moment that we take to reflect upon our pattern of behavior we see so much amiss and how anyone can feel that in this life he or she has come to the dizzy heights of perfection is something that passes my understanding we know rather that we are far from perfection we are far from that state that will be ours in the state of glory when we shall see the Savior as he is and then we shall be like him we say with the old confession of faith that it's then that we shall be made perfect in holiness in that state of glory of the coming again of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall know it when we die and go to be with the Lord but we shall demonstrate it in that day of his second kind but not until then we are far from entirely sanctified we are far from perfection only we ourselves individually know how far

[20:52] God of course understands us better even than we do ourselves the heart deceitful above all things and desperately wicked and Paul writes Romans 7 as the Christian that is under that realization that he's far from perfect he's got a great salvation he has a justification in Christ he spent the early chapters of his epistle demonstrating the ground of the sinner's acceptance by the justification the righteousness that is in Jesus Christ and he's gone on in the sixth chapter to speak of the sanctification righteousness of the believer that we are dying daily unto sin and walking daily in newness of life yielding our members not now as instruments of unrighteousness the sin but are members of as instruments of righteousness unto God there's been a vast difference but yet in the seventh chapter he deals with that which you know in your heart and I know in my heart and he says the good that I would

[21:59] I do not and the evil that I would not that I do and he has all this turmoil and this conflict in his heart and he says I know that in me that is in my flesh dwelleth no good thing for to will is present with me but how to perform that which is good I find not and the spiritual principle within him consents to the law of God that it's good and yet there is that indwelling sin that denies these things and there is that conflict or as he puts it in Galatians 5 17 the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these two are contrary there is that conflict it's the conflict that mars our sanctification we have an entire sanctification in Christ but there is that conflict in our experience because sin remains we're not yet brought to that heavenly state where we will no longer have sin within us and no longer be in an environment where sin vexes us that is still future for us and while we're in this time state and while we're in the flesh we find that our righteousness is assailed by the world and by the flesh and by the devil and this is the doctrine of sanctification it's not much taught mind you this doctrine there are many that profess to be sound teachers of the word of God that have not understood the doctrine of sanctification and they make out that we are those that are still stretching out to a sanctification instead of teaching what the Bible teaches that in Christ we have that righteousness

[23:45] Christ is our righteousness who of God is made unto us righteousness and made unto us sanctification we have that perfect work done in us that's why there are such verses as oft times give us difficulty as those in the first epistle of John where he says that that which is born of God cannot sin and people say well you see if we cannot sin that means if we are born of God we are perfect which is ridiculous but it doesn't square with our experience one little bit but then there are those that say well if we if it says that we are born of God he that is born of God sinneth not then it must mean that we aren't really born of God because we do sin but brought into great bondage and difficulty but what it is saying is that that spiritual thing that God has put within us that wasn't there when we were in the state of nature that does not sin the new man in

[24:54] Christ cannot sin but he has all these difficulties through the indwelling of sin within his members that's what makes him to feel the conflict that's what brings him into the into the place where the good would not he finds that there is that would brings him to do it but the doctrine of righteousness the doctrine of sanctification righteousness in scripture is that we are justified and we are sanctified we have a righteousness that is complete in Christ Christ is the righteousness and the sanctification of his people and how then are we to seek righteousness in this sense we're seeking Christ we're seeking to know him more we're seeking to be more like him we're seeking strength that we might fight against the indwelling sin that comes against us that sin might not have dominion over us for we're not under law but under grace we're seeking to know the reign of grace the super aboundings of grace as Philpott describes it over the aboundings of sin we're seeking that we might know the victory in

[26:06] Christ over the world this is the victory even your faith we're seeking to know the victory over the devil because Christ has triumphed over the devil he was manifested to destroy the works of the devil and thus we go on and our sanctification is that we are following righteousness we are seeking after this righteousness in our experience despite all the opposition that we meet we're aiming in this direction seeking that we might be the more conformed unto the image of Jesus Christ that is what Zephaniah said to the people of his day here they are in a day of distress a day of crisis a day of affliction and trial he says to them seek ye the Lord seek righteousness seek that assurance of your righteousness before God that you're justified and seek that righteousness in the way you live that you might live as those that are cleansed as those that are new creatures in Christ

[27:20] Jesus all things passed away behold all things are become new and there's got to be this difference this difference shows that there has been a work wrought within us if there's no evidence of a righteousness not even of a seeking after righteousness then our profession goes for very little it's just words there's no big words of ready talkers no dry doctrine will suffice we want the ready walkers as Newton puts it in the hymn we want those that are walking out these things that are seeking that they might live the words of Murray McChain as holy lives as ransomed sinners can live seeking righteousness are you seeking righteousness ye meek of the earth you are the saints of God present under this ministry are you seeking righteousness seeking that assurance that your righteousness stands not in works but in the work of Christ for you his blood and righteousness seeking that you might be those that are desirous that the word of Christ might dwell in you richly and that you might be as a people that do manifest in our day and in our age despite the oppositions and the trials that you're undergoing that you might manifest righteousness seeking righteousness in its expression amongst men is there a true seeking of righteousness teaching us the gospel comes to as Paul says to

[29:07] Titus teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly loss we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world put negatively in 1 John 2 29 if ye know that he is righteous ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of him it's put negatively in 1 John 3 9 and 10 whosoever is born of god doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of god in this the children of god are manifest and the children of the devil whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of god are we those then that are doing righteousness seeking righteousness Zephaniah says to the meek of the earth in a day of crisis in a day of difficulty he says seek righteousness now what then are we to seek we seek that we might live soberly righteously and godly denying denying worldly lust and you know what sin is and the many areas of sin

[30:27] I cannot go into these at any great length there are those different areas of sin we know them so very well the sins of worldliness that's that's what we are to fight against seeking righteousness worldliness encroaches upon us makes much more mark upon us than we realize or we're prepared to admit we're so much conformed to the spirit of the age and yet we are not to be conformed you know the word of Romans 12 the opening verses I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service and be not conformed to this world but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind or that we might in our mind of that renewing by the grace of

[31:30] God that strengthening of thought within us that we might have the mind of Christ for Christ is our sanctification the more you look to Christ and then you consider the worldly things that you give yourself to the more these worldly things will pale the more we look to him the less we want to look to these other things we wonder what we saw in them what was the attraction of them some of those things that have been so attractive when we've got them we've quickly found that there were no satisfaction at all to us we've never found that of Christ we've never found that he was a disappointment we know at times we've been disappointed in our own selves that we've come so far short and we've been so prone to wander from the very God we love but we could never say this night that we found Christ the disappointment he is our righteousness or then that we might deny the ungodly lusts that come to us through worldliness uncleanness living in such an immoral day such a day of vulgarity and cheapness all that we might make a stand for this is the will of God even your sanctification that ye abstain from fornication

[32:56] Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4 in Thessalonians 1 and the chapter 4 verse 3 this is the will of God that ye abstain from fornication we are not to be those that are influenced by the world to such a degree that we take that for granted it's awful standard the standards that are dropping in every public avenue that we look to all that goes to comprise the media around us seems to be more and more immoral and unclean and it's not for the Lord's people seeking righteousness is it you can't seek righteousness and be caught up in these things there is something far amiss and we are those that are going contrary to our profession we're told by Paul in the fifth chapter of Ephesians there are certain things that are not so much as to be named amongst saints yet they're named they're on everybody's tongue they're in all the magazines and all the papers today such an uncleanness an unclean and unholy day seek righteousness my friend seek righteousness seek that you might oppose the sins that are essential sins the sins of the flesh or that tendency to overindulge ourselves that tendency to be preoccupied with the things that gratify our pleasures we're living in a day when people have taken off with gratification of pleasure not necessarily things that are evil things in themselves as uncleanness would be but there are those that are giving themselves to this and that it's got such a hold on people such a sports loving day that people are giving themselves to this in madness absolute madness madness nearly everybody says that sport largely today is spoiled by commercialism and the rest of it but it's the madness of sin isn't it the identity that it's become to people and entertainment and the way people will give themselves the holidays people take or hear continually of those that are all over the world for the holidays no wonder they come back from these remote places with all manner of diseases and spend months ill as a result they should never have gone to these places in the first place it's an inordinate desire for the things that are regarded as the sophisticated way of living in this present day and if we are following these things it will never work for our spiritual good seek righteousness seek righteousness to go on in this vein there are so many things you say well how can anyone live in a day like this well Noah did in his day and our day is just like

[36:03] Noah's day you say what's your authority for saying that our day is the same as Noah's day my authority is this book the word of God tells me that Luke 17 26 as it was in the days of Noah so shall it also be in the days of the son of man they did eat they drank they married wives they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark and the flood came and destroyed them all what was the difference with Noah said something of him this morning I'll repeat it to you tonight Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations he was a man justified he was a man sanctified he was a man that sought to live as a justified sanctified man in his day which was a day so wicked that God brought the flood of judgment to take it all away and if Noah could stand in that day we can stand in our day we seeking righteousness we are to seek righteousness then Lot was a righteous man he was in the most awful place and yet the condition that was all around him that has given us sodomy and these words that were not even so much mentioned not so many years ago these things are now regarded as quite suitable this is the norm for many people these things are not regarded as sin all betide you if you say so to me sin before

[37:40] God don't even want you to use that word but this man was in a place that was given over to these things but this man was a just man a righteous man my authority for that is the word of God also to Peter 2 7 and 8 deliver just that is righteous Lot vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked for that righteous man dwelling among them in seeing and hearing vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds and if you're seeking righteousness of the meek of the earth you'll be vexed by hearing and seeing the sort of things that we are called to hear and some of the things that we are brought to see in these days it can be done these men prove it to us the Lord's people in every generation they are those that seek righteousness it will bring us into conflict with the world of course there's no question of that

[38:47] Jeremiah tells us this he says woe is me my mother that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth listen to what Jeremiah says I have neither lent unusually nor men have lent to me unusually yet every one of them doth curse me if you live by the righteous standard of the word of God if you seek to put Christ first you will come into the opposition of men they will curse you for it and in the early days of our experience we thought probably they would be so glad when we sought to live in this fashion not so and in this day in which we found ourselves the antipathy to everything spiritual is so marked people don't want to hear as soon as they hear that we have any view that is religious and Christian they don't want to continue that conversation any further time and time again it's cut off it's truncated before it gets started because they don't want it it's a curse to hear these things that you should believe these things you are as a curse to these people

[40:03] Jeremiah experienced it you're not the first person there is no temptation taking you but such as is common to man these dear saints of God know not Jeremiah they knew what it was to be vilified and the Lord said to Jeremiah I quoted Jeremiah 15 10 every one of them doth curse me the Lord said verily it shall be well with the remnant man may curse you but it will be well with the remnant better to be one who is cursed as the remnant of God than to be well spoken of blessed are ye when man shall revile you and persecute you falsely for my name sake it will be well with the remnant in that day have we zeal for righteous living as much as in the past what did we see this morning in the wording of this verse there in

[41:03] Zephaniah we saw that there had been a working out of these things of the Lord in the past seek ye the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his judgment you've been living by these standards in the past but there's a need still to live by these things seek righteousness seek meekness and we desire that God will give us a zeal in these days as maybe we knew something of a zeal in the past the early days of our experience we saw things so clearly in these early days we saw sin very dark in these days now we see it grey rather than dark but it black however you view it however you see it in God's sight sin is that abominable thing that he hates and would that we had some of the zeal that once we had that we might have no truck with him come out from among them that did these things and be separate from them there's that place in the book of numbers where we read of

[42:09] Phineas and you read that there had been the committing of great sin through the instigation of Balaam we learn in another place when Balaam couldn't curse the people of God he managed to compromise and we're told that he caused by his advice the Moabites to perform wickedly and cause there to be the corruption of the Israelite men by the Moabite women when we are told concerning this in the book of numbers and we discovered that there was this man Phineas that was filled with zeal for the Lord of hosts and when God said that there had to be a dealing with those that had sinned in this awful fashion that there had to be judgment upon them he took his javelin and he put to death both

[43:11] Israelite and Moabites and he is commanded by the Lord by the mouth of Moses for his zeal for the Lord of hosts so that we might have something of that zeal still we're not called to such action we're not in that day of the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the the God they were different from all other nations and something that was most solemnly it was in any way violated that's why we read such things as this but all that we might have the zeal of Phinehas against all that is sinful in our day those that are seeking righteousness all for a holy zeal for the righteousness of our dear Savior Christ is our righteousness then let us show by the zealous seeking of righteousness in our living that we are his and that we live accordingly how do we then seek righteousness by careful living watching over our souls keeping our own hearts considering one another that we might admonish one another that we might encourage one another in righteousness that's how we we seek righteousness ourselves we seek righteousness when we are receiving the word because the word of

[44:37] God is that great instrument whereby our righteousness is is heightened it is that word of God sanctify them through thy truth thy word is truth so we make much of the word we learn from the word we follow the teaching of the word of God wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way by taking heed thereto unto the word of God thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee we take heed to the word we take care of our souls we watch over one another we seek that we might be heedful of the word of God we seek a faithful commitment to the ways of God and to the work of God in the local assembly we seek to be those that keep the Sabbath day we seek to be those that are forward to do all that the

[45:41] Lord has appointed of worship forsaking not the assembling of ourselves together as is the manner of some we seek that we might be those whose worship is acceptable to God because of the one in whose name we offer it and in the strength of the Spirit of God who enables us to render it we pray that we might be pleasing in God's sight thus we seek righteousness we seek in the world forwardness to live graciously to live righteously to be men and women of our word to be those that are helpful in the things that we do can any child of God be seeking righteousness who is suddenly and unapproachable who is the last person that someone in need would ever want to go to do good unto all men especially to those who are of the household of faith as we have opportunity do good unto all men that's how we seek righteousness that's how

[46:48] God's name is glorified in the earth by our seeking righteousness living in a day such as this and yet we are those despite all that presses upon our own souls that we are seeking to be all that we should be loving God with all our mind and soul and strength and loving our neighbor as ourselves that's seeking righteousness it's no easy thing it's living like that though that's a seeking of righteousness and then I believe to for fancy your deathbed there is nothing that is more calculated to give us care as to how we're living now than to think that one day we're going to die and render an account and that often times is the thing that will change us when very little else will when we remember that one day we're not going to be here one day we're going to be before Christ how shall we appear before him we must all appear

[47:49] Paul says before the judgment seat of Christ to render an account and when you think about that he that hath this hope in him well we're not hoping I suppose for death but the Christian is hoping for that which lies beyond death to be absent from the body to be present with the Lord but if we're not seeking righteousness you won't want to die yet I think of a godly man whom I knew personally and in the biography of this man that appeared a year or so past it says on several occasions in that man's life when he knew that he was not seeking righteousness he was brought to pray oh Lord let me not die like this and God mercifully heard his prayer I don't want to die in some of the things I've done in the ways I've been thinking and the attitudes of my mind but the thought of dying you see puts a very powerful constraint upon us that we might seek righteousness we might be doing those things that

[48:56] God is pleased that we should do for his glory sake more than that we might be a people seeking righteousness meekness a lot of our difficulties in the day of adversity will be solved if we're seeking righteousness but a lot of our problems and the things that depress us are not so much caused by the enemy that's against us as by our own lack of righteousness in our hearts and in our lives bring a lot of it upon ourselves seek ye the Lord and seek righteousness and then seek meekness the third thing in a word we must seek meekness must seek meekness well in that evangelical sense if we're the Lord we will seek meekness if we are the meek of the earth we shall seek meekness you say but if they are the meek of the earth why exhort them to seek meekness that is what they are that is what they've exemplified when they have wrought judgment in the past but there is that continuing need that they seek meekness and the meekness as I said this morning is that submission to what

[50:09] God has appointed and not the submission of the fatalist that says well I've got to submit because what will be will be that's not Christian that's not Christian the Christian is not just submitting because there's nothing else he can do the Christian is submitting because he believes that the thing that God has appointed there's a purpose in it there'll be a blessing in it even crosses from his sovereign hands are blessings in disguise for this is the God that loves his people who has declared them righteous before the foundation of the world who has given his son up to the death of the cross and will also with him freely give us all things and in the light of that we seek meekness we seek that we might be submissive that we might acquiesce without murmuring and complaint even so father for so it seemeth good in thy sight for as our dear savior in the garden not my will but thine be done seek meekness it doesn't come naturally it's not that some people are meek by temperament they are meek by temperament but this isn't what's here this is the spiritual grace of meekness this is the blessed fruit of the spirit that works this meekness seek meekness seek that receptivity to the word of God seek that character that responds to whatever the Lord brings makes you to say that the

[51:45] Lord is teaching me that brings you eventually to say it was good for me to have been afflicted for I have learned thy statutes seek meekness seek that meekness of heart before the providence that God has brought upon you believing trusting we know that all things work together for good to them that love God who are the called according to his purpose seek meekness now how can meekness be sought and found I believe you find meekness in a measure you find this meekness for which the Lord's people are seeking when you have continually before you yourselves as sinners and Jesus Christ as your savior how can you be other than meek when you see what your sins have brought upon the son of God how can you be in any way self inflated and proud when you see that all your sins were laid upon him and he bore your sins in his own body on the tree and when you think of the one that bore your sins upon the tree as the spotless son of

[53:04] God holy harmless undefiled and separate from sinners when you consider him in his blessed person and when you consider the loving disposition of his work who loved his own that were in the world and loved them to the end and gave himself for his people's salvation it works meekness within us we are brought very low we are brought into a very submissive state of mind and if then God has brought us to the place where we know something of trial and difficulty then we think as Jeremiah in Lamentations I remember preaching on it one winter Lord's Day Lamentations 3 verse 39 wherefore doth a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins if you're a living man if you've been brought to grace you can't complain at anything that's happened or anything that God is bringing to pass because you're bound to say you deserve so much worse than that that you're being dealt with very gently and very leniently whatever it is you're experiencing why does a living man complain a man for the punishment of his sins when you know that you're not being punished for your sins but you're being chastised because God loves you and God is at work upon your life and he's making you as he would have you after the image of his dear son why do the living man complain we seek meekness we find meekness

[54:44] I believe as we get a proper view of our souls against the back cloth of the wondrous work of love that was displayed to us in the savior especially in his cross work when he died the just for the unjust to bring us unto God Ezra's moved in the ninth chapter to prayer when he thinks of the sins of the nation and the face of all that has happened to them and now they've been brought back and yet they're still so slow to do what's right so slow to seek the Lord to seek righteousness to seek meekness and he says this he says after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great trespass seeing that thou our God has punished us less than our iniquities deserve and has given us such deliverance as this should we again break thy commandments and join an affinity with the people of these abominations seeing we've been treated so so graciously so lovingly can we be those that defy

[56:01] God and live as the ungodly around us no no seek the Lord seek righteousness seek meekness then to receive the word of direction I believe that there might even be those that resent that I preach in this fashion in some quarters it would be regarded as the sort of preaching that we don't need to hear we want to hear that which is comfort but the word of God is not to be dispensed with us as people feel that they want to hear it if I chose for myself I might only want to hear the places where there's comfort but I need to hear the word of precept I need to hear the word of rebuke I need to hear the word of correction all scripture is given by inspiration of God faithful ministers must declare all the counsel of God seek maintenance seek a receptivity to the word seek to receive the word to take the word away to take the word away and meditate upon it to take the word away and see are there areas in which this is speaking to me is God addressing me seek there be application cry that God will apply his own blessed word to you enabling you to seek him to seek righteousness to seek me to all that we might be those that remember as we seek meekness that beatitude there in

[57:31] Matthew 5 5 blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the earth the world says be meek never how shall we get on if we are meek the whole philosophy of men is the opposite of meek we've got to dominate we've got to assert ourselves we've got to parade our virtues we've got to go to the head of the queue and say don't engage any of these until you've seen what I've got to offer and many a book is written and many a counselling session is on this vein that we've got to assert ourselves utterly different you know from the way of the saviour he is meek and lowly in heart he doesn't assert himself and yet there is that done which has brought about for his people the inheriting of the earth and when we are those that seek the Lord seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness the other things are added to us and we may not get the earth as the world wants the earth but who wants the earth and hell as our portion in the end what shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul what shall he give in exchange for his soul or I rather know something of this meekness that causes me to inherit the earth to know that whatever I've got I have it with Christ's blessing and he has procured it for me and all things are yours and and ye are

[59:07] Christ and Christ is God says the scripture to me and I receive the least little thing as something that my God has been pleased to give to me in the spirit of meekness glad even though it's a very little thing we don't want sights upon they are so intent in receiving these things there is that word that's in the 37th psalm a little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked and having food and drink and raiment let us be content or that we might not be brought under the snare of covetousness but of that meek spirit to accept that God will give us the necessary things to be glad in what he has appointed and to receive it with meekness from his hands and then in a sense we inherit the earth because the little we've got is with his blessing upon it says John

[60:12]  Warburton when he was experiencing with his family very great privation conditions of great poverty at a period in his life he said because he had a sense of God's goodness in providing it we dined we dined on a crust he'd inherited the earth that dear man who could see that even in that provision there was a goodness to him we dined on a crust seek meekness seek righteousness seek the Lord ye meek of the earth the world seeking an earthly inheritance it will never get it never receive what it's setting its sights upon it can never find fulfillment and here we are and we are seeking to be content with what the Lord provides and to let him choose our inheritance for us and we are those that inherit the earth and into an inheritance that's prepared well