Pursuit of Righteousness part 5: The Righteousness God Desires

Pursuit of Righteousness

Part 5: The Righteousness God Desires
Pastor Ray-ann Dela Fuente
July 26, 2026

Opening Verse:
“But you, Timothy, are a man of God; so run from all these evil things. Pursue righteousness and a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have declared so well before many witnesses.”
1 Timothy 6:11-12 NLT

Introduction:
Welcome to an amazing Sunday here at River of Faith! Today we are in conclusion of our series I entitled "The Pursuit of Righteousness." You have heard the phrase that says "The Pursuit of Happiness?" There is no mention ever in the Scriptures that we should pursue "happiness". As a matter of fact everything that makes us happy is temporary and easily replaced and forgotten. The Bible actually commanded us to pursue "righteousness" instead because it is what really leads us closer to God! Part 5 is entitled "The Righteousness God Desires".

Main Pointers:
“God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong, and he never tempts anyone else. Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death. So don’t be misled, my dear brothers and sisters. Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. He chose to give birth to us by giving us his true word. And we, out of all creation, became his prized possession.”
James 1:12-18 NLT

1. Our desires can either give birth to sin or be used to seek God.

A. James clearly stated here that temptations do not from God nor god can ever be tempted to do evil. The root of our temptations come from our "own" desires that are not godly which leads to sin. But there is also another way...
B. “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you."
Psalms 37:4-5 NLT

2. Seek to produce the righteousness that God desires.

“Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry. Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.”
James 1:19-21 NLT

A. There is something in human anger that is not acceptable to God. Its not that we cannot be angry but to display human anger is not the righteousness that God want us to produce.
B. “Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!”
Numbers 20:11-12 NLT

3. God will always bless your obedience.

“But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. For if you listen to the word and don’t obey, it is like glancing at your face ina mirror. You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don’t forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.”
James 1:22-25 NLT

A. There is a big breakdown between listening and doing. This is why we must pursue righteousness. To pursue righteousness means to be right with God so we can obey God. Nothing else counts unless we live the righteous life of obedience by faith.
B. “And the seed that fell on good soil represents those who hear and accept God’s word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!” Mark 4:20 NLT

Conclusion:
Everyone wants the "blessed life" but, many failed to experienced it because of the wrong pursuit. In this series I hope that we re-calibrate our minds to focus on the right things. Our vertical relationship with God affects everything we do horizontally. So be right with God and pursue His righteousness and everything else shall be added unto you.