This is the Word of God- “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”
The Scripture is as relevant today as ever. We talk about how much we’ve lost in this country (economic stability, jobs, houses, international respect, etc.), but how often do we admit that we have lost our hunger and thirst? Let’s add this one to our list this morning – we have lost their hunger and thirst for righteous. In all of our humanitarian efforts and environmental concerns we have stopped seeking righteousness. Christians, who have (by God’s grace) been called righteous though they are undeserving, have abandoned the search for righteousness. We grumble about government schools removing prayer, yet we do not ever kneel to pray. We protest the removal of “under God” from our pledge of allegiance, yet we have removed His Word from our families. There is no hunger or thirst for righteousness in our hearts, in our churches, or in our homes. Let us once again take a step in the right direction this morning. Let us renew our desire to please God and seek the life that is only found in our Lord Jesus Christ. May the Lord whet our tongues this morning for His righteousness and may we be filled!
Point 1: For Righteousness
Let us start with the idea of righteousness.
A. “Righteousness” is moral and spiritual perfection. Simply put, it is right thinking.
B. The Bible refers to the righteousness of people quite often, but from beginning to end it is God’s righteousness that surpasses all else. The Bible maintains that His righteousness is perfect.
Thus, God speaks to Israel through Moses when they are about to take the Promised Land:
“Therefore understand that the LORD your God is not giving you this good land to possess because of your righteousness, for you are a stiff-necked people.”
C. Our righteousness is inadequate. Our righteousness earns no merit. That is why godly people seek after God’s righteousness. David says, “Lead me, O LORD, in Your righteousness…”
D. God alone is morally perfect (“God is light and in Him is no darkness at all”).
God alone is spiritually perfect (“As for God, His way is perfect”).
God alone thinks right at all times, in every situation.
(“For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness…”)
Point 2: Those Who Hunger and Thirst
A. To hunger and thirst is to be in a desperate position. It is to be on the brink of death. It is to realize that if you don’t find food and water fast, you may perish. Some of you know exactly what this means from a physical standpoint. There may be a few here that have experienced this to the utmost from a spiritual standpoint. Jesus informs us that this is what pleases God – that His children desire Him above all else – that they rely on Him for life.
B. So we are talking about a spiritual hungering and thirsting – I must seek God or else…
This relates back to the previous three beatitudes of inward examination. Are you full or empty?
You will not hunger or thirst if you continue to tell yourself that you are full.
C. We can say with Job, “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” That is what it means to hunger and thirst.
D. Isa 26:9 “With my soul I have desired You in the night, Yes, by my spirit within me I will seek You early;
For when Your judgments are in the earth,
The inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.”
Point 3: They Shall Be Filled
A. To “be filled” is to be completely satisfied.
B. Only those who realize they are empty can be filled (and they will be filled!).
C. READ Rom 4:5-8. This is my main point. This is how we are filled: “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin.’”
D. Jesus is our satisfaction. He is our joy and He is our treasure. SEE Matt 13:44
Conclusion:
One preacher said of this beatitude, “I do not know of a better test that anyone can apply to himself or herself in this whole matter of Christian profession than a verse like this. If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian; if it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.”
There is satisfaction to be attained now and we shall be filled eternally by God’s goodness:
Ps 17:15: “As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness;
I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.”
Hunger and thirst for righteousness and be blessed.
Take the opportunity to kneel and pray.
Open up His Word and let the blessings of heaven fall down.
God is the only true satisfaction…
As Ps 107:9 says, “For He satisfies the longing soul, and fills the hungry soul with goodness.”