Hungering and thirsting for righteousness

At a church retreat right now and teaching on the Beatitudes.

Since last month I wrote a post titled “Do you realize your thirst for God?”  I want to write this as a follow up post since I believe the sign of someone truly thirsting for God is someone thirsting for righteousness.

This is a study outline based upon Matthew 5:6

We need to pursue righteousness (Matthew 5:6)

1. Proof
   1. First off, what is righteousness?
      1. Seems to be personal righteousness here being meant.
      2. In essence this means right conduct of living in conformity to God’s Will (Tehan, 18).
   2. God says it is blessed to pursue righteousness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v.6a)
      1. But notice the passage doesn’t say “pursue righteousness.” It uses two figurative verb: “hunger and thirst for righteousness”
      2. People who are hungry and thirsty will be desperate and intense about seeking food and drink. Likewise we are to be intense and intentional about seeking righteousness.
      3. Each verb already is intense but the two verbs “hunger” and “thirst” used together intensify each other; it therefore convey not just passing feelings but deep longing and desperate need of righteousness (Tehan, 20).
      4. Very few people have ever sought to be righteous in this way (Carson, 21).
   3. “hunger and thirst for righteousness” is really an accumulation of the other characteristics of a citizen of the kingdom of God we have already seen in the Beautitude: Someone who is poor in spirit (Matthew 5:3), mourning over sin (Matthew 5:4) who approach God and man with meekness (Matthew 5:5) would be hungering for righteousness (Matthew 5:6) (Carson, 21).
   4. Reason we can be blessed pursuing righteousness: “for they shall be satisfied” (v.6b)
      1. “for” is a causal conjunction giving the reason why this is the case.
      2. About the verb “satisfied”
         1. It is passive voice to show something done by God and not us (Tehan, 20).
         2. Future tense to show this is still future.
         3. Yet the future is not uncertain or merely probable: The verb’s indicative mood shows this is a statement of reality.
      3. Thus the reason we pursue righteousness is because we will truly be satisfied!
2. Practice
   1. Do you live your life purposely being righteous and godly?
   2. Sometimes people in the world can make fun of people pursuing righteousness as “square” or “shelter” or “weird.” But have you made up your mind this is your goal you will pursue?
   3. Sometimes we don’t pursue righteousness because we tell ourselves the cost is too high and it won’t be what you really want with the result. But then do you see in our passage that righteousness truly satisfy?
   4. How to cultivate hunger for holiness:
      1. Think about the times you have negative result from your sins.
         1. Think about examples of the times you felt guilty.
         2. Think about examples of the times you felt regret.
         3. Think about examples of the times you realized sin didn’t satisfy.
      2. Think about the times you have positive result from your sins.
         1. Think about examples of the times you had a clean conscience.
         2. Think about examples of the times you enjoyed close communion with God and Christ.
         3. Think about examples of the times you enjoyed other blessings.
   5. Ultimately in hungering for righteousness we must go to the most righteous one of all: Jesus Christ!
      1. Consider Jesus in John 6:35 saying those who come to Him will never be hungry.
      2. Also John 6:35 and John 4:14 says those who come to Him will never thirst.
   6. Therefore in pursuing righteousness you must truly desire to commune with Jesus!
   7. By the way to be truly righteous before God it is Christ’s righteousness credited to us and that is credited to us by us having faith in Christ! Have you trusted in Christ?