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)
- Proof
- First off, what is righteousness?
- Seems to be personal righteousness here being meant.
- In essence this means right conduct of living in conformity to God’s Will (Tehan, 18).
- God says it is blessed to pursue righteousness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (v.6a)
- But notice the passage doesn’t say “pursue righteousness.” It uses two figurative verb: “hunger and thirst for righteousness”
- 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.
- 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).
- Very few people have ever sought to be righteous in this way (Carson, 21).
- “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).
- Reason we can be blessed pursuing righteousness: “for they shall be satisfied” (v.6b)
- “for” is a causal conjunction giving the reason why this is the case.
- About the verb “satisfied”
- It is passive voice to show something done by God and not us (Tehan, 20).
- Future tense to show this is still future.
- Yet the future is not uncertain or merely probable: The verb’s indicative mood shows this is a statement of reality.
- Thus the reason we pursue righteousness is because we will truly be satisfied!
- First off, what is righteousness?
- Practice
- Do you live your life purposely being righteous and godly?
- 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?
- 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?
- How to cultivate hunger for holiness:
- Think about the times you have negative result from your sins.
- Think about examples of the times you felt guilty.
- Think about examples of the times you felt regret.
- Think about examples of the times you realized sin didn’t satisfy.
- Think about the times you have positive result from your sins.
- Think about examples of the times you had a clean conscience.
- Think about examples of the times you enjoyed close communion with God and Christ.
- Think about examples of the times you enjoyed other blessings.
- Think about the times you have negative result from your sins.
- Ultimately in hungering for righteousness we must go to the most righteous one of all: Jesus Christ!
- Consider Jesus in John 6:35 saying those who come to Him will never be hungry.
- Also John 6:35 and John 4:14 says those who come to Him will never thirst.
- Therefore in pursuing righteousness you must truly desire to commune with Jesus!
- 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?
Great question. “Do you live your life purposely being righteous and godly?”
May it be so in my life!
Blessings, grace and peace.
When I see His rightousness in a sin I He took control of I truely rejoice and Thankful for.:) Excellent. Ty.
Good outline and post. For some people holiness is as far away from their mind as the distance to Lithuania
I fail so many times. I praise our Father for the Holy Spirit dwelling in us, empowering us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, by the strength and wisdom He provides. Regretfully at times I don’t listen.
True of myself as well; its truth from this that makes me grateful for the Gospel of God saving us from our sins and declaring us righteous because of Christ. What a good Gospel, a Good God and Good Savior! What a joy also it is to hear you still are faithfully evangelizing and declaring the Good news to a loss and dying world every Friday…thank you, that encouraged me much.
Thank you for the encouragement pastor Jim. It’s been more than two years since we began this ministry. We are now praying that the Lord will raise up a male that can preach to join our group.
Good lesson outline and exhortation! We (I) need to be less blasé in our (my) walk with the Lord and more intentional about communing with Him and pursuing righteousness.
Thank you for your supporting comment! Been busy teaching at retreat and forgot my cell phone at home so I’m reliant of only my laptop for a little bit of weak internet for the blog. Hope you know I wasn’t avoiding your blog!
I think your schedule is probably 3X what mine is.
How blessed are those you teach.
You wrote…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.
OUTSTANDING!! And, I like how you wrote that we WILL be satisfied. This satisfaction is ALWAYS present and future.
Genesis 15:6 KJV
6 And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
This Verse is a great comfort to me.
[…] Post: Hungering and thirsting for righteousness. […]
We need to hunger for God’s righteousness!
In a world were women have to hide their faces, oppressing women is awful. It is just awful, and your face, your eyes is what makes you human. Sin dehumanises. Really don’t like it. God’s righteous face shine on those who trust in Him