PASSION
FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:6
Jesus Christ, the all-knowing Lord
and Master, knew that the greatest desire in the heart of His listeners was to
be happy. Surveys have been conducted over and again to ascertain what people
need most out of life; the findings of such surveys have confirmed that the
bottom-line of man’s need is happiness. This is true all over the world. People
commit suicide because they are unhappy. Nobody gets into psychiatry case
because he is so happy. People are in depression because happiness is missing.
Jesus knowing what they lacked told them, “Blessed [happy]
are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be
filled.”
Man was created in the image of God,
with the nature of holiness and righteousness (Psalm 17:15). Any departure from
the original creation will make him incomplete, unfulfilled and unhappy. It is
like removing fish or other creatures from their natural habitat; they cannot
survive there. Jesus knew that His audience was not happy because they had been
removed from the original habitat of righteousness where they had been created.
For you to be happy, you have to thirst and hunger after the righteousness of
God and then the blessedness of being filled with God’s righteousness will be
yours.
1. PASSION FOR TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:6; Philippians 3:7-10; Romans 10:3,8-10; Isaiah
64:6; Matthew 5:20; Luke 16:15; 18:9; Matthew 23:25,28; Romans 3:24; 5:17-21.
People work from dawn to dusk because they want to draw
salary to satisfy their hunger and thirst. The life of a human being, in
whatever occupation, profession or place, is to be able to satisfy hunger and
thirst. Our relationship and fellowship with God are to satisfy spiritual
hunger and thirst. Once we lose this focus, there is no point wasting time. We
attend retreats, church activities, study the Bible, pray and do other things
so that we may learn spiritual things to satisfy the spiritual hunger in our
lives and that of other people.
Just as people sell what they have to satisfy their
hunger, so Paul, wanting to satisfy his spiritual hunger, disposed off things
that were gainful to him in order to gain “the righteousness which is of
God by faith.” There was hunger and thirst in his inner man. However,
unlike Paul, many people do not dispose off the things that compete with the
essential things in their lives. They did not dispose off their
self-righteousness so as to get the righteousness of God. This was why Paul
pitied them. Like the Jews, there are many people today who, though are hungry
for God, have been feeding on the wrong kind of food which do not give the
righteousness of God. These people think that righteousness must be worked out
by their human power. Isaiah had told them many years earlier that in the
presence of God, that such “righteousnesses are as filthy rags”
because it is not based on the blood of Jesus nor did they trust on the
atonement of the blood. Such filthy rags or mere outward righteousness that
does not have inward cleansing usually attracts the displeasure of God but the
one that attracts God’s blessing is the one of the heart that happens when we
believe on the Lord and passionately desire it.
This hunger and thirst in the soul after the image of God
is the strongest of all spiritual appetites. It swallows up all the other
desires in our lives. Such hunger and thirst become more craving, more
importunate until they are satisfied and there cannot be any substitute that
will satisfy the soul that truly seeks after righteousness. It will find no
comfort or satisfaction in anything else, only in the righteousness that comes
from the heart of God to the heart of man.
2. PRAYING FOR TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:6; Jeremiah 29:13,12; Zephaniah 2:3; 2 Timothy
2:19-22; 1 Timothy 6:6-11; Matthew 6:33; 7:7,8; Luke 11:5-10; Psalm 51:6-10;
Hosea 10:12.
“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness…” Hunger and thirst implies asking and praying for
righteousness. Hunger makes us to ask for food in the natural. So also,
spiritual hunger makes a believer to pray so as to be filled and satisfied with
righteousness. Spiritual hunger will always make you to ask and seek the Lord.
Spiritual thirst and hunger drives a true believer to make
necessary preparations so as to be filled and satisfied. He goes into his
closet to purge himself from stains as a requirement for receiving the
righteousness of God. He first flees and separates himself from things that
defile. Then, he follows after righteousness. “If a man therefore purge
himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for
the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work. Flee also youthful lusts:
but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the
Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:21,22). Seeking righteousness is by importunate
prayer of faith. Following after righteousness also requires commitment and
consecration from the believer. These virtues will make the Christian obey
God’s instruction to “…flee these things [destructive and defiling
things]; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love,
patience, meekness” (1 Timothy 6:11). Believers must pray for
righteousness with focus, fervency and faith because it is the most
indispensable virtue in the life of a child of God.
3. POSSESSORS OF TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS
Matthew 5:6; Ezekiel 14:14,20; Daniel 6:1-6,10-23; Psalm
106:28-31; Luke 1:5,6,67-75; Mark 6:20;
1 Thessalonians 2:7-10; Romans 6:17,18; 1 John 3:5-10.
There have been people who have possessed righteousness.
If you meet an expert and he tells with facts that you cannot find anybody that
has got what you are seeking, you are likely to get discouraged and stop
seeking. But if on the other hand, you find those that have lesser privileges
and exposure than you who have got it, you will keep seeking. That is why it is important to know about
those that have received the righteousness of God. Some saints who have gone
before us have had the experience. This knowledge will stir up faith in us to
seek God for it. Besides, Jesus never tells any man to seek what he will never
get. He knows you will get it. He says, “Blessed are they which do hunger
and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled ” (Matthew
5:6).
Many years after their death, Noah, Daniel and Job were confirmed
possessors of true righteousness of God. Like these people had it, you will
have it and live it out everywhere you are. Not only your friends, relations,
spouse or members of your church will recognise your righteousness; even your
enemies, will also be able to confirm it. You can be filled with righteousness
now if you pray to God for it.
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