Hungering and Thirsting

Continued from part 1

IV. The words “After Righteousness” give rise to the questions “What Righteousness Is Under Consideration – Are we to hunger and thirst AFTER Outward Deeds of Righteousness -OR- A Sense of The Inward (Imputed) Righteousness of Christ ? I BELIEVE IT IS THE LATER.

A. Most say Keep the Law, Do Deeds of Righteousness and You Will Be Righteous

1. Man in his natural state Has NO Righteousness - see Romans 3:10-12 - see Isaiah 64:6 – see Psalms 14:1-3 and 51:5 and 58:3 - see Titus 3:5

2. Man at his very best state is all together vanity – see Psalms 39:5

3. NO man becomes Righteous before God by Keeping the Law – Rom. 3:20-26.

4. Righteousness or Eternal Justification does not come by The Law - see Galatians 2:20-21, 3:21

Note: Eternal Righteousness and Eternal Justification are Synonymous – but the overall subject of Justification is too large a subject to include in this study of this Beatitude.

B. Christ, the fullness of the Godhead bodily, God manifest in the flesh, Was Righteous Before He Kept The Law in this time world - see Jeremiah 23:6, John 1:1-3, Phil. 2:8-8.

1. Christ was Righteous in the beginning with God, born righteous, lived a righteous life and knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God by his Imputed Righteousness -- see Romans 3:25-26, I Cor. 1:29-31

2. The Children of God are MADE righteous IN Christ – see II Cor. 5:17- 21

3. Because Christ died for us, our sins were NOT imputed to us – Rom 4:6-8

C. Only Righteous men who are made Righteous can DO Righteousness – see I John 3:7 -- Examples of this Truth:

1. Abel was Righteous without the law – see Matt 23:35, Heb 11:24

2. Enoch was Righteous without the law – see Genesis 5:22-24

3. Noah was Righteous without the law – see Genesis 6:9,

4. Righteousness was imputed to Abraham – see Romans 4:3, 9, 13, Gal. 3:6, James 2:23.

D. Righteous men are always aware of their sins – see Job 13:23, Psalms 51:3, Romans 7:24

V. A Conscientiousness and Awareness of Sin Causes a Child of God To Hunger and Thirst After The Righteousness of Christ. That Righteousness is not ours, we do not deserve it, we cannot produce it and we cannot buy it – But we desire it.

A. Such a Conscientiousness is Evidence of One’s Relationship with God – see Hebrews 9:14, see I Timothy 1:5, Titus 1:15 and Romans 2:14-15

B. The Conscience Convicts or Excuses - see John 8:4-9

Illus. David - see Psalms 51:1-3 -- Paul - see Romans 7:20-24

C. The Comforter (Advocate) Convicts – see John 16:7-14

D. To Be Void of Conviction Can Mean One of Three Things:

1. Conscience May Be Seared - see I Tim 4:1-2

Illus. Gentiles Before the Flood - see Romans 1:28-32 with 2:1

2. Resisting or Quenching The Spirit in Unbelief - Cp Stephen’s Message - see Acts 7:51-60, I Thess. 5:19

Note: (1) Resist means to Oppose or Strive Against (2) Quench means To Extinguish, Suppress, or Stifle

3. Ignorance of the Truth – as noted above – see I Tim. 1:12-13, Rom. 10:1-4

VI. “For they SHALL BE FILLED” is a twofold promise for here and eternity.

A. The Righteousness under consideration IS Revealed in The Word of God - see Romans 1:17 – see II Tim. 3:16-17

1. Knowledge of the Scriptures Does Not Make One Righteous – see again John 5:39 and Rom 10:1-3 -- But Scripture Feeds Us With the Knowledge of Him and His Righteousness - see Hebrews 5:13-14 and Luke 24:25-27

2. Our Hunger and Thirst is Satisfied (FILLED) by Learning Christ - see Eph. 3:16-19 and Eph. 4:17-27

3. Our Desire is to Know Him – see Phil. 3:7-11, Eph. 1:15-19

B. One is FILLED with a sense of the Righteousness of Christ when he is filled with the Holy Ghost – see Romans 14:17, Eph. 5:18, Phil. 1:11

1. One cannot be filled with the Holy Ghost unless he is empty of self.

2. One cannot be filled with righteousness if he is full of sin.

C. At the Final Coming of Christ we will be Changed and eternally Conformed to His Image, and FILLED with His Righteousness – see I John 3:2, I Corinthians 15:51-58, I Thess 4:15-18

Isaiah 55:1-3 "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David."

The following poem is by Ralph Erskine:

"Ho, every thirsty soul, and all

That poor and needy are,

Here's water of salvation's well

For you to come and share.

Here's freedom from sin and woe,

And blessings all divine,

Here streams of love and mercy flow,

Like floods of milk and wine.

Approach the fountain head of bliss,

That's open like the sea,

The buyers that are moneyless,

To poorest beggars free.

Why spend you all your wealth and pains,

For that which is not bread,

And for unsatisfying gains,

On which no soul can feed ?

While vain ye seek with earthly toys,

To fill an empty mind,

You lose immortal solid joys,

And feed upon the wind.

Incline your ear, and come to me;

Hear and your soul shall live:

For mercies sure as well as free,

I bind myself to give."

To Part 1