Hunger and thirst for Righteousness

Posted on Dec. 18, 2024, 8:22 a.m. by Rev. Shobayo Kayode The Gospel Study Centre

Our Lord Jesus Christ during the sermon on the Mount says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt.5:6). Prophet Isaiah has likened our righteousness to filthy rags. (Isaiah.64:6a) Jesus is here encouraging us to seek righteousness. Righteousness means ‘Right standing with God’. Right standing with God requires obedience to Jesus’s command, total submission and absolute surrender to the will of God. Jesus’s sermon on the mount (Matt.5:17-48) explains the true meaning of the Commandments (Law) and the implication of violating any of them. (Matt.5:19) Having realized the inability of man to fulfil the Law, He has come to fulfil the Law. (Matt.5:17) The Law was not made void but now established through faith in Christ (Rom.3:31) Therefore, man can only get righteousness in Jesus Christ who has fulfilled the Law. Apostle Paul said, it is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ that the righteousness of Christ is revealed from faith to faith, that “The just shall live by faith” (Rom.1:17) It is not by struggling with the law. The law brings the knowledge of sin (Rom.3:20) but the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made one free from the law of sin and death. (Rom.8:2) The Bible makes it clear that righteousness can only be received by faith in Jesus Christ. For God made Christ who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Christ. (2 Cor.5:21) To hunger and thirst for righteousness is to continue to walk in the way of Christ. Like Apostle Paul, not to work on his own righteousness but all he wants, is to know Christ and to experience the power of Christ resurrection (Phil.3:9-10) The Bible further encourages us to practice righteousness. “Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.” (1 John.3:7) We can express our hunger and thirst for righteousness by learning how to be like Jesus Christ. We can learn how to be like Jesus Christ through reading and studying the Word of God regularly and meditating on the words. If we chose to become a doer of the word of God, Jesus will take the theoretical stature of truth and carry out the effect of the law, which is the deeds of righteousness of the law. After we have learnt how to be like Him, He will fulfill the deeds of righteousness of the law, satisfying the demands of the law in our lives. The demand of the law is loving the Lord God with all our heart, and all our soul, and all our mind and all our strength, and loving our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark.12:30,31) Brethren, unless we have the righteous obedience of Christ working in our hearts and wills, we cannot transfer the stature of truth into deeds of righteousness, and we have no hunger or thirst for righteousness. For the righteousness of the law to be fulfilled in our lives, we must walk after the Spirit. (Rom.8:4) The Bible assures that as much as we hunger and thirst for righteousness, we shall be filled of it and then we shall be blessed. (Matt.5:6) May the grace to hunger and thirst for righteousness fall on us in Jesus’ name. Amen Evangelism Tell someone today that “right standing with God” is a free gift from Christ Jesus. Rev. Shobayo Kayode The Gospel Study Centre