Blessed are those who huger for righteousness Mt. 5:6
I. The progression of the Beatitudes:
Notice that the Blessed Ones start out in a very desperate, needy state. They realize their spiritual poverty (their true condition) which leads to mourning, and such mourning is used of the Spirit to establish meekness in their hearts and in their behavior. Pride and egocentricity are replaced by Spirit born meekness. This progress, for it is the only way of progress in the Kingdom of God, stirs up an insatiable hunger, the hunger for righteousness. It is this hunger, and its filling, that will lead to the behaviors that will follow.
II. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness:
A. What is righteousness?
The O.T. Primary root—tsawdak’ #6663: to be or make right in a moral or legal sense. To be right, righteous, be justified, to be just.
Noun form--#6664 (Leviticus 19:15) & 6666 (Genesis 15:6) A relational word, righteousness in relationship, whether legal—before God, or relational—because God is the Judge.
In Old Testament, the word draws heavily from its first mention in Genesis 15:6 and contains shades of a man regarded as having obtained deliverance from condemnation, and as being thus entitled to a certain inheritance. Ps. 37:5-9, 16 And of course, this becomes the foundation of Paul’s glorious exposition of Justification by faith, (Romans 3-4), our only hope!!!
That God is right, righteous, and just is assumed throughout the Old Testament, and His Righteousness and His Justice are inseparably linked. The word is translated both ways.
In the N. T. #1341—dikah….(never mind, I can’t pronounce it anyway) denotes the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing & separating. #1342 is the state of being right or of right conduct. Said of God, it expresses the perfect agreement between His Nature and His Acts. It therefore reflects His Holiness. Our unrighteousness, the inconsistency of our nature or profession and our behavior, expresses our complete lack of holiness. (Rom 3:5)
B. And this leads to Hunger!!!
1. The poor, meek and lowly mourners, by the Spirit, develop a passion for change. The contradiction between what they are and what they should be haunts their souls. Sometimes, it screams at them when they fall into specific sin, as David in Ps. 51:14-19. Sometimes, and most often, it is the very chasm between spiritual desire and actual daily behavior that torment the soul as in Rom. 7:13-24.
Note: If there is no hunger for righteousness, if there is no desperation because of its lack, there is most likely no life there.
C. And this leads to FILLING!!!
1. First of all, and foundationally, the legal issue must be settled. (Rom. 3:10-20) And that need is fulfilled in and through the righteousness of faith!!! (Rom. 3:21-26) And the blessed decree of “not guilty” must be heard and received. (Rom, 8:1-2)
2. But as Romans 7 shows, the legal part alone will not stop the hunger pangs, and was never intended to. It throws open the soul to the glorious work of the Spirit, narrowing the gap between our confession and our behavior. (Rom. 8:3-10)
3. How then is it accomplished?
Recall Rom. 7:25—“I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The justified always live by faith and that faith is always and only in the perfections and satisfaction of the Beloved God/Man Christ Jesus. Only those who are IN Christ Jesus have no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), and only those believe that Christ Jesus is IN them (Rom. 8:10) find the Spirit fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law in them.
I Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him are you IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO of God is MADE UNTO US wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption.” KJV
Note: That no flesh shall ever glory in His Presence, and all our glorying is in the Lord alone!!! (Verses 29 & 31)
II Corinthians 5:21 “For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God IN Him.” KJV
Note: Our righteousness is ever and only IN CHRIST JESUS. Our behavior changes only as we abide in Him(John 15:1-8), feast on Him (John 6), believe in Him (John 6:29).
4. And the filling?
Colossians 1:19-20, 28; 2:9-10 We are complete, reconciled totally, in only one place—in the Person or our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3:14-19 It doesn’t get any fuller that the fullness of God!!
Galatians 2:20 The life that we now live in the flesh can only be lived by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Life in the flesh on this fallen earth will always be a faith apprehension and comprehension that we have the Righteous One ever before the Father, making intercession for us. Only Spirit born faith in the Beloved Son can over come our ongoing sin!
One final note: Righteousness is not a thing, it is a Person. It is the indwelling of the Righteous Spirit of Christ in us that fixes our gaze on the Righteous One that fills our longing hearts with His Righteousness.
II Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless, we, according to His Promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, in which RIGHTEOUSNESS dwells.” (Revelation 21:22-23)
I. The progression of the Beatitudes:
Notice that the Blessed Ones start out in a very desperate, needy state. They realize their spiritual poverty (their true condition) which leads to mourning, and such mourning is used of the Spirit to establish meekness in their hearts and in their behavior. Pride and egocentricity are replaced by Spirit born meekness. This progress, for it is the only way of progress in the Kingdom of God, stirs up an insatiable hunger, the hunger for righteousness. It is this hunger, and its filling, that will lead to the behaviors that will follow.
II. Hungering and thirsting after righteousness:
A. What is righteousness?
The O.T. Primary root—tsawdak’ #6663: to be or make right in a moral or legal sense. To be right, righteous, be justified, to be just.
Noun form--#6664 (Leviticus 19:15) & 6666 (Genesis 15:6) A relational word, righteousness in relationship, whether legal—before God, or relational—because God is the Judge.
In Old Testament, the word draws heavily from its first mention in Genesis 15:6 and contains shades of a man regarded as having obtained deliverance from condemnation, and as being thus entitled to a certain inheritance. Ps. 37:5-9, 16 And of course, this becomes the foundation of Paul’s glorious exposition of Justification by faith, (Romans 3-4), our only hope!!!
That God is right, righteous, and just is assumed throughout the Old Testament, and His Righteousness and His Justice are inseparably linked. The word is translated both ways.
In the N. T. #1341—dikah….(never mind, I can’t pronounce it anyway) denotes the process of investigation, the act of distinguishing & separating. #1342 is the state of being right or of right conduct. Said of God, it expresses the perfect agreement between His Nature and His Acts. It therefore reflects His Holiness. Our unrighteousness, the inconsistency of our nature or profession and our behavior, expresses our complete lack of holiness. (Rom 3:5)
B. And this leads to Hunger!!!
1. The poor, meek and lowly mourners, by the Spirit, develop a passion for change. The contradiction between what they are and what they should be haunts their souls. Sometimes, it screams at them when they fall into specific sin, as David in Ps. 51:14-19. Sometimes, and most often, it is the very chasm between spiritual desire and actual daily behavior that torment the soul as in Rom. 7:13-24.
Note: If there is no hunger for righteousness, if there is no desperation because of its lack, there is most likely no life there.
C. And this leads to FILLING!!!
1. First of all, and foundationally, the legal issue must be settled. (Rom. 3:10-20) And that need is fulfilled in and through the righteousness of faith!!! (Rom. 3:21-26) And the blessed decree of “not guilty” must be heard and received. (Rom, 8:1-2)
2. But as Romans 7 shows, the legal part alone will not stop the hunger pangs, and was never intended to. It throws open the soul to the glorious work of the Spirit, narrowing the gap between our confession and our behavior. (Rom. 8:3-10)
3. How then is it accomplished?
Recall Rom. 7:25—“I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord.” The justified always live by faith and that faith is always and only in the perfections and satisfaction of the Beloved God/Man Christ Jesus. Only those who are IN Christ Jesus have no condemnation (Rom. 8:1), and only those believe that Christ Jesus is IN them (Rom. 8:10) find the Spirit fulfilling the righteous requirements of the law in them.
I Corinthians 1:30 “But of Him are you IN CHRIST JESUS, WHO of God is MADE UNTO US wisdom, and RIGHTEOUSNESS, and sanctification, and redemption.” KJV
Note: That no flesh shall ever glory in His Presence, and all our glorying is in the Lord alone!!! (Verses 29 & 31)
II Corinthians 5:21 “For He has made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God IN Him.” KJV
Note: Our righteousness is ever and only IN CHRIST JESUS. Our behavior changes only as we abide in Him(John 15:1-8), feast on Him (John 6), believe in Him (John 6:29).
4. And the filling?
Colossians 1:19-20, 28; 2:9-10 We are complete, reconciled totally, in only one place—in the Person or our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 3:14-19 It doesn’t get any fuller that the fullness of God!!
Galatians 2:20 The life that we now live in the flesh can only be lived by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave Himself for us. Life in the flesh on this fallen earth will always be a faith apprehension and comprehension that we have the Righteous One ever before the Father, making intercession for us. Only Spirit born faith in the Beloved Son can over come our ongoing sin!
One final note: Righteousness is not a thing, it is a Person. It is the indwelling of the Righteous Spirit of Christ in us that fixes our gaze on the Righteous One that fills our longing hearts with His Righteousness.
II Peter 3:13 “Nevertheless, we, according to His Promise, look for a new heaven and a new earth, in which RIGHTEOUSNESS dwells.” (Revelation 21:22-23)