Hunger Hearts

 

 

 

Abide-4

 

TITLE: Hunger Hearts

TEXT: Matthew 5:6

TONE: Encouragement

TARGET: Believers

TASK: To encourage believers to yearn for righteousness is all areas of life.

TEACH: In his commentary on the Sermon on the Mount, D. Martyn Lloyd Jones wrote, “If you are anxious about the state of the world and the threat of possible war, then I assure you that the most direct wat of avoiding such calamities is to observe words such as these which we are considering. If every man and woman in this world knew what it was to “hunger and thirst after righteousness” there would be no danger of war. Here is the way to real peace. All other considerations eventually do not touch the problems and all the denunciations that are so constantly made of various countries and peoples and persons will not have the slightest effect upon the international situation. Thus, we often waste our time, and God’s time, in expressing human thoughts and sentiments instead of considering His Word. If evert human knew what it was to “hunger and thirst after righteousness,” the problem would be solved. The greatest need in the world now is for a greater number of Christians. So, the gospel, which seems to be remote and indirect in its approach, is the most direct way of solving the problem. It is righteousness that exalts a nation and the most important thing for all of us is to discover what righteousness means (D. Martyn Lloyd Jones, Studies on the Sermon on the Mount, pg. 61).

 

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness includes….

 

I.   A Desire for God’s Standards (Imputed Righteousness)

 

Explanation: To hunger and thirst for righteousness means to have a deep, intense desire for God’s standards of holiness and justice to be evident in one’s life and the world. This yearning reflects a sincere longing to see everything aligned with God’s will.

 

God’s standard of Holiness is His perfect righteousness. God’s righteousness is displayed through His moral laws and decrees. The giving of the Law of Moses on Mount Sinai is a significant manifestation of God’s righteous standards. These laws, provided in the form of the Ten Commandments and other statutes, serve as both a reflection of God’s holy character and a guide for human conduct. They reveal the moral and ethical demands of a righteous God, emphasizing justice, mercy, and holiness.

 

Humanity’s failure to obey God’s law is a theme deeply rooted in the biblical narrative beginning with the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Adam’s disobedience introduced sin into the world causing a fundamental separation between humans and God. The Apostle Paul succinctly summarizes this condition in Romans 3:23, stating, “for all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.” Our disobedience incurs God’s rightful judgment as His righteousness demands accountability and punishment for transgressions.

 

In sending Jesus, God provided a way for humanity to be reconciled to Him, fulfilling the demands of justice while extending mercy and grace. Romans 2:25-26 states this truth, “God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement through the shedding of His won blood -to be received by faith… so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Through Christ alone, righteousness is imputed to sinners not by their own merits but through faith in Him (2Cor. 5:21). Therefore, to hunger and thirst is to yearn and desire God’s standard of righteousness. Who is God standard? Christ!

 

Sadly, in the pursuit of earthly fulfillment people often find themselves yearning for material wealth, success, status, and fleeting pleasures. The world idolizes wealth, building the illusion that possessing more can lead to ultimate satisfaction and security.

Status has become synonymous with self-worth. Individuals are pushed to measure their value by wordily standards resulting in a constate comparison that fosters discontent -hoping The societal drive for success and recognition can lead to an unending race for titles, accolades, and validation from others. Status becomes synonymous with self-worth, pushing individuals to measure their value by worldly standards, resulting in a constant comparison that fosters discontent.

 

In stark contrast, yearning for Christ offers a fundamentally different paradigm. Instead of seeking temporary satisfaction the longing for Christ directs our hearts toward eternal fulfillment. It is a pursuit of a relationship with the Creator who is the source of all truth, love and life. Yearning for Christ means desiring to know Him more deeply and to align one’s life with His will. It’s a life characterized by peace, contentment, and purpose. Jesus is the “Living Water” He satisfies our deepest longings. Paul stated, “I consider everything to be loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord” (Phil. 3:8).

 

Illustration: Apostle Paul, once a persecutor of Christians, Paul experienced dramatic personal transformation on the road to Damascus. He spent the rest of his life striving to live in accordance with Christ’s teachings, as evidenced in Philippians where he expressed his desire to know Christ and the power of His resurrection (3:10).

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Application: Recognize that your spiritual cravings reflect an intrinsic desire for God’s imputed righteousness.

 

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness includes….

 

II.                          A Yearning for Personal Transformation (Practical Righteousness)

 

Explanation: “Many profane and careless souls will desire to partake of Christ’s imputed righteousness to save their souls from hell, but they are not anxious to get holiness of heart and life” (Thomas Boston, Vol.3, pg. 279). First, what righteousness is not. It does not mean what is often thought at the present time, a sort of general righteousness or morality. There is great talk in our day about arms agreements, international contracts, honoring alliances, and keeping ones word. These things are not bad, but the Christian gospel goes much deeper than that. There are men who can moderate peace deals around the world, but they break covenant with their wives, disloyal in their own marriages. They easily break the solemn vows they made.  The gospel is not interested in this kind of talk. Neither does it merely mean respectability or general morality It is the desire to be free from sin, because sin separates us from God.

 

A desire to be right with God and rid of sin because sin comes between us and God. A man or woman who hungers in this way sees sin as rebellion separating him from the face of God and longs to be back in fellowship. It also means a desire to be free from the power of sin. He wants to be free from the power that binds him and drags him down.

 

The Bible is replete with examples of individuals who yearned for personal transformation, vividly demonstrating their hunger and thirst for righteousness. Below are a few examples:

 

1.   Mary Magdalene: Frequently depicted as a woman from whom Jesus cast out seven demons (Luke 8:3), she exhibited a deep transformation. Her unwavering devotion to Jesus and her presence at both His crucifixion and His resurrection reveal a profound change and a zealous pursuit of righteousness through her discipleship.

 

2.   The Prodigal Son: In the parable (Luke 15:11-32), the younger son experiences a deep yearning for personal transformation after squandering his inheritance and hitting rock bottom. His return to his father symbolizes repentance and a desire to rectify his life, seeking righteousness after realizing his former life had led to destruction. From the parable, Thomas Boston wrote, we learn yearning consist of:

 

a.        A sense of want of righteousness: Such persons no longer imagine themselves rich and increased in goods, and having need of nothing, but feel themselves wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked.

 

b.        A sense of need of righteousness: They are then seized by the overwhelming desire to be made right with God.

 

c.        A sense of inability to obtain righteousness: He then realizes his utter inability to obtain righteousness.

 

d.        An earnest longing after righteousness: With the appetite for righteousness being sharpened and having realized his own inability, he now seeks Christ.

 

e.        A desire to live righteously: They now declare with Paul, “and He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for Him who for their sakes died and was raised” (1Cor. 5:15) (Thomas Boston, Vol. 3, pg. 273-274).

 

These individuals do not represent a mere moral correction, but a deep hunger and thirst to be right with God.

 

Illustration: King David: His heartfelt prayers in the Psalms reflect a deep desire for personal transformation and righteousness. In Psalm 51, David pleads for God to create in him a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him after his sin with Bathsheba. His yearning was demonstrated through his sincere repentance and yearning for cleansing.

 

Application: Seek God earnestly in prayer and delve deeply into the Scriptures for guidance.

 

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness includes….

 

III.                      A Commitment to Justice (Social Righteousness)

 

Explanation: Biblical justice encompasses the principles of righteousness, fairness, equity, and advocacy for the vulnerable within the context of God’s nature and commandments. Therefore, this beatitude encourages a commitment to advocating for the marginalized and oppressed.

 

Justice is rooted in God’s own character and His divine laws. It reflects His holiness, righteousness and love. God’s commands offer a framework for how justice should be enacted in society. For example, Micah 6:8 states, “He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

 

It is also about upholding human dignity. Every person is made in the image of God (Gen. 1:27), which endows them with inherent worth and dignity. Justice ensures that individuals are treated with respect and their fundamental rights are honored, irrespective of their social, economic, or ethnic status. We must care for the marginalized and oppressed, such as widows, orphans, foreigners and the poor. Isaiah 1:17 states, “Learn to good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widows cause..”

Hungering and thirsting for righteousness includes….

 

Illustration: Zacchaeus, the tax collector demonstrated a yearning for change when he sought out Jesus, even climbing a sycamore tree to see Jesus (Luke 19:1-10). His encounter with Jesus led to a radical transformation signified by his vow to give half of his possessions to the poor and repay those he has cheated fourfold, reflecting a profound hunger and thirst for righteousness.

 

Application: Stand up for marginalized and oppressed in our society. Especially, those without a voice.

 

IV.                     A Remarkable Promise (Future Righteousness)

 

Explanation: The satisfaction promised by Jesus is multifaceted. It suggests a deep, abiding fulfillment that can only be provided by a relationship with God. This satisfaction transcends the temporal and physical, reaching into the spiritual and eternal realms.

 

There are many a gaping mouth in the world, some are gaping for one thing, some for another, and all to satisfy their lusts: they shall never be satisfied, but they who hunger and thirst after righteousness shall be filled” (Thomas Boston, Vol. 3, pg. 273).

 

Augustine of Hippo famously said, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hear is restless until it rests in you.” This statement points to the ultimate satisfaction found in communion with God. Believers experience a measure peace, contentment, and purpose now through our communion with God. However, the complete fulfillment of this hunger and thirst will occur in the eschaton when believers are fully united with Christ in the new creation. Revelation 21:6 depicts this ultimate satisfaction: “To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.

 

Spiritual satisfaction arises from experiencing God’s grace -His unmerited favor, forgiveness, and love. Understanding and accepting that one is deeply loved and accepted by God. A peace that transcends all circumstances. A place of contentment regardless of outside conditions.

 

Spiritual satisfaction is deeply tied to an eternal perspective of things. Paul wrote, “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you….’ (Col. 3:2-4)

 

Furthermore, as believers live out God’s will through acts of love, justice, and mercy, they experience the joy and satisfaction coming from making a positive impact on the world.

 

Illustration: The oasis teeming with fresh, life-giving water, symbolizes the fulfillment found in God. His righteousness, mercy, and love abundantly to satisfy those who earnestly seek Him. The promise attached to the Beatitude declares that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be filled akin to reaching an oasis and finding cool refreshing water.

 

Illustration: Trust in God’s promise to satisfy your deepest longing.

 

TIE-UP: Psalm 42:1 state, “As the deer pants for the water brooks, so pants my soul for You, O God.”

 

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