"Blessed Are Those Who Hunger And Thirst” Series

“Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst”

Introduction:

Today we have come to a very important place in our journey through the beatitudes.

As I've mentioned before, the Beatitudes are essential for our transformation into Christ-likeness.

They serve as the blue print for living and becoming like Christ, embracing the very essence of who Jesus was and guiding us toward true happiness and lasting peace.

Each of these Beatitudes builds upon the previous ones, much like roots that nurture a growing and thriving plant.

The first 3 Beatitudes are the roots of a growing and thriving spiritual life.

The first three focus solely on the individuals recognition of their own spiritual state.

Poor in spirit— Our own spiritual poverty

Those who mourn— Mourning over sin and brokenness

The meek— Submitting to God’s will with humility.

From these roots, a life energized by a desire for righteousness, godliness, and Christ-likeness begins to flourish.

This desire for godliness becomes the very life taking shape in the Christian believer, ultimately producing fruit such as mercy, purity, peace, and yes, even persecution.

This Beatitude marks a turning point in our journey of becoming. The first three focus on the individual’s recognition of their spiritual state.

Now, Jesus goes deeper, saying, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.”

Here, Jesus shifts from external recognition to internal transformation, from observing our condition to actively seeking change.

Jesus moves from an external observation— to an internal desire for righteousness, reflecting a deeper longing for spiritual growth and transformation.

Here Jesus is emphasizing on a deep spiritual longing and appetite… He use hunger and thirst to illustrate this.

Hunger and thirst are basic, but powerful human drives that force people to change everything to satisfy… this symbolizes the intensity and the urgency with which one should pursue righteousness… because we need water and nourishment to survive… and we must activity pursue it rather than be passive and wait for it to happen on it sown.

Through this hunger, Jesus promises fulfillment, addressing our core human need for purpose and meaning.

This desire for God’s righteousness speaks to living out both personal holiness and social justice, marking a clear progression in spiritual maturity.

When we think about hungering and thirsting… imagine someone lost in a desert, desperately searching for water, their intense thirst drives every action and thought.

This is easily reflected in Psalm 42:1-2

Here we have the imagery where a deer pants for water in a dry land.

Just as a deer desperately seeks streams of water, our souls must yearn for God’s presence with great urgency.

This longing is not a casual desire but a profound need that only God can quench. Jesus assures us that those who hunger and thirst for God and His righteousness will be satisfied.

However, without this thirst for God, we wither and die spiritually.

Today, we will explore three key aspects:

1. Identifying True Righteousness

2. Cultivating a Godly Appetite

3. Experiencing Satisfaction

1. Identifying True Righteousness

Righteousness, in biblical terms, refers to a life that is in alignment with God's will and character. It encompasses both a right relationship with God and right living according to His standards.

This hunger and thirst for righteousness is not a casual desire but a deep, consuming longing.

Righteousness is a lifestyle that distinguishes us as true Christians and invites opposition from the world.

If you look ahead at Matthew 5:10 it says righteousness opens you up to persecution

In essence, we are to hunger and thirst for the kind of life that will cause some people to persecute us.

It includes both our position before God and our practical outworking of that position in daily life.

Positional Righteousness: We have a positional righteousness that we received from God through faith in Jesus. This is not something that we have earned; it is a gift of grace

Practical Righteousness: This goes beyond surface-level righteousness. It involves practically living according to God’s commands and reflecting His character in our actions and decisions. This is about living out the righteousness we have received (1 John 3:7).

True righteousness is the foundation of a deep and meaningful relationship with God.

Without this intense desire for holiness and rightful living, a person will not pursue a relationship with God, nor will they seek to develop the character of Christ.

The foundational requirement for Godly living is to seek the kingdom of God above all else and to live righteously.

In Micah 6:8…we get a more clear of a biblical understanding of how God expects us, as His people to live.

This passage is one of the clearest and most complete pictures of how God expects us, as His people to live.

Do Justice: This requires fairness and honesty in our dealings with others. It involves standing up for what is right and ensuring equitable treatment for all.