How Hungry are you?

17 For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)

Under the OT they had the Law which could make a person righteous, but now we have Jesus.

Romans 3:20–22 AV

20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

We have received righteousness from God, through Jesus bty faith, and we are now made righteous.

Let me ask you: The work of Jesus in making us right before God, how good a job did he do?

50%, 80%, 95%?? He did 100%.

In his own words:

John 19:30 AV

30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

Can you see now why the beattitite seems odd? How can we hungery forsomething and thirst for something that we already have a total succicientcy off?

The Beattitudes are Attitudes

let me explain the answer to this question in an illistration:

Boss and you: Sales target - 50 sales in a month.

After 50 no sale counts towards your target or even total, 50 or 500 still same score: 1

Say this boos hires his son, son has same target.

But imagine on day 1 the son says he did all yours and handed them all in. You are done.

Many people would do the logical thing: Take the rest of the month off, you get no extra credit, the boss still just sees 1 point. Its the logical thing to do.

BUT, then there are a select few who see things differently.

They see how much this buisness means to the son, so even though they add nothing to the work, out of gratfulness to the son they go out and do as many more sales calls as they can - KNOWING that the Boss will never count them.

This is this beattitude:

God has given us a target:

BE RIGHTEOUS.

But the problem is that man is unrighteous:

Romans 3:10 AV

10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

We can try do things to attain righteousness but that will never work.

Isaiah 64:6 AV

6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

So Jesus did the work on our behalf and made us rightteous.

The Job i now done, its finished and there is nothing we can do to add to that completed work. Its done, The target is reached.

As a result, many just sit back and liove amlukewarm christian life, not really trying because the work is done.

But then there are a few who see it differently, Those who hunger anf thirst for righteouness.

On one hand: They know that the work is done, not by them biy by Jesus and that there is nothing they can do add to it.

But on the other hand: They are so touched by the Mercy of Jesus that they will not sit back, but will strive to live their lives in service and honour of God - knowing that their service and life adds nothing to the work of Jesus but gladly doing it anyway.

What do they hunger and thist for?

We do not hunger and thirst to be right before God, righteousness in the classic sense, because we ARE already righteous though Jesus and we are already reconciled to God through Jesus.

What then do we hunger for?

We hungry note to BE righteous, because we already are, BUT we do hunder to LIVE righteous and so honor God with our lives.

The humble christian rejoices in his new birth and peace with God though faith in Jesus Christ, But at the same time as he rejoices he mourns over whatever sin may still lie in his mortal body.

He lives for the desires of the Spirit, but finds that the desires of the flesh often assuslt his and he gives in.

He resists the Devil in his temptations, but in times of weakness may give in.

He often finds hinmself frustrated like the Apostle Paul:

Romans 7:14–15 AV

14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.

Romans 7:17–23 AV

17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

You can feel his frustration, not with God but with himself.

He is not trying to add to the complted work of Jesus, he is trying to do what God tells us:

1 Corinthians 9:27 AV

27 But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.

He hungers and thrists to live a life Worthy of the calling he has recieved!

Ephesians 4:1 AV

1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

Let me ask each of you: Do you live your life worthy of the Gospel?

Is your laungage worthy? is your attitude aleways worthy? Do you treat your spouce worthy? do you do your job worthy?

As you evaluate your life, No you cannot add to the completed work of Jesus, God has decalred you righteous throufgh Jesus Christ.

But even so, as you evaluate your life, is there room, not for improvment (how can you imrpve on the work of Jesus>0 but is there room for your life to be a more perfect reflection of Jesus Christ?

If the answer is yes, And it should be, then how powerful, passionate, desperate is the drive to be holy?

Jesus sasys that the drive to live holy lives should be as powerful as hunger and thrirst!!!!

If you are thirsty and you come accross water, you dont say “ill drink tomorrow”.

if you are starving and you get offered food you dont say “ill eat after next week”.

You drink straight away nd you eat straight away.

Likewise, you dont say “ill quite smoking nest year” or “ill stop drinking afer the christmas party”

You dont look for excuses, your hungey and thrist overide all other desires and you forsake all sin immeditly in Jesus name!

You call on God to lead you!

Psalm 23:3 AV

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

The Future Hunger

There is another part to this beattitude.

We rejoice in the righteouness we have through Faith in Jesus.

We hunger to live holy lives.

But we also hunger and thrist for righeoutesness in the Heavenly sense.

This world and all its evil. Everyday we face the murder of innocent people, the molestation of children, the rape of woman, the corruption of power and the sheer injustice of the law - all this reminds us that we are strangers and pilgrims in a forreign land and with every new revelation of evil our hun ger, thrist, desire to go home to heaven gets more and more urgent!

2 Corinthians 5:2–4 AV

2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: 3 If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. 4 For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.