Jesus admonished the multitudes to seek certain qualities that will, if they possess them, result in a blessed life. Last week, we began to examine His words, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Mt. 5:6). I asked all of us to spend the week contemplating what it means to be really hungry and really thirsty, and to ask God to give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. So, let’s examine what Jesus meant by “righteousness.”
There are two Greek words that are important for us to consider in our search for the meaning of “righteousness.” The first word is dikaioo (a verb which means “to be made righteous” or “to be justified”) and the second word is dikaiosune (a noun which means “rightness,” “integrity,” or “virtue”). This week, we will consider the first word dikaioo, and next week we will look at the second word, dikaiosune.
Since the beginning of time, mankind has sought to have a right standing before God. And unfortunately, that quest has been through performance, that is, through obeying some standard of morality or keeping religious rituals. For the Jews, it meant “keeping the Law,” and that was more than just the moral law which we know as the “Ten Commandments.” It also included the civil and ceremonial laws established for the nation. The Jews felt that if they could keep all these laws, and there are well over six hundred of them, they would be righteous. Religious leaders known as Pharisees felt that they were doing a pretty good job of keeping these laws, yes, all of them! Lest you forget, the Apostle Paul was once a Pharisee who believed in what we might call, “Righteousness by keeping the Law.”
And yet, after his conversion to Christ, Paul would come to understand that “…no one can be justified by the works of the law” (Rom. 3:20). Paul not only wrote these words to the Christians in Rome, but also to the Churches throughout Galatia, “….by the works of the law no one can be justified” (Gal. 2:16). It’s crucial that we understand this fact – No amount of “doing good” or “keeping religious rituals” will ever bring you into a right standing with God.
Being made “righteous” is something that is bestowed upon us, not something that is earned by us. In other words, if we are to become righteous, someone other than ourselves must declare us to be so. In other words, it is a gift, a gift of God! Such a concept comes from a courtroom scene where a judge declares a defendant “righteous” and free of all charges. It isn’t based on the defendant’s actions, but on the judge’s action to declare him “righteous” or “justified.” The Bible is abundantly clear, “… the righteousness of God comes through faith in Christ (Rom 3:22).
As the Holy Spirit moves in a person’s heart leading to repentance, having faith in what Christ did on the cross as He shed His blood for our sins is the only requirement for anyone to be made righteous. Furthermore, the Apostle Paul said, “When a person is ‘justified,’ he has peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1). Billy Graham used to say that having “Peace with God” is our greatest need. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, that was the title of his first book! I am in totally agreement with Dr. Graham that “having peace with God” is our greatest need. That’s why Jesus wanted each of us to hunger and thirst for the righteousness that only God can impart and thereby experience the peace that only God can provide.
If any of you are thinking that your life of good works and keeping religious rituals is going to make you righteous, the Apostle Paul asks you to consider this: “If righteousness comes through keeping the Law, then Christ died needlessly” (Gal. 2:21). To turn Paul’s words into a question, “If you could achieve righteousness through keeping certain laws and religious rituals, then why did Christ die so that you could be reconciled to God? Christ’s death for our sins was necessary for anyone to receive the “righteousness of God.”
Jesus’ wanted every person to “hunger and thirst” for the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. And so, if you will simply place your faith in Him, “…you will be satisfied,” just as He promised.
But that’s not the end of the story. There is more that Jesus wants us to “hunger and thirst” for. We address that issue next week, as we consider Part 3.
