Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled. -Jesus Christ
My Paraphrase:Everyone who has a "gut wrenching" craving, and an intense urgent desire for God's narrow, unpopular path of right living and passionate devotion to Him, is a privileged recipient of God's divine favor and unmerited beneficiary of His all surpassing joy. These people experience a satisfaction that can be compared to nothing else in this life and yet still they experience a burning desire for more.
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So what of the so-called carnal Christians? Haven't you ever met a follower of Christ whose life looked like anything but? Those people who claim to know the Lord, love Him, and serve Him, but do not have this hunger and thirst for righteousness, they confuse me. Here's my conclusion.
ReplyDeleteWhen John the Baptist came on the scene he preached, unceasingly, about repentance. "Repent. The Kingdom of God is at hand." Believers, in that day, began their faith by first admitting who they were in the face of God's righteousness and then seeking His righteousness to replace their sinfulness. This gets back to the "poor in spirit" message we talked about a few weeks ago.
However, a lot today's messages seem to skip this first essential step of repentance. We focus on the John 3:16 message as if it were the only passage that deals with salvation. The sinner in the audience hears "that whosoever believes in Him should not perish" and is hooked. 'Wow! It's that easy? Cool.' And never once do they realize their depravity and basic need for repentance in God's eyes.
Yes, God is good. God is holy and righteous. Perfection and beauty. But, do you know what you are a part from Him?