Turn with me to Matthew chapter
5. Matthew 5. A few weeks ago, we looked at the
first five verses of this chapter,
and I'd like to look at a few more. Tonight, this The passage
of Scripture is what we know as the Sermon on the Mount, our
Lord preaching and setting forth that which is absolutely so concerning
His people. Blessed, verse 6, are they which
do hunger and thirst. after righteousness, for they
shall be filled." Now, you know, as our Lord speaks concerning
those that are blessed, when He says, blessed, the believer's
spiritual ear is tuned to hear what He has to say. Who are those
that are blessed, who are they? Who are they that are blessed
of God and made to know something of that blessing? I can tell
you that these that are blessed, and I'd like Lord willing to
look at verse 5, 6, and 7, and I'm sorry, 6, 7, and 8, but these
that are blessed, they're You know this by Almighty God. And
these that are blessed give evidence of what God has done. They make
no claim whatsoever to having produced anything in themselves. Blessed are they that hunger,
thirst after righteousness. Now, you know I know a little
something about that, and you do too. You know a little bit
about hungering and thirsting. Every day we get up. Most of
us, we've got a pretty good pattern. We get hungry. We get up and
eat breakfast. We'll eat some lunch. We'll eat
some dinner. And we get hungry. We've got
a need. We've got a need to eat. We've
got a need to drink physically. Spiritually, the believer does
too. And it's not a one-time thing.
He hungers and he thirsts daily. This hungering and thirsting
after righteousness, it has to do with a soul hunger. And it
is something that the carnal mind knows nothing of. Hungering
and thirsting after righteousness. It's a need that a believer has. That need must be satisfied,
or there's pain. If you are hungry and you don't
have something to eat, you know the evidence that you're hungry? You start to hurt. Those that hunger and thirst
after righteousness know something of pain. And it's the pain that
they feel of the presence of sin. They hunger and thirst after
righteousness because of what they see in themselves. Hunger
pains, thirst pains, that's natural to the carnal man. But hungering
and thirsting after righteousness to the point of hurting because
of sin that dwells and the grieving over the frailties That's evidence
of true life. Man by nature drinks iniquity
like water. He's like a vulture that feasts
on death, a bird that you see out in the middle of the road
and he's feasting on something dead. You see a dead possum or
something out there. And you've got a bird out there
and that's what they eat and that's what they like, that's what they
desire, the believer. He hungers and thirsts after
righteousness. Hungers because he's got a heart
to, a new heart. Righteousness. That's what he
hungers after. Not self-righteousness. He knows
his self-righteousness is but filthy rags and will never stand
before God, before God's law, but the righteousness of Christ
Jesus our Lord. that righteousness imputed to
those that believe Him, that trust Him, they hunger after
that. They hunger for His righteousness. But the hungering has got to
be satisfied. It has got to be. The Lord Jesus
Christ, He said in John, look here, John, John chapter 6, Those
that hunger and thirst after righteousness, the Scripture
promises, they shall be filled. What is their bread? What's their
food? What is their food? They're hungering
and thirsting after righteousness. They're hungering and thirsting
after Him. John chapter 6, verse 49, says,
Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness and are dead.
This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man
may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came
down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
he shall live forever. And the bread that I give is
my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." The Jews
therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give
us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily,
verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of
Man, and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Now listen,
no man eats the flesh of the Son of Man, the Son of God, drinks
his blood spiritually, if he doesn't hunger and thirst for
it. He's got to be made hungry. Hunger is created. Hunger is
an evidence. Hunger after Christ. Hungering
after Him. Thirsting after Him. It's evidence
of life before a man or woman is given a heart after Christ.
He hungers not for Him. Or he may hunger for religion.
Or he's got a hunger to see self-righteousness, you know. He hungers after his
own glory. He hungers after himself. but
hungering and thirsting after Christ, evidence of a new heart. Look at this verse, John 6, 35. Jesus said unto them, I am the
bread of life. Now listen, what did the Lord
say are blessed? Who are they blessed? Blessed
are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness. I am the
bread of life. He that cometh to me," now look
at this, "...shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall
never thirst." The Scripture says, "...blessed are they that
hunger and thirst." Christ said, He that cometh to me shall never
hunger. He that believeth on me shall
never thirst. You know what He's saying? He
that cometh to me will not go away and still be hungry. That's
what He's saying. I am the bread. He that cometh
to me shall never hunger." He won't stay in a state of hunger. He's going to be fed. I'll feed him. I'll give him
my life. Coming to Christ, he that cometh
to Christ never hungers. Why? Because he eats of Christ. Believing on Christ, he never
thirsts. Why? Because he drinks of his
blood. This righteousness that a man hungers and thirsts at,
He hungers and thirsts after the perfect obedience of Christ. That which Christ has done, he
has obeyed as a man, earned by his obedience, righteousness
before God's law, charged to his people, those that believe,
they hunger after him, must stand in him by his imputed righteousness. by Christ, in Christ, are His
people accepted, accepted in the Beloved. He was made to be
sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. This hungering and thirsting
after righteousness is not merely a desire to escape hell. God's
people are concerned long after His honor, His glory, His praise,
They're not trying to just escape punishment, though they do. They're
concerned with Him. They hunger after Him. It's the
craving of a new heart for God's honor in the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ. It is a desire for salvation
God's way, that is, by His sovereign grace. It's not those that Try
to produce their own righteousness for those that hunger for it. I don't make, I don't create
food. I may hunger for it, long for
it. I can't produce righteousness.
I hunger after His. I'm void of personal, fit righteousness. I stand in need. I need Him. Hungering and thirsting after
His righteousness. is to be sick of my own righteousness. Oh, wretched man! That's what
Paul said, that I am. It is to believe that Christ
has absolutely obtained righteousness for me, and I hunger and I thirst
for it. This desire lies at the foundation
of true godliness, hungering and thirsting after righteousness. Blessed are they! that hunger and thirst after
righteousness come to him empty-handed, come to Christ, nothing to offer
in themselves. They come to him for mercy, and
filled with all the blessings of Christ is found in him, accepted
by God, pardoned by his blood, filled with the fruit of his
righteousness, which is by Christ Jesus, desiring after Him, longing
after Him, is to hunger after Him, thirst after Him. And it's
always in the present. It doesn't say, Blessed are they
that hungered and thirsted. It's, Blessed are they that hunger
right now. You that believe, hunger after
Him right now. I must feast on Him right now.
I must drink of Him. Can I say it like this, hungering
and thirsting after Him? It's to long after Him. Long
after Him. Long after His presence. Abide
with me. I need Thee every hour, daily,
to feast upon Him. He appeals to me. God has given
me a heart after Him, a longing after Him. It's a desire to be
where He is. Blessed are they that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. They are going to be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, verse 7, for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are they who by a new
heart are gracious people as a result of a new heart. Mercy. Blessed are the merciful. I looked up the word mercy, and it's to lay to heart the
miseries of others and to be instrumental in doing them good. That's what Mr. Webster says.
Mercy. Laying to heart the miseries
of others and to be instrumental. But I'm going to tell you something.
It's merciful right now, and a man by nature, man by, carnal
man by nature, can have a, an outward sense of showing mercy. Now that's, that's not a hard
thing to do. A lot of folks that we know that
make no claim whatsoever to the gospel of free grace, the Lord
Jesus Christ that we serve that show mercy, they have, they have
a mercifulness, but it's the intent of the heart. Now, man
looks on the outside. God looks on the heart. Blessed
are the merciful, those that for Christ's sake, by God's grace,
have been given a heart for the miseries of others. And I'm talking
about spiritual miseries. If someone is at the mercy of
another, it means that the powerful one can do whatever he desires,
do whatever he wants. They're at the mercy of somebody
else. But spiritual miseries that are detected by God's people,
God's people have a heart that's merciful. Turn with me to 1 Thessalonians
5.14. 1 Thessalonians 5.14. Paul says, now we exhort you,
brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feeble-minded,
support the weak, be patient toward all men, and see that
none render evil for evil unto any man. But ever follow that
which is good. both among yourselves and to
all men. Look at verse 17. Pray without
ceasing. Look at verse 25. Paul says,
Brethren, pray for us. I charge you by the Lord Jesus
that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace
of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Do you detect in what
he's saying a spirit of mercifulness. Blessed are those that are merciful,
that see spiritual miseries in other men. As God's people, we
do show mercy to those that have fallen in physical misery. But especially do God's people
show mercy in the desire to see men come to Christ. We show mercy to men in speaking
to God about men. I read something just then. Brethren,
pray for us. 1 Thessalonians 5, that's what
we're reading. Look at 2 Thessalonians 3.1. 2 Thessalonians. I should have kept my finger
where I was. 2 Thessalonians 3.1. Finally, my brethren, Pray for
us that the Word of the Lord may have free course and be glorified
even as it is with you." Praying for men, praying for others. Men are merciful in that they
pray for one another. What did the Lord Jesus Christ
do in John 17? He said to his Father, Father,
I pray for you. I pray not for the world. I pray
for those you've given me out of the world. We show mercy to
those in need, those of our family that know not our God. Is it
not an act of mercy in seeing the frailty of others that we
pray for? Mercy. Now, that's what I read
a while ago. I looked it up. And as I thought about that,
what is mercy? It's seeing the miseries of others. showing mercy to the miseries
of others. Men by nature don't know where
they are before God, praying for one another. Mercy is shown
in the encouragement, telling others about Christ. You remember
when Andrew, Peter's brother, met the Lord? What did he do?
He told Peter. He said, ìWe found the Messiah.î
We tell men concerning who Christ is. What did our Lord command
His disciples to do? Go into all the world and preach
the gospel. Merciful, kind. It's a wonderful
thing to show mercy to others. But mercy shown. Almighty God
shows mercy to His people. In the calling out of His sheep,
He sends pastors. He's a merciful God. A man is
called by God, stands and proclaims the gospel of free grace. Why?
Because God is merciful in sending His Word and calling them out
by His gospel. Mercy is shown in our attitude
toward others. Colossians chapter 3. I told
you a while ago, these are evidences. Man by nature has no heart whatsoever
after the things of God. Man by nature is evil, he's corrupt,
he's selfish and cares not for the things of God. But blessed
are those that are merciful. Colossians chapter 3 and verse
12, 13. Put on therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved, boughs of mercy. I looked up that word,
boughs. It means inward mercy. heart mercy, not to be seen of
men. Anybody can show some acts of
kindness just so people pat them on the back, but inward vows
of mercy. Put on, therefore, as the elect
of God, holy and beloved vows of mercy, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another and forgiving
one another. If any man have a quarrel against
any, even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. Merciful for Christ's
sake. Blessed are those that show mercy,
for they shall obtain mercy." And then verse 8, "'Blessed are
the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'" Pure heart. That word pure means holy, clean,
and undefiled. Blessed are the pure in heart. This is essential. Psalm 24,
verse 3. Now, I read those things, those
three verses. I thought to myself, that's a
high order. Blessed are those that hunger
and thirst after righteousness. And I know just enough about
myself. And as I thought of myself, I
thought, how much do I see in myself? I'm talking about truly
hungering. I mean, craving, desiring, longing
after, yearning for righteousness. How much mercy do I see in myself
being bestowed upon others, praying for one another, longing after? Praying God show mercy. Praying
God bless His Word. Crying out to God to have mercy
and call out His elect and bless the hearing of this Word. I'm
going to tell you something, this is pretty convicting to
me. And then I got to this one. Blessed are the pure in heart.
And when I looked up the definition, the holy, the clean, the undefiled,
Psalm 24, verse 3, And for who shall ascend into
the hill of the Lord? Or who shall stand in his holy
place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart, who hath not
lifted up his soul unto vanity, nor sworn deceitfully." You know
what? I need one who does have a pure
heart. I need one who does have clean
hands. I need one who has not lifted
up his soul unto vanity or sworn deceitfully to answer for me."
I need Christ, His righteousness, His purity, His holiness to be
charged to me. Peter commands us to love one
another with a pure heart, fervently. But who can say, Proverbs 20,
verse 9, I have made my heart clean? Who can say, I am pure
from my sin? Who can bring a clean thing out
of an unclean? I'll tell you this, not one out
of Adam's fallen race. Man's heart is a dungeon of dragons
and darkness. It's a stable of foul lusts. Such power to have a clean, pure
heart. belongs to Almighty God alone.
Man contributes nothing, but every believer in Christ is the
subject of purity and holiness of heart in him only. Every man born in Adam is born
with a heart that is desperately wicked and deceitful above all
things, but by his regenerating grace, God, by His power, gives
man. He says, I'll give you a new
heart. I'll remove that stony heart. I'll give you a new one,
a new spirit, a new man, His workmanship, created in Christ
Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we
should walk in them. A pure heart. Oh, that claim
right there. The claim, the evidence, the
possession of that is by the imputed righteousness of Christ. But that pure heart that God
attributes to His own by that imputation, that pure heart has
a pure object before it. It looks and longs after Him.
It hungers and thirsts for His righteousness. It fears the Lord
in reverence. It sees Him, I understand, through
a glass darkly, but it sees Him now by faith, then by sight. And that pure heart hates sin,
hates it, despises it, grieves over it, mourns over it. And
it breathes after holiness. In Romans 7, Paul says, I serve
with this mind, with this new mind. I serve the law of God. He said, In my flesh I serve
the law of sin. He serves it. Here we behold nothing less than
our Lord's righteousness. A pure heart's heaviest burden
is the continual discovery of sin that indwells, that it sees
daily. They shall see the Lord. or the
pure in heart, they shall see the Lord. They see the Lord now
by faith, working all things in this world after the counsel
of His own will, and they shall see the Lord in life hereafter
by sight. They will behold Him, see Him
as He is. These things that Almighty God
declares to be so, These are too high for me. These are unattainable
in myself, but they're blessings. Blessed are those that hunger
and thirst, and some do. Some do. They hunker and thirst
after righteousness. They're going to be filled. They're
going to eat of Him. Blessed are the merciful, for
they shall obtain mercy Mercy from God. God has given them
a heart to be merciful, gracious, blessed, or the pure in heart. They are going to seek God. Oh, the spiritual blessings that
we have in Him. A believer rejoices in Him. Our
Father, how we thank You this night for the blessedness and
the evidence of these things that You say are so. We recognize
that we make no claim to these from our own efforts. Lord, we
know that in ourselves we can do nothing. You're the vine.
We're the branch. We must be in you for life. Father, we pray, teach us these
things. Teach us to rejoice in these
things. Teach us to rejoice in that which
you've done. We pray that You'd forgive us.
We pray that You'd bless this world. Call, we pray, Your people
out. Establish us for Christ's sake. Amen.