Matthew chapter 5, we're going through the book
of Matthew and last week we started looking at this particular chapter
and we pointed out the fact that these verses are referred to
by many as the Beatitudes, that's what they're called. And what
that word Beatitude means is Supreme happiness. That's the definition of the
word supreme happiness. It means the state of blessedness. This is happiness. That's what
that means. For that reason, we titled the
Bible study last week, how to be happy. This is happiness. how to be happy, part one, because
we only made it through the first five verses. So today we're gonna
title our Bible study, how to be happy, part two. And we're
gonna focus on verse six, which says, Blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. We're gonna look at the subject
of righteousness today. And I pray the Lord will give
us an understanding of this. We're gonna look at this subject
all day today, and I deeply, deeply pray that the Lord will
give us an understanding of this. I want us to first enter into
the mind of it mentally. I want us to enter into the mind
of this. And then I want us to enter into
the heart of it and the fulfillment of it. And if the Lord will give
us a true understanding of this, we will see that hungering and
thirsting after God's righteousness is supreme happiness. It truly
is supreme happiness. Now to recap what these verses
leading up to it said, verse one says, in seeing the multitudes,
he went up into a mountain, and when he was set, his disciples
came unto him, and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. Last week we saw that Christ
is our great example in each one of these. Though he was rich,
yet for the sake of his people, he made himself to be poor, that
they through his poverty might be rich. Verse four says, blessed
are they that mourn for they shall be comforted. Our salvation
is in the fact that Christ mourned over our sin. That's where our
salvation is. He touched himself with it. He
bore it and owned it and felt it. And he cried out to the father
in mourning over our sin on our behalf and That's what makes
God's people mourn, knowing what they did to Him. That's why we
mourn so greatly over our sin, knowing that it's against Him,
knowing what we did to Him. Verse five says, blessed are
the meek for they shall inherit the earth. Our Lord said in Matthew
11, learn of me, I am meek. And that needs to be repeated
a hundred thousand times. Learn of me. I am me. He said, I am truly me and lowly
in heart. He was the example and the fulfiller
of each one of these. Verse six is no different. God's
people can see Christ in this verse and happiness only comes
in seeing him in this verse. It says, blessed are they which
do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled. Now, the first thing that we
need to realize in this is there are two different righteousnesses
that man is faced with. There are not two different righteousnesses. There are not, there is only
one true righteousness, but man is faced with two different righteousnesses
because man has convinced himself that there are two righteousnesses.
And because of that, God is going to deal with man accordingly.
Man has absolutely convinced himself, just made it up. That there are two when in reality,
there's only one and God's going to deal with man based on what
he has conjured up in his mind. Men and women are going to stand
before God with one of two righteousnesses. It's going to be one or the other,
but it's not going to be both. Never. We're all going to stand
before God with one of two righteousnesses. One of them leads to life and
the other one leads to death. One of them leads to justification. The other one leads to condemnation. One of them leads to freedom
and Supreme happiness. And the other one leads to bondage
and eternal misery. What are they? What are these
two righteousnesses? God's righteousness and man's
righteousness. God's provided righteousness
and man's provided righteousness. self-righteousness. And let's just go ahead and establish
that man does not have a righteousness. Man does not have a self-righteousness. He has tried to convince himself
that he does, but he does not. Man does not. There is only one
righteousness, God's righteousness. And if we don't have God's righteousness,
we don't have righteousness at all. And, uh, this is the ultimate
issue. If you really want to draw a
line in the sand on what is the issue, it's this right here.
It's this right here. Man has tried to convince himself
that he has a goodness. When we talk about righteousness,
this is what it means. Goodness. That's what it means. It means value. Man has tried
to convince himself that he has a value and that he has a worth, a righteousness, something that
God would see to be agreeable with him, something that God
would look at and say, yeah, I agree with that. I agree with
what I'm seeing right there. That's in line with me. That's
acceptable to me. Right. Righteousness. It's something that would allow
God to say you are worthy to stand in my presence based on
what I'm seeing right there. You're worthy to stand in my
presence. Man does not have anything that would make him worthy to
stand in God's presence. Nothing. Man tries and tries
and tries, but he has never attained that worthiness. Never. Turn
with me over to Isaiah 64. Isaiah 64 verse six, it says,
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. And there is none that calleth
upon thy name. that stirreth up himself to take
hold of thee. For thou hast hid thy face from
us, and hast consumed us because of our iniquities. But now, O
Lord, thou art our Father, we are the clay, and thou our potter,
and we all are the work of thy hand. He said, we're all unclean
because of our sin. None of us are righteous. And
all of our filthy works are going to be faded away. They're just going to be, they're
worthless. And that's repeated in the book of Romans. Turn with
me over to Romans chapter three. Romans 3 verse 10, it says, as
it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is none that understandeth. There is none that seeketh after
God. They are all gone out of the
way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. There is none that doeth good,
no, not one. You know, man hears that and
says, I don't know if I can go along with that. Let God be true. and every man a liar. There is
none that doeth good. No, not one. Somebody will hear
that and say, well, I'm trying to. I'm trying to, I'm trying to
understand. I'm trying to seek God. I'm trying
to stay in the way. I'm trying to be profitable. I'm trying to do good. Well, we should try. We should
try. We should try to do good. All
the while realizing that in our flesh, we never will be. Not before God. Not in our flesh. Spiritually before God, there
is none that doeth good, no not one. Can a dead man understand
God? Can a dead man seek God? Can a prone to wander, this is
what he's prone to do, this is his natural bent, wander. Can
a prone to wander sinner keep himself in the way? Can a worthless
sinner be profitable? Can a wicked evil sinner be good? Let me ask this, can a leopard
change his spots? Can an Ethiopian change his skin? Man tries and he tries and he
tries, but he's never going to be able to do what is impossible
for sinful man to do. And that is in his flesh, in
the deeds of his flesh, in his thoughts. And that's where you
got to start, but you can go start in the heart, in his heart.
And in the thoughts and in the words and in the actions, man
will never be acceptable to God. God will never be pleased with
us based on what he sees in us. If God is ever going to be pleased
with us, it can only be based on what he sees in Christ. If God is ever going to be pleased
with us, It can only be based on what he sees in Christ. It
will never be based on what he sees in us. Only in Christ. Now this is what that means.
Christ is our only righteousness before God. The Lord Jesus Christ. Go with me to Romans chapter
10. Romans 10 verse one. Brethren,
my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they
might be saved. And I thank the Lord for that
verse. I thank the Lord for the compassion that he gives. That's
why we preach the truth. That's why we preach the gospel.
He said, I want them to be saved so badly. Verse two, for I bear
them record that they have a zeal of God and men and women do.
They do. They have a sincerity in them. I bear them record that they
have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge, for they being
ignorant of God's righteousness, wise in so many other things,
but ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish
their own righteousness, Have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to everyone that believes. That means we'll
never be able to earn our own righteousness before God. Christ
is the only one we're ever going to have. It is the only one we're
ever going to have. Everything we try to do in our
flesh is ruined by sin. It's so ruined by sin. We don't
work obedience to God. Christ has to do that for us. Christ had to do that for us.
You know, everybody knows you ought to obey God. We ought to,
even Peter said, brethren, we ought to obey God. Well, in our
flesh, we couldn't. Christ had to do that for us.
We don't work good deeds before God. Christ had to do that for
us. Christ had to be kind for us. Christ had to be humble and meek
for us. Christ had to be generous. He
had to be good to his neighbor. You know, you ought to do good
to your neighbor. Christ had to do that for us. Christ had
to think pure thoughts for us. Let me just ask everybody a question.
How pure are your thoughts? You don't have to say it out
loud. Rate it on a scale of one to 10. How pure are your thoughts?
You see what I mean? Christ had to do that for us. Christ only thought pure thoughts
for us. Christ had to hold his tongue
for us. You know why he opened not his
mouth? Because that's all we can do. You know, this tongue
is such a little member, but buddy, it kindles a big fire.
Christ opened not his mouth for us. Christ had to be the new
man. This word says you need to be
the new man. Stop being the old man and start
being the new man. Well, this old wicked sinful
flesh just, it wants to, but it can't. Christ had to be the
new man for us. Christ is our righteousness before
God. And every person who looks to
Christ to be that for him, number one, that's called faith. And
faith is not of ourselves, that's the gift of God. If anybody does
look to Christ for that, God did that. God has started that
work, but every person who does, who he calls us to look to Christ,
to be that for him, I need him to be my righteousness for me.
Every soul that sees Christ to be the only righteousness that
there is before God. To every soul who looks to him,
he will be that for that son. because God has made him to be
that for that soul. This is what the scripture says.
We're going to read it either in the Bible study or at some
point. The scripture says, Abraham believed God and it was counted
unto him for righteousness. He believed God. He looked to
Christ. He just looked to Christ and
that was counted unto him for goodness. That was counted unto
him for good deeds. That was counted unto him for
worthiness. This is where happiness comes
from. This is where absolute happiness
comes from. It comes from resting in Christ
for righteousness. This is true happiness. This
is supreme happiness. Resting in Christ for righteousness. Resting in Christ for goodness. Resting in Christ for acceptance. Resting in Christ for purity
and obedience and justification. Believing in the heart that even
though I want to be that, I can't be that, But thank God I don't
have to be that because Christ is that for me. Christ is that for me. My eternal
soul, thank God, is not hanging on me being what the scripture
commands me to be and demands me to be. Christ is that for
me. That's where happiness comes
from. Christ is that for me. Turn with me to Galatians 3. Galatians 3 verse 1 says, O foolish
Galatians, who hath bewitched you that you should not obey
the truth. What he's saying is, why did
you go back to the law? That you should not obey the
truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set
forth, crucified among you. This only what I learn of you
received ye the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing
of faith. Are you so foolish having begun
in the spirit? Are you now made perfect by the
flesh? And that's what people say. And
that's what people believe. They say, Oh yeah, God saved
you. No doubt about it. Yeah. God saved you, but it's
your responsibility now that he has saved you to perfect yourself. That's on you. You have to perfect
your own holiness in your flesh or you're not going to make that
salvation effectual. Verse 3 says, are you so foolish
having begun in the spirit, are you now made perfect by the flesh?
Have you suffered so many things in vain, if it be yet in vain? He therefore that ministereth
to you the Spirit and worketh miracles among you, doeth he
it by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith, even
as Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him for righteousness. Know ye therefore that they which
are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham. And the
scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through
faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee
shall all nations be blessed. So then they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham, for as many as are of the works
of the law." As many who see their acceptance and their favor
with God to be through the works of the law. Verse 10, as many
as are of the works of the law are under the curse. For it is
written, cursed is everyone that continue with not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them." That
means if we're going to make one commandment of the law a
condition for our salvation, we have to make all of the commandments
of the law a condition for our salvation. That's what it means. We're going with one of two righteousnesses. We're either going with Christ's
complete and total fulfillment of all things, or we're gonna
have to go with our complete and total fulfillment of all
things. This, he does half and we do half, that doesn't work.
You know, he starts it and we have to finish it, or vice versa.
That does not work. That does not work. It cannot
be both. It's either his work alone or
it's our work alone. That's what all this means. And
we need to know that our work alone will never stand. It will not stand. Verse 10,
for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse,
for it's written, cursed is everyone that continueth not in all things
which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that
no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident.
For the just shall live by faith." Just look into Christ and Him
doing it. And the law is not of faith,
but the man that doeth them is gonna live in them. Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law. Isn't that beautiful?
That's what He did on the cross of Calvary. That's what He did
for 33 and a half years while He walked this earth. He was
redeeming us from the curse of the law. The moment Adam sinned,
God the Father said, cursed. And Christ came here and redeemed
us from the curse of the law. How did he do that? He was made
a curse for us. For it is written, cursed is
everyone that hangeth on a tree. Now, if that's what it took for
Christ to right my wrong, and that's what he did while he was
here, he righted my wrong. And if that's what it took for
Christ to accomplish that correction, Why would I ever want to reject
that? Why? Why would I ever want to go meet
God on my own merit? Why would I ever want to say
no thanks? I'm pretty sure I'll do just
fine on my own. Look at chapter four, Galatians
four, verse 21. It says, tell me you that desire
to be under the law, do you not hear the law? Do you not hear
the impossible strictness of it? Do you not hear and see the
utter depths of its demands? And do we not see that Christ
has already satisfied it? Men want to put themselves under
the law, but Christ has already, He made Himself born of a woman
under the law. He's already accomplished it
and satisfied it. If faith ever comes to a sinner,
causing that sinner to see the accomplishment of Christ, that
sinner will know the truth and the truth will set him free.
And that freedom will be supreme happiness. Supreme happiness. If we desire the experience of
true happiness, then let's get out from under the bondage of
the law. If we want to be happy, truly
happy, let's get out from under the bondage of the law, the bondage
of trying to accomplish something before God that Christ has already
accomplished for His people. The bondage of trying to be something
that only Christ can be for us. Only Christ can be that for us.
Galatians 5 verse 1 says, Stand fast therefore in the liberty
wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again
with the yoke of bondage. That's happiness. That's happiness,
freedom in Christ. Back in the Old Testament days,
they used to say, And we have a record of this in the book
of Acts, but they used to say, like people do now on different
things, they would say, well, now, you know, the Bible says
you have to be circumcised. It's what the Bible says. And
if you're not circumcised, you can't be saved. Well, look at
Galatians five, verse two, behold, I, Paul, say unto you that if
you be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing. For I testify
again to every man that is circumcised, that he's a debtor to do the
whole law." If you're going to hold to that, this is what he's
saying, if you're going to hold to that, is the law in here?
Yes. Is the law good and right and true and holy? Yes. Are we
going to throw the law away? God forbid. What's our great
desire? To satisfy the law and to fulfill
the law. Christ said, that's what I came
to do. He said that in Matthew 5, I didn't come to destroy the
law, I came to fulfill it for you. And Paul is saying, if you're
going to hold to one piece of it, be warned, you have to hold
to all of it. He's saying, I've got great news
and horrible news. Either it's totally free or at
a price that you'll never be able to pay. One of the two. But you can't mix law and grace.
You can't mix law and grace. Men and women try to do it all
the time. Their minds just cannot fathom how can it just all be
by grace? How? Well, it is. It is. Verse 4, he said, well,
verse 3, I testify again to every man that circumcised, he's a
debtor to do the whole law. Christ is become of no effect
unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law. He said,
you're falling from grace. It's one of the two. You just
can't mix them. What is grace? Grace is the free
gift. The free gift of the perfect
righteousness and the perfect redemption of the Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul said, throw everything else away and cling to that. All right. Now I'm going to close.
I got to be quick, but go with me to Philippians three. Philippians three. Verse three,
it says, for we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit
and rejoice We're happy, we have supreme happiness in Christ Jesus
and have no confidence in the flesh. How much is no confidence? That's, somebody would say, well
that's some. No, that's just a little bit
no. No confidence in the flesh. He
said, though I might also have confidence in the flesh, if any
other man thinketh he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh,
I more. I was circumcised the eighth
day at the stock of Israel, the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of
the Hebrews is touching the law, a Pharisee. Concerning zeal,
I persecuted the church. I didn't just persecute sinners.
People in the gutter, I persecuted the church. Touching the righteousness
which is in the law, I thought I was blameless. But what things
were gained to me, those I counted loss for Christ. He said, I realized
that not only are they not helping me, they're hurting me. They're
loss, they're loss. He said, I, you know, look down
on people. I was living a holy life. I thought,
that's what I thought. But he said in verse 8, yea,
doubtless I count all things but loss for the excellency of
the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of all things and do count them but dung, that I may
win Christ. He said it's all dung. And can't
we say that concerning anything that we could do before God in
our flesh? We know what dung is, don't we?
It's all dung. He said it accounts for nothing
with him. Not only does it not account
for anything, it stinks. It's repulsive. So he said, I've
thrown it all away that I might win Christ. Paul said, there
was a time that I used to think I had my own righteousness before
God and Saul of Tarsus did. But Paul said, I don't think
that anymore. I don't think that anymore. Christ is all of my
righteousness. And he has set me free from the
bondage and the burden of trying to be something that I'll never
be able to be in my flesh and trying to do something that I'll
never be able to do in my flesh. And that is be perfect before
God. Christ is my perfection. And I tell you, when a sinner
gets a hold of that, it will make him want to be good before
God. It will make him desire the good. And David said, oh, I love your
law. And we do. We do, I, I, David
said, I'll be so satisfied when I awake with your likeness. You
know what the likeness of Christ is? Able to fulfill the law. Able to do this. Able to be this. David said, I can't wait to be
this. And we can't either. I can't
either. But he said, the Lord has set
me free from the bondage of thinking that I'll never belong to him
unless I fulfill this. There's no hope in that at all.
Our Lord said in Matthew 5, the man and the woman that hungers
and thirsts for Christ to be their perfection, that's a blessed
person. And that's a happy person because
he said, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, they're
going to be filled with it. They will be filled. All right.
I've taken too long. So we'll be quick about our turnaround
here, but you're dismissed.