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Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

One might think the filling promised to those who hunger and thirst is the imputation of Christ righteousness. Clearly, those who seek after Christ in faith trusting His atoning work, will be imputed with Christ righteousness.

However, this understanding seems to be outside the context. Christ is speaking to His disciples at this point. He left the multitude and went up on a mountain and sat down to teach them. Most would agree He is describing the ideal attitudes believers should demonstrate. 

Ideally, we should hunger and thirst for righteousness. This craving is at its greatest when we have immersed ourselves in the Scriptures. The Word of God is a lamp, and it provides reproofs and instruction (Pr. 6:23). For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).

As we consider our lives we will see many shortcomings. Those very shortcomings create in us a hunger and thirst for righteousness. When that happens, God is faithful to fill our hearts with convictions. He fills us with His Spirit enabling us to walk in the Spirit. This results in joy and peace. 

As a believer, you have all you need to fulfill your thirst for righteousness. Note what Peter says:

. . .His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:3-8).

Peter gives us our prescription to satisfy our hunger for righteousness in the passage above. Diligence is part of that cure. However, doesn't hunger and thirst cause you to be motivated to seek nourishment? Who, when hungry, doesn't seek food? As a believer, we should expect a thirst for righteousness. We should have a desire to live right for right sake. 



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