{"id":290,"date":"2015-08-26T03:43:29","date_gmt":"2015-08-26T03:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/?p=290"},"modified":"2015-12-09T06:12:08","modified_gmt":"2015-12-09T06:12:08","slug":"filled","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/anglicanconnection.com\/filled\/","title":{"rendered":"FILLED"},"content":{"rendered":"

A<\/span> good meal is always very satisfying<\/b>. It is particularly delightful when we are able to enjoy the food we like, presented in a way that tantalizes our senses. And, most of all, we are truly satisfied when we are replete without being overfull. There is an irony here because when it comes to hungering and thirsting after righteousness, we are never perfectly satisfied.<\/span><\/p>\n

BIBLICAL EXAMPLE<\/h2>\n

Indeed, one of the questions we need to ask ourselves is,\u00a0\u2018Do I really hunger and thirst for God\u2019s righteousness?<\/b>\u2019 As I indicated last Wednesday, the context of Jesus\u2019 words here refers to\u00a0moral<\/i>\u00a0righteousness, not\u00a0legal\u00a0<\/i>righteousness. Jesus is speaking of a\u00a0righteousness\u00a0<\/i>of life that is consistent with the mind and character of God. It is a quality of life that is measured by the nature and integrity of Jesus\u2019 own life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Luke\u2019s gospel records the words of the officer in charge of the crucifixion. Seasoned soldier though he was, he offered his verdict about Jesus. He\u2019d seen men die before.\u00a0\u00a0He\u2019d heard their agonized groans. But he had felt the darkness; he had heard Jesus shout, and he had seen the way Jesus died.\u00a0\u2018Surely this man is a righteous man,\u2019<\/b>\u00a0he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

How true!\u00a0\u00a0Righteous Jesus was: the most righteous man who has ever walked this earth.<\/b>\u00a0No deceit was found in his mouth. When they hurled insults at him, he did not retaliate. Instead he put himself in the hands of the judge who judges justly. And in that voluntary sacrifice, we\u2019re told, he bore our guilt in his body. He had no personal sins of his own to die for: he hadn\u2019t committed any. He is the one man who always treated God as God in his life.<\/span><\/p>\n

KEEPING AMBITION IN PERSPECTIVE<\/h2>\n

Let me ask:\u00a0\u2018What is your ambition in life?\u2019<\/b>\u00a0Martyn Lloyd Jones, one of the great preachers in London last century, commented:\u00a0I do not know of a better test that anyone can apply to himself or herself in this whole matter of the Christian profession than a verse like this. If this verse is to you one of the most blessed statements of the whole of Scripture, you can be quite certain you are a Christian; if it is not, then you had better examine the foundations again.<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

If we claim to be Christian but are not hungering and thirsting for the righteousness of which Jesus speaks, we need to ask whether we really know him at all. How keen are we to put in the hard yards to search the Scriptures, so that we will grow in maturity in understanding the mind and the will of God in order to live more righteous lives? Many professing Christians give a nod to God on Sundays but give little thought to making godly decisions the rest of the week.\u00a0It’s so important we read and re-read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and passages such as Ephesians 4:17-6:4. Only when we soak our minds in God’s thoughts will we be better placed to bring a\u00a0social righteousness\u00a0<\/i>to bear at church and in the wider community.<\/span><\/p>\n

TO BE TRULY FILLED<\/h2>\n

When we begin to understand the real meaning of\u00a0righteousness\u00a0<\/i>as Jesus uses it here, we will\u00a0hunger and thirst\u00a0<\/i>for more. For we will see that\u00a0righteousness<\/i>\u00a0is not just about a duty but the quality of life we are designed for<\/b>. Living God\u2019s way is the most satisfying way to live.<\/p>\n

The great thing is, Jesus promises that when we hunger and thirst after righteousness we will be filled. The irony is we will long for more. One of my favorite desserts is key lime pie. But even though I am satisfied when I have some,\u00a0I always long for more!<\/b>\u00a0So it is with the\u00a0righteousness<\/i>\u00a0of which Jesus speaks. However, the great news is that the day will come when we will be perfectly satisfied, for all will be perfect.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

good meal is always very satisfying. It is particularly delightful when we are able to enjoy the food we like, presented in a way that tantalizes our senses. And, most of all, we are truly satisfied when we are replete without being overfull. There is an irony here because when it comes to hungering and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":533,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-word-on-wednesday"],"yoast_head":"\nFILLED - The Anglican Connection<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Do you really hunger and thirst for God\u2019s righteousness? Are you always longing for more? 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