Do You Thirst After Righteousness?

We continue our excursion through the gospel of Matthew. Here again are Dave and Tom:This is our Understanding the Scriptures segment, we are in the gospel of Matthew chapter 5, and we’re going to pick up with verse 6:“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness:for they shall be filled.”That’s not a popular one today, Dave.You know, I wish in my own life my hunger and thirst was hungrier and more thirsty for it, but I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.I’ve been on my back for a while and trying to recover, but I can see that’s what my heart desires, that’s what we need, I need.

Dave:

Tom, to hunger and thirst after righteousness—wow!That means there’s not much righteousness around to satisfy the thirsty heart who longs for God and His righteousness.If we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness we are hungering and thirsting after God.It’s the only place where we will find righteousness, but also hunger and thirst?It doesn’t say blessed are those who would vote for righteousness if this thing came up to a vote.Well, I’ll vote for righteousness instead of sin. I’m on the side of righteousness.Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.David, and of course the Psalms, many of the psalmists hungered and thirsted for God.My soul thirsteth for the living God….I long to be in His courts….David, in Psalm 27, well he said that the passion of his heart was that “I might dwell in the house of the Lord forever; to behold His holiness, His righteousness.”I want to be with God, so if we’re really hungering and thirsting after righteousness, there’s no place where you’re really going to find it except in the presence of God.So that means, the things of this world, forget it, I want you Lord, I love you with all of my heart, I want to know you, I want to dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, to inquire in His temple, as David said, and many of the psalmists said it.I tell you, Tom, it speaks to my heart.Do I hunger and thirst after righteousness?It’s a challenge!

Tom:

Dave, I think about Lot sitting there in Sodom, and the Scripture says, as I remember it, what he saw vexed his very soul.When we see so much going on that is so anti-God, that’s evil, that’s depraved, distorted, corrupted, all of those things, you would think that would drive us to seek after righteousness and the things of God.

Dave:

Well, that’s the new nature that we have, as we’ve talked about earlier.I’m crucified with Christ, I’m born again, I have new desires, and I should be hungering and thirsting after righteousness.If I’m not, God help me to have this hunger and thirst for You.We could talk a long time just about each verse, but I guess you want to move on here.

Tom:

No, we could.Verse 7:“Blessed are the merciful:for they shall obtain mercy.”

Dave:

You think of a parable that the Lord gave, not a parable, He told a story and maybe it really happened, maybe He’s talking about real men.And there was a man, you remember, who owed a huge sum, I would say ten million dollars to put it into monetary terms of our day, and when he had nothing to pay Jesus said, well, his creditor just forgave him.Then he found one of his fellow servants, who owed him ten dollars, and the guy was very poor and he was in a bad situation.Couldn’t you giveme a little time?He took him by the throat and said, Pay me what thou owest!Oooh, that didn’t go well with God.Blessed are the merciful, they will obtain mercy.That man didnot obtain mercy from God.As you judge in your heart—well, with what sort of judgment you judge it will be meted out to you again.And Tom, I’ve often thought of it—Jesus said, When you stand praying (this is Mark 11) if you have anything against anyone you had better forgive him.Because if you donot forgive those who have trespassed against you, why would you expect your heavenly Father to forgive you?You want God to forgive your sins, but you will not forgive your brother who has sinned against you?It doesn’t make sense.So you can have it in the Lord’s Prayer, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”Woops!I haven’t been forgiving those who have trespassed against me, then I can’t—Jesus explains:“…For if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.”Why should He?

Tom:

Dave, are there any conditions involved in that?Because, you know, we hear some say that it doesn’t make any difference whether this person is repentant or—you just forgive, you just forgive everything.

Dave:

Well, that’s a little bit different situation.I mean, you’re raising a good point there, Tom.But we have it in Mark:11:25And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.
See All..., “If you stand praying if you have anything against another,…” and now you’re saying—well, if I’m supposed to forgive those who transgress against me, the prayer that the Lord has us pray, well, what are the conditions?I think there are some conditions.

Tom:

Well, let me just interject this; you quoted earlier, in the earlier segment, Jesus saying, Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.Now wouldn’t that just clear the slate?

Dave:

Well, you could say that—He has already forgiven everyone, but I think the Bible indicates that—well, I come to Him confessing my sin.In other words, I could never experience God’s forgiveness if I don’t know I’ve done something that needs to be forgiven.So, although I am supposed to forgive everyone, in my heart, as Christ said, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do, but when it comes to the judgment that is not going to cover everyone’s sin.And a person who—it is one thing for me to say, I forgive you; Lord, I forgive this person; I should forgive them in my heart if I am in prayer, you know.I believe that’s what the Bible is talking about.It doesn’t mean that I should then overlook their sin, that I should just whitewash it, because we have—well, let’s take Paul, in prison in Philippi.They were falsely accused, they said, these were the magistrates and they sent a message saying, Let these men go.And of course then, according to some interpretations which you are alluding to, Tom, okay—Paul says yeah, forgive, forgive those who trespass against you.No, actually Paul said, You tell those rascals to come themselves, and admit that they were wrong.They don’t just say, Okay guys, be gone.No, they’ve done something that isn’t right.So, we’re not supposed to become partners in sin by encouraging people and offer forgiveness in a way that would encourage them to sin.

Tom:

Dave, I agree, you know, there are some things that need to be addressed, and I think this verse also deals with, in my heart.If they try to reconcile, and I won’t forgive them, I’m holding bitterness in my heart—that’s the thing that God was going to deal with.

Dave:

Right, if you do not forgive those who trespass against you, Jesus said, Neither willyour heavenly Father forgive you, and that’s only justice.Why should I—I’m holding something against someone, I’m going to hold them to it, but yet I expect God to forgive me? I’ve accepted the forgiveness in Christ?

No, that will not go!