Sermon XV - Times of Righteousness Promised to the Church - Matthew 5:6
you forever. Let me share one scripture that demonstrates that both the wicked and the righteous will be satisfied. Proverbs 14:14 says,
"The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways, and a good man shall be satisfied from himself." Take note, every person will be satisfied in one way or another. The apostate, those who were outwardly religious but resorted to unrighteous means to provide for themselves and their families because they lacked trust in God's provision, well, the Holy Spirit says they will be satisfied. God will fulfill them by allowing them to have their own way. But a good man is satisfied from himself, referring to those who are good and righteous, who walk according to the standard of righteousness.
Peace be upon them. They are currently blessed, and they will undoubtedly be satisfied.
SERMON XV
OR Times of Righteousness Promised to the Church "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." - MATTHEW 5:6
There is great blessedness in hungering and thirsting after righteousness, as I have shown in many instances. When the time comes for God to manifest His righteousness to the world, it will be a truly blessed time. The saints who have a glimpse of this cannot help but long and thirst for that time. The omniscience, wisdom, power,
holiness, justice, goodness, and faithfulness of God will be glorified in a manner different from how they are glorified now. Every groan, sigh, and complaint of the saints will be heard by God, and it will be evident that He has heard them. Their appeals to God will be examined and judged, and all their efforts and services will be rewarded. Their sufferings will be compensated. The purpose for allowing so much unrighteousness in the world for so long will be revealed. Their enemies will be subdued and put to shame. Their innocence will be vindicated, secrets will be unveiled, the ulterior motives of individuals will be exposed, misconceptions will be rectified, the futility of worldly wisdom and schemes will be revealed.
This will indeed be a blessed time. Oh, when will that time come, say the saints, when righteousness will prevail.
Furthermore, I believe this is the intended meaning here because I find numerous promises in the Scriptures regarding a future state of the Church where righteousness will triumph. For instance, 2 Peter
3:13 speaks of new heavens and a new earth where righteousness dwells. It is evident that this refers to a state of the Church when compared with Isaiah 65:17. In Isaiah 11:4, there is a promise connected to the preceding verses: "But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth."
Verse 5 continues, "And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins." These are promises of Christ.
Isaiah is replete with such promises regarding the future state of the Church. In Isaiah 32:16-17, it says, "Then judgment shall dwell in the wilderness, and righteousness remain in the fruitful field. And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." Has this ever been fulfilled? There is a time that the saints long for. In Isaiah 33:5, it states, "The Lord is exalted; for he dwelleth on high: he hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness." There will be a time when Zion is filled with
judgment and righteousness. Additionally, Isaiah 60 contains several expressions that we discussed last time. "I will also make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness." And it continues,
"Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise." When God makes their rulers righteous and their governors just, violence will cease, and there will be no more destruction. Furthermore, verse 21 states, "Thy people also shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever." This aligns with the previous promise, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." "Thy people shall be all righteous, they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified." These promises clearly indicate that there will be a time of glorious righteousness. Malachi 4:2 also touches upon this: "But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings." Although this verse refers to spiritual healing, it also encompasses outward healing through righteousness. We could spend this entire hour exploring the many promises of righteousness that God will bestow upon His people one day. Those who are godly and understand the mysteries of God, as Proverbs
3:32 states, are aware of this future time when righteousness will prevail. This knowledge prevents them from being swayed by the temptations that lead hypocrites astray. The godly continue on their upright path, eagerly awaiting the fulfillment of righteousness.
Blessed are they for various reasons, as we have discussed. Let us now move on from what has been said, or what could be further said, concerning this interpretation. But if God were to manifest His righteousness, who could stand? Even the best among us are conscious of our own unrighteousness. Can we truly hunger and thirst for the time when God's righteousness will be fully revealed?
Yes, we can, and this is the privilege of the saints. The more righteous and just God is, the more they long, hunger, and thirst for
His manifestation. This is a great privilege. But how is this possible?
There is another righteousness that enables them to stand before the infinite righteousness of God: the righteousness of Jesus Christ. So that when the Lord reveals Himself in the full glory of His righteousness to the world, they can stand before Him with joy.
Therefore, they hunger and thirst for the righteousness of Jesus Christ, for the righteousness of Christ, the mediator between God and them, the righteousness of justification. Without it, even our
God, with whom we must deal, is a consuming fire. Now, as we proceed to address this point, there are several aspects to consider, and we will approach them in this order.
First, let us discuss what this righteousness of Jesus Christ is for which the saints hunger and thirst.
Secondly, we will explore the nature of their hunger and thirst, the inner workings of their hearts as they yearn for this righteousness.
Thirdly, we will examine the desirable qualities of this righteousness, what aspects make the saints desire it so fervently.
Fourthly, those who desire it are blessed. They are blessed in the present.
Fifthly, they will undoubtedly be filled with this righteousness. These are the five points we will elucidate.
To begin, let us clarify what this righteousness is that we are discussing. It is the righteousness necessary for justification, which I would describe as follows.
It is the complete satisfaction of divine justice in every aspect required, whether through punishment for sin or obedience to the
Law. This satisfaction is made by the Lord Jesus Christ, who is both God and man, the Mediator of the new Covenant. He serves as the representative for all those whom the Father has given to him and who have put their faith in him. This is the righteousness that Christ declares blessed are those who hunger and thirst after it. While the previous righteousness possessed some beauty, you will see that this righteousness carries greater significance and consequence. Now, we must understand that sin has caused an immense divide between God and humanity. God was determined to have His justice satisfied; otherwise, none of His children would ever be saved. If His justice were not satisfied, they would be in the same lost state as the angels who sinned against Him. Therefore, God declared that punishment must be inflicted for the committed sins, and His Law must be upheld without exception. When God insisted on this, He did not merely say, "You have sinned against Me, and I will forgive you, and that's the end of it." No, God declared, "You have sinned, and I am resolved that My justice shall be honored. Either you will face eternal damnation, or some other way will be found that brings as much honor to My justice as if you were eternally condemned." Man is now in a fallen state, having lost all righteousness. He is incapable of thinking a righteous thought, speaking a righteous word, or performing a righteous action that is acceptable to God. However,
God affirmed, "I am determined that My righteous Law will be upheld for your salvation. What a fearful situation man finds himself in, knowing what God demands! In such a circumstance, mustn't all men perish eternally? If this question had been asked in heaven after God revealed His determination, surely all the angels in heaven would have responded, "Then man must perish. We cannot conceive of any way for them to be saved if God insists on this." However,
Jesus Christ, the wisdom of the Father, the second person of the Trinity, stepped forward and revealed a way in which God's infinite justice could be satisfied, His Law upheld, and wretched, sinful,
corrupt man still saved. The Lord Jesus Christ presented Himself as the head of a second Covenant, saying something along these lines:
"Father, all mankind has fallen away from You under the first covenant You made with them. They are now trapped in sin and unrighteousness. But I am willing to be the head of another
Covenant. I will act as a Mediator, taking their human nature upon myself. I will provide a way for their salvation that brings as much glory to Your justice as if they were all damned. Your Law shall have no grounds for complaint, as it will receive full satisfaction." Upon this proposal, God the Father and the Son agreed on the way of the second Covenant, known as the Covenant of grace. The Father appointed His Son as the head of this Covenant, representing all those whom the Father has given to Him. It is not intended for the salvation of all individuals, but only those whom the Father has given to Him, who will be represented by Him. The Father ordained that they would hear the Gospel preached in due time. This righteousness would be made known through the Gospel, and by the Holy Spirit, they would come to understand this righteousness. Through faith, they would appropriate this righteousness, as the suffering and obedience of Jesus Christ, which He presents to God the Father, is made over to believers. By faith, they would lay hold of this righteousness and offer it to God the Father as satisfaction. This is the righteousness of Jesus Christ. In this manner, wretched sinners become righteous in Christ. Their sins are imputed to Christ, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to them, as stated in 2 Corinthians
5:21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." This is an immensely glorious righteousness, as we will discuss later. Those who are enlightened by the Holy Spirit to grasp the reality, certainty, beauty, necessity, and glory of this righteousness, and whose hearts are set upon it with a hunger and thirst for the assurance of their part in it, for the glorious effects that will arise from it—blessed are those
souls. They will be filled with this righteousness. Though they may not yet possess full comfort, assurance, or the glorious fruit of this righteousness, they are presently in a blessed condition while they hunger and thirst for it. This constitutes the second interpretation of this text. Indeed, though the other interpretation relates to the glorification of God, this interpretation carries even greater significance. Whenever you hear from the Word the preaching of the righteousness of Christ or justification through Christ, you can understand its meaning through this concise description.
Now, let us explore the second point, which involves the soul's experience of hungering and thirsting after this righteousness.
To comprehend this, we must consider the origin of this hunger and thirst. It arises from a clear apprehension and deep conviction of four aspects.
First, the soul clearly understands and is thoroughly convinced that it needs righteousness to stand before the holy and righteous God.
While people who continue in the common ways of unrighteousness may not pay much attention to their relationship with a righteous
God, or if they acknowledge His righteousness, they may not perceive an absolute necessity for righteousness to stand before Him. It is common for individuals who have lived ungodly lives to only think of God's mercy and cry out for it when they sense death approaching.
Their thoughts are focused solely on God's mercy and they trust in it.
But a soul that comprehends God's ways with sinners and their salvation recognizes not only God's mercy but also the absolute need for righteousness to stand before Him. They understand that no unrighteousness can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and therefore, if they depart this world as unrighteous souls, even all the mercy in Heaven cannot save them.
Their conscience reveals their
unrighteousness, acknowledging the unrighteous and ungodly course of their life. Now, as they are about to appear before the great and infinitely righteous God, their soul ponders how it can stand before Him. They realize that they must possess righteousness; otherwise, they cannot stand before Him. This is the first factor that gives rise to hunger and thirst.
Secondly, the soul becomes convinced of the insufficiency and imperfection of its own righteousness. It examines its heart, ways, and life, searching for righteousness. Some may consider themselves more righteous than others, reasoning that if they are to stand before the righteous God, they hope they can because they have not been as wicked and ungodly as others. However, these people are greatly mistaken, and the Holy Spirit has not yet worked in them to reveal the true state of their relationship with God. They do not truly know
God or themselves if they hold such thoughts. But when the Lord graciously works in the soul through His Spirit, it examines their life and heart and recognizes that all their righteousness is like a filthy rag. Perhaps their righteousness reaches no higher than mere moral civility. Thus, they possess no true righteousness. Even if their heart is sanctified and their life sincere and holy, this righteousness, being imperfect, cannot enable them to appear before the infinitely righteous God. The overwhelming flame of His burning justice would consume them. If they try to present their imperfect righteousness before this righteous God, it would be like holding up a piece of brown paper to shield oneself from a mighty flame of fire. This realization forms the second aspect.
Thirdly, the soul discovers that there is another righteousness beyond its own—one that surpasses the imperfect righteousness it possesses, rendering it unable to meet the soul's current needs. Even if their righteousness enables them to stand before other people, it
means nothing in the presence of God. Therefore, there must be another righteousness, and the Gospel unveils it. The Gospel proclaims that the Son of God was made sin and that atonement is possible through Him.
Believers receive Him as wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. The soul perceives the certainty of this truth and is empowered to believe it, a work that can only be accomplished by the mighty work of the Holy Spirit within the soul. We can all say that we must be saved by Jesus Christ because we hear it, but to truly believe in the certainty of a righteousness beyond our own, to present it before the Father, requires the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables the soul to believe in its reality and to comprehend its fullness. The soul sees it as sufficient to satisfy God for any sin, no matter how great.
This marks the third aspect.
Fourthly, the soul must also be enlightened regarding how the Gospel imparts this righteousness to the individual. It is true that Jesus Christ, as the great Mediator, works righteousness for sinners.
However, the soul wonders how this righteousness can be made its own, enabling it to stand before the Father clothed in this righteousness. This is the final aspect that the Lord reveals to the soul through the Gospel. The soul learns that Christ, along with His righteousness, is freely offered to every wretched sinner. Through belief, by entrusting their souls and eternal destinies to it, fully casting themselves upon this righteousness, it becomes theirs. It becomes their righteousness before the Lord. When the soul comprehends that the Gospel offers Christ and His righteousness freely, and that it is not dependent on the sinner's condition, whether lowly or elevated, they realize that this righteousness is sufficient to engulf all unrighteousness. In comparison to the infinite ocean that can easily consume every drop, all their unrighteousness is insignificant. The soul, therefore, launches itself into this infinite
ocean of righteousness, and by an act of God, the Father imputes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to the soul, just as the sin of Adam was imputed to all his descendants. Thus, we see the origin of this hunger and thirst arising from such a work of God.
Now, let us observe how the soul expresses its hunger and thirst for this righteousness.
Firstly, it feels and gains assurance of its need for righteousness. It experiences a profound pain caused by its lack of righteousness.
Similar to the intense pain experienced in hunger and thirst, the body longs for relief until it is satisfied. Some may not fully understand the pain of hunger and thirst, although there may be a few who do, and others who have experienced it more deeply in the past. The pain of hunger and thirst is one of the greatest physical pains we can endure, and a person on the brink of starvation would rather face a fire than be without food. Likewise, the soul that understands the nature of God and the infinite necessity of this type of righteousness to appear before Him cannot help but feel faint. It is a throbbing pain in their heart, and until this pain is alleviated, the soul remains in a state of great distress, a truly lamentable state if it comes to comprehend these truths but lacks assurance.
Secondly, until the hunger is satisfied, nothing else matters to the soul. Like a person lacking bread or drink, ready to perish from deprivation, all other offerings mean nothing. They disregard everything else, and nothing satisfies them except bread. Even if someone were to present bags of gold or silver, it would mean nothing to them because they need bread. They might be given splendid suits of satin and velvet, but what use are those if they are on the brink of starvation? Even if they were given all the possessions in the world, without bread, without satiating their hunger, those
possessions are worthless to them. This is how it is with the soul that comes to understand the need for this righteousness. While it may possess certain outward comforts bestowed upon them by God, none of those compare to righteousness in terms of the soul's standing before the great God. They must stand before Him to receive the sentence of their eternal destiny, and they are uncertain how long it will be before they face Him. Therefore, righteousness is what they truly need—a righteousness that will be accepted by the infinitely righteous God.
Thirdly, just as nothing matters until the hunger is satisfied, hunger and thirst create a strong desire, so intense that the body is on the verge of fainting if the desire remains unfulfilled. The soul experiences the same state. If they do not possess this righteousness, they will perish. They feel weak and feeble, even dying. Yes, they will die eternally. They perceive themselves on the verge of eternal perdition if they lack this righteousness. There is a fainting in their spirit until this righteousness is obtained.
Fourthly, there are strong endeavors to obtain it in hunger and thirst.
We often say that hunger will break through stone walls. No task is considered too difficult when it comes to acquiring bread. If someone is on the verge of starving, they won't stay home just because the weather is bad. If there's bread to be had, they will go and get it. Just like when Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, the soul that understands the significance of this righteousness and its necessity does not plead or pretend that God's ways are too hard. They don't use the difficulty as an excuse. They don't say, "Leaving behind sinful desires and overcoming the struggles of my heart is hard, very hard.
It's hard for me to embark on a new life and follow new paths." Oh, it's hard, very hard for me. Such excuses are not made by a soul that hungers and thirsts after this righteousness. Is it possible to obtain
it? The mere possibility is enough for my soul. If the Lord requires certain things, no matter what they may be, I am willing to follow
Him diligently, even if it means waiting on Him in the use of ordinances for a long time. The soul exerts its power and makes great efforts, crying out to God and seeking to understand the way of the Gospel more than ever before.
Fifthly, a person who hungers and thirsts is resolute in their desires.
Their desires are accompanied by power and determination. They don't set conditions or negotiate terms. Even if the endeavors are challenging, this is the work of grace in the heart that distinguishes it from hypocrisy. When the soul surrenders itself to God, it submits and signs a blank, meaning it allows God to set the terms. The soul is willing to yield and do whatever God requires, just as Paul, with trembling and astonishment, said, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?" The metaphorical language illustrates the soul's submission to God. It's not a condition for receiving faith, but it describes how God works in the soul, bringing it to this state of hungering and thirsting for righteousness. This is the condition that Christ speaks of— hungering and thirsting after righteousness. It is true that God deals with each soul differently, with some receiving grace more readily.
However, if you have received it sooner than others, don't become arrogant and question why others have to struggle with hungering and thirsting. We don't impose this as a legal requirement. We simply acknowledge that this is the way God works in some souls, keeping them in a state of hunger and thirst for a long time, until they come to know that they partake in this righteousness and their hearts are broken.
Sixthly, something quite notable is that the soul remains unsatisfied in its hunger and thirst until this righteousness arrives. A child who merely plays with food or whose belly is full may cry out for
something they see. But you can easily distract a child with a rattle when their belly is full. However, if they are truly hungry, no matter what rattles you offer, they will not be satisfied until their hunger is appeased. The same applies to the soul. Many individuals may have some initial awakening in the work of God within them. They begin to realize their need for righteousness, considering their wicked lives and how they will appear before God. They understand that they must make peace with God because of their wickedness. At this stage, they may experience some desires and engage in prayer and attending to the Word for a while. However, note this: after a while, feeling weary and exhausted because they haven't fully obtained
God's assurance and the righteousness hasn't been applied by faith, something or someone satisfies them. Their hearts are drawn away from those initial good beginnings. The devil may persuade them that living slightly better than before is sufficient righteousness. They become satisfied with that notion and eagerly engage in many public good works. While these actions are commendable, if they satisfy the soul, I must say that the soul is ruined—eternally ruined if it finds satisfaction in them. The soul that God works upon in a saving manner, when it hungers and thirsts in this way, nothing in the world can satisfy it. Even if the world offers everything, it will not quench the soul's thirst when it is striving after Christ, seeking forgiveness and mercy in Him. The soul pursues God through all means and ordinances, but it doesn't consider these as the righteousness it must offer to God. Instead, it sees them as means through which God reveals righteousness and conveys the work of His Spirit into the soul, leading the soul to the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. The soul rests solely in this righteousness. Due to a lack of proper understanding, many thousands stumble in their profession.
During their youth, they were reckless, but as they grew older, they lived better lives. They believe that this is conversion. However, it is a mistake to confuse the means of revealing righteousness or
conveying the work of the Spirit with righteousness itself. Beware of this error; it is perilous. To all of you who are seeking the righteousness of Jesus Christ, take heed. Be unsatisfied in your hunger and desires. Let nothing quiet your soul except the application of the righteousness of Jesus Christ through faith, enabling you to present the infinite righteousness of the Son of God to the Father for your soul's sake. This is what can truly enable you to stand confidently before the Almighty God. Luther has an excellent expression about the distinction between righteousness. He says,
"Righteousness between man and man in a political sense is a very sweet thing, as it upholds the peace of kingdoms. However, if you, because you are a good citizen, a faithful spouse, or a just merchant dealing fairly in your trade, believe that these things make you righteous before God, you have turned the sweetest thing into an abomination that God cannot tolerate." This expression from Luther is highly valuable, so beware. Those of you who are good citizens, acting honorably in your communities, and none of your neighbors can find fault with you, take note. It is true that only those who possess the righteousness of Christ attain this level, but one can attain this level and still miss out on the righteousness of Jesus
Christ. If you find satisfaction in this outward, civil, or moral righteousness, if you believe it makes you righteous before God, then you have turned the sweetest thing into an abomination that the Holy Spirit will not tolerate. Thus, you can see the work of the soul in hungering and thirsting after this righteousness. Now, the main thing that remains is to present to you the loveliness of this righteousness—the desirable object that the soul hungers and thirsts for. Through understanding what this righteousness is and the work of God in causing this hunger and thirst, you can see why the soul should earnestly desire it. However, there are many more aspects to highlight—the beauty and excellence of this righteousness, in the hopes of igniting hunger and thirst for it in all your souls. It is certain