The Power of Holiness (6) ---
Walking in Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness
“Righteousness” can be defined as the “condition in which all men are doing the Father’s will,” on earth as it is in heaven.
Hunger and thirst are deep needs of the human body, which must be satisfied or we will die.
So, “To hunger and thirst after righteousness” is “to wholeheartedly put God’s righteousness first in every area of our lives.”
This hunger after righteousness can be seen in the following requirements of God:
... God wants us to know His righteous standards in all areas of life.
... God wants us to be full of zeal and fire for His Kingdom and His righteousness.
... God wants us to always confess our faith in Him before others.
... God wants us to never compromise in our walk of obedience to God's word.
And when we hunger and thirst after righteousness, God says that we will be filled, we will be satisfied.
Our spirit, soul, and body will be satisfied.
Nothing else can truly satisfy the needs of our hearts, except that of putting God’s righteousness first in our lives.
And God will also add everything that we need to our lives when we seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness.
1. God commands us to hunger and thirst after righteousness so that we will be satisfied
MATTHEW 5:6
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
[will be filled = will be satisfied, NAS]
MATTHEW 6:33
33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
To hunger and thirst after righteousness is to always put the will of God first in all areas of our lives and ministry.
When we obey God and always do His will, and long to see all men do His will, God will give us everything we need.
Our spirit and soul and body will be satisfied.
Our spirit will enter into God’s perfect peace (ISAIAH 26:3).
Our soul will find perfect rest when we do God’s will (MATTHEW 11:29).
Our body will be renewed like that of an eagle (PSALM 103:5).
And everything we need is added to us when we put God first in our lives.
Before we asked, He has answered us.
While we are still speaking, He hears us (ISAIAH 65:24).
2. In our hunger after righteousness, we will desire to know God’s righteous standards in every area of life
JOSHUA 1:8
8 Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.
HOSEA 4:6
6 My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.
God wants us to meditate on His word day and night, so that we can know what He requires of us in all areas of life and do it.
In this way, we will live in prosperity and success.
We must not live in ignorance of God’s word.
We must not reject God’s word by treating it lightly.
We must long for, and hunger after, God’s wisdom and revelation as a man would long for silver and gold.
God’s word is spirit and life.
If we reject God’s word and despise God’s word, God will reject us.
We will not find life.
PROVERBS 3:13-14; 8:35-36
13 Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding,
14 for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.
35 For those who find me [me = wisdom] find life and receive favor from the Lord.
36 But those who fail to find me harm themselves; all who hate me love death.
3. In our hunger after righteousness, we will always be full of zeal and fire for God’s Kingdom and His purposes
JOHN 2:17
17 His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
[ Zeal = Passion, NLT]
REVELATION 3:16, 19 NKJ [Jesus ==> Laodicea Church]
16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.
Jesus was full of zeal and passion for the Kingdom of God.
He does not tolerate sin in God’s Temple in Jerusalem when He was on earth.
When He ascended to heaven, He told the church at Laodicea, “You are lukewarm, neither cold nor hot. Because of that, I will vomit you out of my mouth.
So repent and be zealous again and be filled with passion for my Kingdom and my purposes."
Do not be lukewarm concerning God’s Kingdom and His purposes.
Do not be distracted by the things of the world and of the flesh.
These things cannot satisfy our heart---things like food and travel and entertainment and social media chats, etc.
Our hearts will only be satisfied when we are on fire for the things of God.
4. In our hunger after righteousness, we must always confess our faith in Jesus and be His witness before others
MATTHEW 10:32-33
32 Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven.
33 But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven.
ACTS 1:8
8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
God has saved us from sins and death and hell with the blood of His Son.
And we are now children of the Most High God.
So never be ashamed of God our Father and of His Son, our Saviour.
Never deny Him before man, but always share God’s love and the Good News of heaven with all men.
Jesus called us to be His witnesses to all men.
In this way, all men are faced with the knowledge of sin and death, heaven and hell, and must make a choice today to either accept or reject the love of God.
5. In our hunger after righteousness, we must never compromise our obedience to God’s word
MARK 7:13
13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.
REVELATION 2:14 [Jesus ==> Church at Pergamos]
14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality.
We can ask God and receive His grace to always live by His word, and not compromise.
We must never give excuses to bypass God’s commands.
Neither can we water down God’s righteous laws and call it grace.
Grace is given to us by God to live a righteous life, and not to purposely sin and live a life of compromise, doing what God says not to do.
This is lawlessness, not grace.
We should live a life of no compromise concerning God’s righteous laws, a life of no delay in obeying God’s word, and a life of not trying to find ways and means to avoid obeying God.
TITUS 2:11-12
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age.
By God’s grace, we can live a life that hungers and thirsts after God’s righteousness, so that we have a life that is fully satisfied by God’s presence and power and love.
6. Decreeing the Decrees of heaven
In Jesus’ name, I declare and decree that .....
1. By God’s grace, I will follow God’s command to hunger and thirst after righteousness, so that I will be satisfied.
(MATTHEW 5:6 NAS; MATTHEW 6:33)
2. By God’s grace, in my hunger after righteousness, I will always seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and everything I need will be added to me.
(MATTHEW 5:6 NAS; MATTHEW 6:33)
3. In my hunger after righteousness, I will desire to know God’s righteous standards in every area of life.
(JOSHUA 1:8; HOSEA 4:6; PROVERBS 3:13-14; 8:35-36)
4. In my hunger after righteousness, I will always be full of zeal and fire for God’s Kingdom and His purposes.
(JOHN 2:17; REVELATION 3:15-16, 19 NKJ)
5. In my hunger after righteousness, I must always confess my faith in Jesus and be His witness before others.
(MATTHEW 10:32-33; ACTS 1:8)
6. In my hunger after righteousness, I must never compromise my obedience to God’s word.
(MARK 7:13; REVELATION 2:14; TITUS 2:11-12)
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A TESTIMONY
“GOD’S HOLY ANGELS PROTECTED MY ONE-YEAR-OLD GIRL FROM GLASS SPLINTERS AS SHE PLAYED WITH THINGS ON MY TABLETOP”
SISTER CY:
“Last week, a glass from my kitchen table fell onto the floor and shattered into pieces.
I picked up the glass splinters and place them on a coaster on top of the table.
But I was distracted by my housework and forgot all about these glass splinters.
“After a few hours, I suddenly realised that my one-year-old daughter had been playing with things on the tabletop and yet her hands never touched the coaster with the glass splinters.
“After I gave this testimony during the Sunday Service, during the prayer time with my small prayer group, a sister told me that she had dreamt of my daughter during the past week.
"In the dream, my daughter was lost in a dark jungle and this sister carried her to the church where there was a meeting on.
As this sister carried my daughter, halfway to the church, my daughter opened her mouth and said, 'The blood of Jesus' to this sister.
"This sister said that after the dream, she prayed to God to cover my daughter with the blood of Jesus and to protect her from all harm and danger.
“I thank the Lord for giving this sister this specific dream so that she was able to pray for God’s protection on my daughter.
I believed that God sent His holy angels to keep my daughter’s hands from being cut by the glass splinters placed on the coaster on my kitchen table.
“This dream took place just before the incident when I broke my glass.
What a good good God we serve…!!!”
“To Him be all the glory for this great miracle I received!!!”
Shalom