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| Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. |
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5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
This hunger and thirst draws us to the Lord where we find the food we need and receive a well of living water. He tells us that if we come to Him that we will not hunger and if we believe "into" him we will never thirst.
Here is the January 10 comment from Oswald Chambers. I find it very interesting and a good insight to what we see in churches these days.
Title : My Utmost for His Highest
The Opened Sight
“I now send you, to open their eyes … that they may receive forgiveness of sins …” (Acts 26:17–18).
This verse is the greatest example of the true essence of the message of a disciple of Jesus Christ in all of the New Testament.
God’s first sovereign work of grace is summed up in the words, “… that they may receive forgiveness of sins … .” When a person fails in his personal Christian life, it is usually because he has never received anything. The only sign that a person is saved is that he has received something from Jesus Christ. Our job as workers for God is to open people’s eyes so that they may turn themselves from darkness to light. But that is not salvation; it is conversion—only the effort of an awakened human being. I do not think it is too broad a statement to say that the majority of so-called Christians are like this. Their eyes are open, but they have received nothing. Conversion is not regeneration. This is a neglected fact in our preaching today. When a person is born again, he knows that it is because he has received something as a gift from Almighty God and not because of his own decision. People may make vows and promises, and may be determined to follow through, but none of this is salvation. Salvation means that we are brought to the place where we are able to receive something from God on the authority of Jesus Christ, namely, forgiveness of sins.
This is followed by God’s second mighty work of grace: “… an inheritance among those who are sanctified … .” In sanctification, the one who has been born again deliberately gives up his right to himself to Jesus Christ, and identifies himself entirely with God’s ministry to others.
--- end of enclosed article ---
Blessings!
Craig |
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| To add a comment to "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." |
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| January 10, 2009 |
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| Oswald Chamber's "My Upmost for His Highest" is a awesome daily read although I haven't been following lately. These teachings are lacking in churches today and are instead teach that saying a prayer or signing a card means salvation, false security. |
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| January 10, 2009 |
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Yes Donna. Personally, I glory in the Lord in these things too. Even it letting folks substitute these doctrines, if you will, for a genuine relationship with the Living God, He is at work...for no one can ever stop being hungry and thirsty if they have not actually received that glorious gift of righteousness through being born-again into a living hope through the Anointed Jesus.
So we look back through the history of Christianity and we find these jewels [Oswald Chambers] that shine in the darkness. It is an encouragement for us because we see that it isn't a common occurrence, and it wasn't because of them, but because they were yielded and available and allowed the Anointed to accomplish these things through them.
Over the years I've come to realize that there aren't really that many people who have truly become Jesus' disciples. It's frightening and at the same time awesome; for it shows us to fear the Lord and at the same time it shows us that He forces himself on no one. We really do have a choice as to whether we are going to count the cost and give ourselves to his Lordship or not. Not a marriage to a list of rules but a relationship with a mentor as well as a Lord. An adventure in seeing his power being made perfect in our weaknesses.
We should pay attention to what we speak about in a non-religious setting; what we talk about with our friends. Especially when we're calling it Christian fellowship. Whatever we're talking about during those times is what is really filling our hearts. If we're not happy with what we hear we need only turn to our first love until our hearts are filled with Him again and not with the cares of this life and the desire for other things that comes to choke the very living word of the Living God so that it becomes unfruitful in our lives.
Blessings sister!
Craig |
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| January 10, 2009 |
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| Craig, I agree that the numbers are few that chose to truly follow Jesus. It is frightening and at the same time awesome for me but for slightly different reasons. Scary that so few will have eternal life, that they don't know the joy of being in Him and cling to the false pleasures of the world. Awesome in that He has even thought of me, that I have been given this gift of forgiveness. A complete sinner. |
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| January 11, 2009 |
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Lord may I always thrust after your righteousness! Good thoughts Craig
I remember reading and meditating on the Matt 18 story that is commonly known as the unforgiving servant.
The Holy Spirit would not let me get past the part where the servant went out and found the fellow servant who owed him some money. I asked why is this guy treating him like he still had that big debt to pay? That's when The Holy Spirit told me it was because he NEVER RECIEVED FORGIVENESS for the debt! What a eye opener! Since then I tell people it should be called the story of the unreceiving servant!
Preach on Craig! |
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| February 09, 2009 |
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Excellent Post, Craig. That is also a good daily read. It's kinda scary to hear someone in Christ say something like, "oh, I'll never do this or that again",.. In fact, I pray from them as soon as I can get somewhere to pray. Trying not to sin on our own strength is in vain, Don't you agree? Instead, I ask the Lord, daily, to keep me from evil... and when I feel specific temptations, I ask for specific power for his protection.
And too, you made me think of this. When Jesus said, "Father forgive them", that on one hand, yes... he was talking about the soldiers and hypocrites around the cross that day, but that He was also looking FUTURE,.. to sins that I haven't even done yet. WOW. Ok,... anyway, Great word brother. |
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| February 09, 2009 |
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Hi Preston,
Yes it is scary, but I guess I've done that countless times in my early Christian years. Maybe not with those words but with thoughts about "Why doesn't it work for me. It must be my commitment level!" etc.
It's sort of an interesting thing we go through were the grace of God teaches us to deny ungodliness and worldly lust but we think that means we are to overcome it with our will power, or even by thinking the correct thoughts, or not thinking about it, etc. The reality is that we are truly dead to sin and therefore don't need to respond to it in any way...it has been dealt with in Christ. That is a very difficult concept for us to get into our heart...so we tend to panic and try to handle it our self, at that point we are going down because we are no longer abiding in the truth. As Malcolm Smith would put it, the real temptation is to do something about the temptation (other than acknowledge the fact that we are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ).
I believe I understand where you're coming from when you talk about all our sins were in fact, in the future. I currently understand that we were in Christ when he was crucified just as we were in Adam when he sinned. The real miracle is that God put us in Christ when we received him as Lord. I don't know how that actually worked, I just accept the reality of it. If you read my other blog you'll find a discussion about how our sins are "forgiven" not "paid off." There are no scriptures that say that a debt has been paid. Colossians 2 says that a debt has been cancelled. We've been bought with a price; the price of redemption. Redemption is the payment of a ransom not the payment of a debt.
Anyway, I sincerely believe that all we need to do is confess our sins as being sins and then, because of the sacrifice of Jesus, God is faithful and just to cleans us from all sin. (not cover!) So I have no fear of future sins.
The problem I see with most Christian theology these days is that Grace is limited to the cleansing of sin not to the living toward a goal of a sinless life (not getting there but pressing on to the high mark). Therefore we are tragically left living under the dominion of sin (because we have not been taught Romans 6 or fail to understand what it is saying) while counting on being forgiven by grace. Therefore we are told that it doesn't matter if we sin or not. It doesn't matter in the sense that our righteousness does not come from not sinning, but it does matter with respect to walking in the grace of having been set free from sin because our flesh has been crucified when Christ was crucified. It is all "past." The present is what counts and if we abide in Him He will manifest his sinless Christian life through us...making his power perfect in our weakness.
It really does take time and experience to understand all this experientially. We are so used to thinking in terms of having to do something or in having to get God to do something; we struggle with believing that everything has been done already in Christ and all we have to do is stand in that grace. It grieves me to think that many Christians are living a life where they actually believe that they are free from the guilt and punishment for sins but that they are still doomed to sin; there is no expectation to live a life that is actually free from sin; but in all practicality to live a life that is free to sin.
Thanks for the input Preston! I really appreciate it!
Craig |
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