"Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled" (Matt. 5:6). The term "to hunger and thirst" means to express strong spiritual desires and needs. We are to desire righteousness with the same intensity as a starving man does food and water.
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, the just shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:16-17). Where does one learn about righteousness? Paul said it was revealed in the gospel, which is the word of God. It is not possible to be filled with righteousness without knowledge of God's word. Jesus said: "If any man willeth to do his will, he shall know..." (John 7:17 ASV). Jesus said of those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, "they shall be filled."
Faith leads to righteousness. The term "from faith to faith" means that it is the system of faith that leads to our faith. Paul said in Rom. 3:22: "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ...." That doesn't say the righteousness by faith "in" Jesus but "of" Jesus. He is the source of the faith or the gospel where we learn about righteousness.
"But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed " (Gal. 3:23). The Hebrew writer said: "By faith Able offered unto God..."(Heb. 11:4). So we know there has been faith from that time until now. So "the faith" referred to is the gospel. Note: "Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by [the] faith. But after that [the] faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster" (vs.24-25). The law of Moses was a schoolmaster or tutor that brought them down to the gospel system of faith. It is through that system of faith that we learn the righteousness of God. "But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. For ye are children of God by [the] faith in Jesus Christ" (vs. 25-26). Note the present tense of the term "ye are." Paul, how did they become children of God? "For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ" (v.27). Pay close attention to the wording, please. Those having been (past tense) baptized into (the method of entering Christ) Christ have put on Christ. That is when they became children of God.
To be righteous means a right standing before God by conforming to God's standard of right doing. It is not possible to be righteous outside of Christ. The only method of entrance is by being baptized into Christ.
We must not be like those that Paul talked about when he said, "For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God" (Rom. 10:3).
Jesus pronounced a blessing on those who "hunger and thirst after righteousness." He also instructed us to, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness... " (Matt. 6:33).
Are we truly hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Those who truly do, "shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more...for the Lamb which is in the middle of the throne shall feed them and shall lead them unto living fountains of water" (Rev. 7:16-17). For one to be righteous, Christ instructed: "If ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
"If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God" (I Pet. 4:11).
Don H. Noblin
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