DRAWING NEAR
April 12
Evaluating Your Righteousness
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for
they shall be satisfied" (Matt. 5:6).
Righteousness means "to be right with God." When you hunger and
thirst for righteousness, you passionately desire an ongoing and ever
-maturing relationship with God Himself.
Righteousness begins with salvation and continues in sanctification.
Only after you abandon all self-righteousness and hunger for
salvation, will you be cleansed from sin and made righteous in
Christ. Then you embark on a lifelong process of becoming as
righteous as Christ--a process that will culminate when you are in
His presence fully glorified (Rom. 8:29-30; 1 John 3:2). There's
always need for improvement in this life (Phil. 3:12-14), but
satisfaction comes in communing with Christ and growing in His grace.
You can know if you're hungering and thirsting for righteousness by
asking yourself some simple questions. First, are you dissatisfied
with your sin? Self-satisfaction is impossible if you are aware of
your sin and grieve when you fall short of God's holy standard.
Second, do external things satisfy your longings? A hungry man isn't
satisfied until he eats. A thirsty man isn't satisfied until he
drinks. When you hunger and thirst after righteousness, only God's
righteousness can satisfy you.
Third, do you have an appetite for God's Word? Hungry people don't
need to be told to eat. It's instinctive! Spiritual hunger will drive
you to feed on the Word to learn what God says about increasing in
righteousness.
Fourth, are you content amid difficulties? A hungry soul is content
despite the pain it goes through because it sees every trial as a
means by which God is teaching greater righteousness. If you react
with anger or resentment when things go wrong, you're seeking
superficial happiness.
Finally, are your hunger and thirst unconditional? The rich young
ruler in Matthew 19 knew there was a void in his life but was
unwilling to give up his possessions. His hunger was conditional.
Christ will fully satisfy every longing of your heart, yet you will
also constantly desire more of His righteousness. That's the blessed
paradox of hungering and thirsting after righteousness.
Suggestions for Prayer:
Read Psalm 112 as a hymn of praise to God.
For Further Study:
Read the following verses, noting how God satisfies those who trust
in Him: Psalm 34:10, Psalm 107:9, Isaiah 55:1-3, John 4:14, and John
6:35.
Drawing Near, Copyright c 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Romans 8:29-30 (NKJV)
29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.
30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He
called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also
glorified.
1 John 3:2
2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been
revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we
shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Philippians 3:12-14
12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I
press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also
laid hold of me.
13 Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one
thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching
forward to those things which are ahead,
14 I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God
in Christ Jesus.
Matthew 19:16-23
16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good
thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?"
17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but
One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the
commandments."
18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, " 'You shall not
murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You
shall not bear false witness,'
19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your
neighbor as yourself.'"
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my
youth. What do I still lack?"
21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you
have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and
come, follow Me."
22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful,
for he had great possessions.
23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that
it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven."
Psalm 112
112:1 Praise the LORD! Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, Who
delights greatly in His commandments.
2 His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the
upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness
endures forever.
4 Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is
gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs
with discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in
everlasting remembrance.
7 He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast,
trusting in the LORD.
8 His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his
desire upon his enemies.
9 He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His
righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth
and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish.
Psalm 34:10
10 The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the
LORD shall not lack any good thing.
Psalm 107:9
9 For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with
goodness.
Isaiah 55:1-3
55:1 "Ho! Everyone who thirsts, Come to the waters; And you who have
no money, Come, buy and eat. Yes, come, buy wine and milk Without
money and without price.
2 Why do you spend money for what is not bread, And your wages for
what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance.
3 Incline your ear, and come to Me. Hear, and your soul shall live;
And I will make an everlasting covenant with you; The sure mercies of
David.
John 4:14
14 "but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a
fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."
John 6:35
35 And Jesus said to them, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to
Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
letters@gty.org
NOTE for those of you reading via newsgroups: If you wish to reach
me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase@wowway.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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