Kingdom Influence Part 10
At Keys Vineyard Church, we are presenting a series called ‘Kingdom Influence,’ which we post here on Online Bible Institute.
Our series is called Kingdom Influence. The Beatitudes are not a checklist. They are a portrait. They describe what it looks like to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of God. Last week we looked at blessed are the meek. This week we are going to look at blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Matthew 5:6 (NIV)
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”
This beatitude continues the portrait Jesus is painting of what the life of a citizen of the Kingdom looks like. Hunger and thirst are among the most basic drives of human life. When we are hungry, we look for food. When we are thirsty, we search for water. These are not optional desires. They are fundamental needs for life itself.
Jesus intentionally uses this language to describe the inner longing of a heart that has begun to grasp the goodness and grace of God. When someone truly sees what God has done for us through Christ, something changes inside. The soul begins to desire God and His ways the way the body desires food and water. In other words, righteousness is not something we casually add to our lives. It becomes something we deeply crave. Jesus says something very similar in Matthew 6:33:
Matthew 6:33 (NIV)
“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”
The pursuit of righteousness is not meant to be secondary in the life of a believer. It is meant to be central. Just as food sustains the body, the pursuit of righteousness sustains the spiritual life of those who belong to the Kingdom. But what is righteousness? The word righteousness can sometimes feel like an old or distant “Bible word.” Often we hear it described simply as “right standing before God,” which is true, but Scripture actually presents a richer picture. Righteousness is about being rightly aligned with the purpose for which we were created. It is about becoming who we were meant to be. Scripture contrasts the righteous with the sinner. Paul explains this contrast clearly in Romans:
Romans 5:19 (NIV)
“For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”
Adam’s disobedience distorted the image of God in humanity. It broke something deep within us. But through the obedience of Jesus, something new became possible. Christ came not only to forgive sin, but to restore what had been broken. Those who are in Christ are being restored to the image and likeness of God. Paul describes this new identity in Ephesians:
Ephesians 4:24 (NIV)
“Put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Righteousness, then, is not merely about moral behavior. It is about restoration. It is about becoming, through Christ, who we were created to be. And Jesus promises that those who long for this transformation will not be disappointed. They will be filled.
This weekend at Keys Vineyard Church, we will discuss all this and more, so be sure to join us in person or online.
Steve Lawes is a pastor at Keys Vineyard Church and also the founder of the Online Bible Institute Network.
