By: Pablo Pacheco

“Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.” (Matt. 5:6)

What is righteousness?

“Righteousness is obedience to the law. The law demands righteousness, and this the sinner owes to the law; but he is incapable of rendering it.” (RH Nov. 4, 1890)

How do we attain to it?

“The only way in which he can attain to righteousness is through faith. By faith he can bring to God the merits of Christ, and the Lord places the obedience of His Son to the sinner’s account.” (Ibid.)

We have to believe like Abraham did.

“And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6)

How is faith accounted righteousness?

“Christ’s righteousness is accepted in place of man’s failure, and God receives, pardons, justifies, the repented, believing soul, treats him as though he were righteous, and loves him as He loves His Son.” (RH Nov. 4, 1890)

Righteousness delivers us from death.

“Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.” (Prov. 10:2)

Trusting in our own righteousness brings death.

“When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trusts to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.” (Ezek. 33:13)

Grace is the thing that transforms. Let us hunger for righteousness as John did.

“John and Judas are representatives of those who profess to be Christ’s followers. Both these disciples had the same opportunities to study and follow the divine pattern. Both were closely associated with Jesus and were privileged to listen to His teachings. Each possessed serious defects of character; and each had access to the divine grace that transforms character. But while one in humility was learning of Jesus, the other revealed that he was not a doer of the word, but a hearer only. One, daily dying to self and overcoming sin, was sanctified through the truth; the other, resisting the transforming power of grace and indulging selfish desires, was brought into bondage to Satan. Such transformation of character as is seen in the life of John is ever the result of communion with Christ. There may be marked defects in the character of an individual, yet when he becomes a true disciple of Christ, the power of divine grace transforms and sanctifies him.” (AA 558, 559)

Knowledge brings hunger and thirst.

“The more we know of God, the higher will be our ideal of character and the more earnest our longing to reflect His likeness.” (Thoughts from the Mount of Blessings 19)

How do we receive the Holy Spirit without measure?

“To Jesus, who emptied Himself for the salvation of lost humanity, the Holy Spirit was given without measure. So it will be given to every follower of Christ when the whole heart is surrendered for His indwelling.” (MB 21)

Sow righteousness and God will rain (latter rain) righteousness upon you.

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till He come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hos. 10:12)

Righteousness clothes us.

“I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was a robe and a diadem.” (Job. 29:14)

In the parable of the ten virgins, just before the bridegroom came, they were all sleeping. But only five had prepared. What will happen when we awake?

“As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.” (Ps. 17:15)

How long does God’s righteousness last?

“His work is honorable and glorious: and His righteousness endureth for ever.” (Ps.111:3)

Let us continue to hunger and thirst for righteousness, even wrestle, as it were, with God to receive His righteousness. So that we can all be clothed with that robe in order to receive the latter rain. And not be found naked trying to take shelter from the rain.

HOME