Those Who Hunger and Thirst After Righteousness

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.”

The following quotations are from John Wesley’s Sermon 22. And may I say again, these sermons are, along with his Notes on the New Testament, our doctrinal standards. How different our churches would be if we held ourselves to this doctrine!

“righteousness is the image of God, the mind that was in Christ... it [springs] from as well as [terminates] in the love of God as our Father and Redeemer.”

“Hunger and thirst are the strongest of our bodily appetites. In like manner this hunger of the soul, this thirst after the image of God, is the strongest of all our spiritual appetites.”

“From the time we begin to hunger and thirst, these appetites do not cease, but are more and more craving and incessant until we either eat and drink or die. And even so from the time that we begin to hunger and thirst for the whole mind that was in Christ, these spiritual appetites do not cease, but cry after their food with more and more importunity; nor can they possibly cease, until they are satisfied.”

Wesley notes that it is impossible to satuisfy those who hunger and thrist after righteousness with what the world calls religion. While the religion of the world is good and beneficial, meaning essentially that we do no harm, but do good, and go to church and worship God. Do these things, and you are “religious.”

But will this satisfy him who hungers and thirst after righteousness? No. Wesley goes on to note; “it is not food for his soul... True, he is careful to abstain from the appearance of evil; he is zealous of good works; he attends all the ordinances of God. But all this is not what he longs for. This is only the outside of that religion, which he insatiable hungers after.”

Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness seek the knowledge of God that is in Christ Jesus,

“The life that it is hid in Christ;”

Being “joined to the Lord in one Spirit;”

“Having fellowship with the Father and the Son;”

“Walking in the light as God is in the light;”

“being purified even as He is pure.”

Wesley gives us this great promise of God--let this stir your heart and Spirit:

Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness “shall be fiiled with the things they long for; even with righteousness and true holiness.”

And finally, Wesley desires, and I pray, “that this divine appetite may never cease!”