Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after Righteousness. They shall be filled.

 

Do you see something missing from this text? You don't get filled up with food just be getting hungry. There is a whole list of steps missing here. The text "should read" blessed are those who hunger, realize that it is their responsibility to feed themselves, learn a trade, get a job, save their money responsibly, and feed themselves and their families.

 

But grace does not work that way. The entire kingdom of God is upside down and backwards. First you are made an eagle scout, and then you begin learning the scout law. First you are made a king, then you are taught the laws of the kingdom. The Gospel of Grace is that you have all you need in Christ. Stand right there, there is nothing you can do to add to it. We simply need to learn to live consistently with it. We need to learn to be who we are.

 

Remember that as we get into the conduct portion of the Sermon on the Mount. We do not follow these laws to earn our way into God's kingdom. We receive the kingdom by grace, and then learn how kings should live. Meditate on these texts with that thought in mind.

 

2 Corinthians 5:19 in Christ God was reconciling [3] the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

Galatians 3:1 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by [1] the flesh? 4 Did you suffer [2] so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— 6 just as Abraham "believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness"?

7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify [3] the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "In you shall all the nations be blessed." 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The Righteous Shall Live by Faith

10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them." 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for "The righteous shall live by faith." [4] 12 But the law is not of faith, rather "The one who does them shall live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"— 14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit [5] through faith.