The Beatitudes: Find True Joy and Satisfaction When You Thirst for Righteousness

This article is based on Pastor Adrian Rogers' message, The Secret of Satisfaction.

In the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5, Jesus preached a list of what we call “beatitudes.” They are beatitudes, and not platitudes, because the world would never agree with what these beatitudes say.

What Do the Beatitudes Mean?

The Beatitudes are series of statements that begin with the word “blessed”—that is what “beatitude” means: blessed. To be blessed means to be satisfied, secure, full of joy. The Beatitudes are a summary of the Christian way of life.

The world thinks the idea of blessedness is: blessed are the rich, blessed are the powerful, blessed are the handsome, blessed are the influential, blessed are the intelligent, blessed are the wealthy.

But that is not what Jesus says.

Even in the Ten Commandments, the emphasis is primarily on what a man does, on not what he has. But the Beatitudes go beyond even that. The Ten Commandments deal with outward action. The Beatitudes deal with the heart, the attitudes that ought to be.

Now, what are these Beatitudes? The full list from the Sermon on the Mount is found in Matthew 5:1-10.

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them… (Matthew 5:1-2)

Let’s discuss one Beatitude in particular.

Blessed Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:6).

This is the secret of true satisfaction in the Christian life.

Madison Avenue, and other such places, are in the business of creating hungers. They advertise things you don’t even know you want, until you see that ad. We are buying things we do not need, with money we do not have, to impress people we do not like, because of a certain kind of hunger.

God, by the Holy Spirit, is wanting to create in you a hunger for something that you really do need—that you desperately need. As a matter of fact you cannot live without it. That is, a hunger and thirst after righteousness. If you do hunger for righteousness, you will be filled.

The Pursuit of Righteousness

What are we talking about when we say “righteousness”? You may think of righteousness as something you do. But righteousness in the Bible is wrapped up in a person, and His name is Jesus. He Himself is our righteousness. (See 1 Corinthians 1:30.)

When a man hungers and thirsts after God’s righteousness, he is hungering and thirsting after Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

If you don’t get that, you will not understand anything else about this. You may not know it, nor understand it, nor agree with it, but it is true that the deepest need of your life is a right relationship with God through Christ.

Most folks do not want to seek righteousness. They want to seek blessedness. They want satisfaction. But by wanting satisfaction, you don’t get it. By wanting happiness, you don’t get it. What you need is not primarily happiness, satisfaction, or blessing, but Jesus. That is the only true happiness.

When you get Jesus, blessedness is a by-product.

Lack of Joy, lack of satisfaction, lack of peace, lack of fulfillment, are all symptoms. These tell you something is wrong, and that causes you to seek the remedy—which is Jesus Christ. If you treat the symptom without treating the underlying disease, you are foolish.

In the material realm, food and water are necessities, not luxuries. If you do not eat or drink water, you are going to die. So it is in the spiritual realm: Jesus Christ is not a luxury, but a necessity.

All the fullness of God is in Him. Seek Jesus. When you have Him, you have everything. You will spend the rest of your life learning more about Jesus Christ, and all the ways you are blessed in Him.

How are you to desire the Lord Jesus Christ? Here are three ways to pursue Christ, for righteousness’ sake.

Desire Christ Above All Else

You should desire Jesus pre-eminently. That is, above all other things.

You know what it means to be hungry naturally. Now you must learn how to be hungry supernaturally.

God made you to get hungry and thirsty physically. But if even food and water are in first place, you have made a mistake.

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (Matthew 6:31-33, Emphasis added).

There is nothing wrong with food, fashion, fitness—in their place. And their place is second place. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. God will not take second place to anybody or anything.

Pursue Christ Passionately

What is the mark of a person who is hungry and thirsty?

He is on a deliberate quest for food. In telling us to hunger and thirst for righteousness, Jesus is not talking about a person who just has an appetite, but a person who sees himself famished.

A starving man is interested in one thing. His focus is narrow. He thinks about how to get food and water, food and water, food and water.

People sit in church services and their minds are in a thousand different places. Why? They are not hungry. There is no determination. People actually say, “If God wants to save me, He can.”

A person who is thirsty will pay a price. There are people who will eat out of garbage cans and lose all their pride. But too many people come to church looking for something to criticize. If you come to find fault, you will find plenty, but if you come to find Jesus, He is here.

Have you narrowed your interests down to just one? Do you see Jesus Christ as your greatest need? Do you seek Jesus Christ as a starving man would seek food? When you come to that place, you are going to find Him.

Enjoy Christ Forever

You are to hunger and thirst after Jesus Christ. But not only that, you are to enjoy Jesus Christ perpetually.

If you have a shallow thirst, you will have a shallow satisfaction. If you seek righteousness, you can be blessed. Happiness and holiness are inextricably linked. You do not lose the good things of life when you come to Jesus; “all these things shall be added to you.”

You will enjoy good things more within the context of righteousness. Don’t let the devil get you thinking negatively about God. God does not say He doesn’t want you to be blessed; He simply says, get your priority right.

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy (1 Timothy 6:17).

Once you are saved by the Lord Jesus, from then on do you fail to seek Him anymore? No. Your spiritual hungers are like your physical hungers.

God allows us in the physical realm to have continuing appetite, that we might have continuing satisfaction. Being satisfied in Christ is not a once-for-all thing any more than eating a meal is a once-for-all thing. Your appetite is increased because of the goodness of the food, and the satisfaction that it brought once, it continues to bring day after day.

In Jesus, you will be completely satisfied, and continually satisfied, because Jesus said it shall happen.

List of Scriptures Referenced in This Article

Matthew 5:1-10, 6:31-33; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 1 Timothy 6:17

More Bible Verses About a Thirst for Righteousness

You will show me the path of life; on Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore (Psalm 16:11).

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. But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe. All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out” (John 6:35-37).