This essay continues a sequence. Read the previous one here.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
— KJV, Matt 5:6
The thing we have been searching for outside is inside.
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By Faith Alone. Really?
This statement implies that righteousness should be a goal for every person seeking spiritual satisfaction i.e. real happiness.
And yet, many have been taught that faith is “more important” than righteousness, based on certain interpretations of verses like Romans 3:28.
There is no disconnect between faith and righteousness from the perspective of The Word. We have explored the concept of faith (ref. “Faith Is A Halfway House“) and established that it cannot be separated from action.
True Righteousness
What is righteousness? What is it to hunger and thirst after righteousness? And what does it mean to be filled?
Righteousness is morally correct living. The righteous man lives according to rules and regulations that accord with the Will of God i.e. with Truth.
In the series “God’s Will vs God’s Love“, we explained that if rules and regulations do not simultaneously express both God’s Will and His Love, they will be misinterpretations of Divine Law.
Such misinterpretation eventually leads to false “righteousness”. This was the issue with Pharisees and Sadducees at the time of Christ and with many religious organisations today. They follow procedures and rites borne of habit and tradition and not of the spirit.
This hypocritical righteousness may have misled some into believing that righteousness is secondary, and that righteousness and faith are two completely separate concepts.
The Inner Self Determines Righteousness
Actions that are truly faith-filled are righteous (ref. “Faith Is A Halfway House“):
For I say unto you,
That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
— Matthew 5:20
We must be physically active in the sense of The Word, but it is our spirit that gives value to physical behaviour (ref. “The Spiritual Shapes The Material“).
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For example: an individual may take great pride in preserving her physical virginity. But if her inner thoughts and desires are impure, the physical virginity is not genuine righteousness.
The Effect of Righteousness
The individual who hungers and thirsts for righteousness will seek alignment between his personal lifestyle (thoughts, words, daily habits; i.e. the rules and regulations that he lives by) and his spiritual knowledge i.e. the truly righteous man seeks to be true to himself.
This personal righteousness influences the norms of his immediate surroundings: family, social circles, and working relationships (ref. “Law of Attraction: So What?“).
Eventually, it will influence the norms of entire communities and nations. In a word, Culture.
So, those who truly hunger and thirst for righteousness contribute to the social refinement of their people.
Needless to say, this is not easy in today’s depraved world. This lifestyle will be in opposition to much that is “normal”, and will involve contrarian decisions every day.
The Right Appetite
When we hunger and thirst for material success, we are like a dog chasing its tail: lasting contentment always appears close, but is never quite achieved. The material satisfaction of one “success” fades away, and we soon need another “success” to feel satisfied.
Economists refer to this as the “Law of Diminishing Marginal Utility”. They have not considered its spiritual implications e.g. the futility of purely materialist activity.
“Diminishing marginal spiritual utility” does not exist. The satisfaction of true righteousness, from a complete lifestyle developed out of love for The Word and man, is lasting i.e. filling:
Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him
shall never thirst;— John 4:14
Such a lifestyle is materially simple, even if the individual in question is wealthy.
The lifestyle balances inward purity with external action. It finds its reward in the personal and continuous experiencing of the Love of God, and in the earthly beauty and peace resulting from a righteous culture.
The seed of true righteousness will result in a harvest of sustained inner peace for such people (ref. “The Spiritual Shapes The Material“). They shall be filled.
Today’s Resolution:
- We shall seek inner rightness with The Word, and align our external actions with this inner sensing.
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