What are you hungry for?
Mouth-watering Texas barbeque? A juicy steak? Chips?
Chips don’t belong on this list. They often actually spoil our appetite for the main course. Have you ever noticed how you can eat an entire bag of chips and still be hungry afterward? Not only are you still hungry, but you often keep going back for more chips! Why?
Look, I’m all for an occasional snack. But here’s the dilemma: chips offer little to no nutrients. So, no matter how many chips we eat, our bodies still need real food. We need nutrients!
Video games, like chips, can be fun to enjoy occasionally. EA Sports just dropped College Football 25. There was so much excitement for this game that over 2 million people paid extra to get it early. They literally could not wait. Snacks and video games aren’t bad… as long as we are not looking to them for nutrients and satisfaction.
This helps us understand the next part of our journey through the Beatitudes because we often consume entertainment that leaves us hungry and thirsty. We aren’t satisfied because, spiritually speaking, we are nutrient-deficient and clinically dehydrated – we keep pursuing things that may offer temporary satisfaction but they leave us empty – like porn.
It’s time we get honest about what we are taking in, or rather, what we are failing to take in. We need to learn what it means to hunger and thirst for righteousness.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” -Matthew 5:6
Satisfied
Jesus says later in this sermon that if our aim is heaven, then our righteousness “must surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law” (Matthew 5:20). Those men relied on their good works to save them from condemnation. Jesus declared He is the way, and works do not save us (John 14:6, Ephesians 2:8-9).
Those who put faith and trust in Christ are credited with the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5:21). Positionally, before God we are righteous. So, if all believers in Christ are righteous, why does Jesus talk in terms of pursuing righteousness? The reason is becoming righteous in our practice is God’s calling for each of His children.
Let’s consider the truth found in the first part of Romans 8:29 which says, “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.”
God’s plan and desire is for all who know Him to become like His Son. The process of becoming more like Christ is called sanctification. God has his role in this process, and we have ours. Thus, Jesus says blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. This is part of our role. It’s an awesome invitation from God to pursue what is good and right before a holy God.
People passionate about being like Christ desire to align their practice of righteousness with their position of righteousness. This means their everyday lives are directly impacted by their relationship with God. They want their lives to reflect Christ. When we make this our aim, we find a deep abiding satisfaction.
Changing the Standard
Why do so few seem to be hungry to be like Jesus? Maybe we don’t know what’s good and right before God, or we have simply changed the standard. We get to know God’s standard when we get to know God. A hunger and thirst for righteousness starts with a hunger and thirst to know Him. The more we know Him the more His standards become our standards of holiness. Too often our appetite for God is spoiled by an appetite for lesser things – think chips.
God certainly has a standard for our sexual purity. When falling short of God’s standard, there are one of two main responses. Someone will drastically change their thoughts, attitudes, and actions to help conform to the image of Christ and thus align back to God’s standard. The other response is, sadly, to just change the standard. Too many have opted for the latter. The Pharisees most certainly did.
This is why Jesus declares, “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:27-28). The Pharisees may have refrained from physically entering into an adulterous relationship, but their eyes lusted freely. They considered themselves righteous because they changed the standard. Jesus sheds light on true righteousness and helps us remember there is a standard, and we don’t get to change it. God is looking for purity of heart. This is critical for those overcoming a porn or sex addiction. The last stronghold in finding freedom is typically fantasy and masturbation. Too many men and women stop short in their pursuit of freedom. They conclude, “I’m not looking at porn, and I’m not doing anything with another person – compared to where I was, I’m free.” But they have changed the standard and have settled. They don’t hunger and thirst for righteousness.
Choosing Wisely
We must understand that while hungering and thirsting for righteousness isn’t natural and doesn’t come easy, it is possible. Look at how Paul wrote about what he has chosen to pursue in Philippians 3, verses 12-14:
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
Are we pressing on? Are we taking hold? Are we forgetting what is behind, and straining toward what is ahead? Paul is a great example of someone who is hungering and thirsting for righteousness. It’s not that he is declaring he has already arrived at his goal. He actually admits he has not. That’s encouraging! The direction we are going is much more important than where we have been. Let us learn from Paul and choose wisely.
Where did Paul get this hunger? Paul tells us a few verses earlier.
“But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” Philippians 3:7-8
Paul’s hunger to be like Christ (verses 12-14) was rooted here in his hunger to know Christ.
Let us hunger and thirst for God first and then we will hunger and thirst for His standard, and His righteousness. The more our hearts grow for God the more our hearts will grow for His holiness. Jesus promises when this happens we will be blessed and satisfied.
FAQ’s
What practical ways can I increase my hunger and thirst for righteousness?
- Submit your life to Jesus Christ, if you’ve never taken that step.
- Ask God for it because “you have not because you ask not” (James 4:2).
- Seek to know God through daily prayer and time in His word (Matt. 4:4).
- Make God’s word your standard for life and what you feed your mind. The appetite you feed is the one that grows (Gal. 6:7-8).
Is it possible to stop my porn addiction?
Absolutely. The enemy wants you to believe the lie that it’s not possible, so you give up and stay stuck. Don’t believe it. You can check out the many freedom stories on our website and the videos in the leaders section sharing examples of real and lasting freedom. There aren’t just testimonies that counter that lie but God has promised that freedom is possible in John 8:32-34. Notice the conditions in this passage for freedom. Here are some other promises of freedom (Romans 6:10-11, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Psalm 119:9,11).
What are the steps to quitting pornography?
- Be honest. Confess fully to a trusted friend or mentor.
- Be connected and accountable to others on a regular basis. The Freedom Fight app/website allows you to have daily check-ins and and use the “I’m Triggered button” when tempted.
- Be committed to a program that addresses the roots of the addiction from a biblical, scientifically informed and gospel centered perspective – like the Freedom Fight.
Get started with our 30 Day Challenge.
Is masturbation a sin?
We dive fully into this question on a separate blog you can read HERE