A Hunger for Righteousness

Jesus said: "Blessed are those who do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled." (Matt.5:6) It is the nature of the believer (new nature) to desire the righteousness of God, the conformity to Christlikeness, and the righteousness of fellowship with the Father. This desire is only created in the new creature or the believer that is of genuiness. Now then, it should be expected of the sheep that they be fed as well as expected that the Pastor or undershepherd would feed them according to I Peter 5. Now let us consider two scenarios that may be seen in light of the presuppositions in the above. The first to consider is that the shepherd, being faithful and true to his Lord and his duty attempts to feed the flock but the flock refuses to eat as provided by the shepherd. Of course there would be, by nature, malnutrition among the flock. What is the problem that they are not partaking of the righteous manna as provided? Could there be a sickness in the flock? Couold there be a stubborness in the flock? Could there be wolves in sheeps clothing? Or could there be....? You use your imagination, I'm sure that you heard even more illegitimate reasoning that could be implemented. Regardless of the reason or excuse, there must be in all sheep a hunger and a thirst for righteousness. A true believer has a tremendous appetite for God and His word. A great desire is given to every believer to be like Christ by the working of His heavenly Father. Could it be that there are those who profess to be sheep that really arent sheep at all. There joy being that of the world. The pleasures, luxuries, and the ways of the world are much more conducive to their natural appetite and so that is where they feast. The second scenario would be that of a faithful flock with an unfaithful shepherd. He is unfaithful to His Lord by neglecting the "feeding" of the flock. How many congregations will there be that know little about their Lord due to the failure of the shepherd? Now here is a wolf in sheeps clothing for sure. Little, if any, theological substance to his attempt in teaching or preaching. His messages are of the humanistic level. He works at creating a relevant message that is so contemporary that it forsakes the divine. He will use a lot of illustrations and stories that are current that the sheep are to "identify" with. Oh it will be of the current nature, a new way of preaching, a new gospel, a new take of "Jesus". And the sheep are starving, malnurished, and literally astray from the Lord. He offers no hope just relevance. He has forsaken the inspiration and the sufficiency of the scriptures and is misleading the flock to pastures that are not green and without the water of life. He has presented the misnistry of Christ as another worldly market. This man is a shame and reproach upon the power and person of Christ and would be more beneficial to people as a salesman rather than a Pastor. May God give us a Passion for truth and righteousness and may we settle for nothing less. Pastor Jim