Cultivate a Godly Appetite

By Colin Smith

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6).

The mark of a true Christian is not that he feels righteous, but that he longs to be more righteous than he is. When it comes to righteousness, the blessed people are not those who think they have it, but those who feel their need of it. It is not the realization of the desire, but the desire itself that Christ pronounces blessed.

How can you develop more of this desire for righteousness?

Five Strategies for Cultivating a Godly Appetite

1. Gain momentum from the first three beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are those who mourn… Blessed are the meek… blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… (Matt. 5:2-6).

The Beatitudes are progressive. Each beatitude assumes the ones that have gone before. You can’t just hunger and thirst for righteousness, you have to start from the beginning. You can picture them like rings that are reached by the momentum you gain from swinging on the previous ones. If you become poor in spirit, mourn your sins, and submit your life to the will of God, you will find that a true hunger for righteousness springs from these roots.

2. Practice fasting from legitimate pleasures.

If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me (Mk. 8:34).

One sure way to spoil your appetite is to snack between meals. Let’s apply that obvious principle from the world of the body to the world of the soul: Legitimate pleasures at the wrong time and in the wrong amount will spoil your appetite for holiness. They can make you dull and sluggish in following after Christ, spoiling your hunger and thirst to be all that you can be for God.

How do we keep the legitimate pleasures of life—like sports and travel and hobbies—in their proper place? One answer is to periodically fast from legitimate pleasures. Fasting is a means of heightening self-control—a special gift that can help you master something that otherwise might master you.

Suppose you see that legitimate pleasures have become your default pattern, holding you back from a more useful life. Take a month without TV or computer games, or without golf, or six months without buying new clothes, or without leisure travel. Drop a sport for a semester. You’ll be surprised at the freedom it brings to you.

Fasting has the effect of cleansing out the body, and the same thing can happen in your soul by choosing to deny yourself a legitimate pleasure for a season. This is a great way to bring appetites that have become inordinate back under control.

3. Make yourself vulnerable to the needs of others.

Train yourself for godliness (1 Tim. 4:7).

How do you work up a good appetite? By getting some good exercise. Go for a brisk walk or a run, and when you come back, you find yourself ready for a good meal. This is true when it comes to nourishing your soul. Extend yourself in serving others, and especially when you are serving others in great need, you will find that your hunger and thirst for righteousness will increase.

Think about this in relation to our Lord. How did the Righteous One practice this fourth beatitude? Since He has all righteousness in Himself, how could Jesus hunger and thirst for what He already had? The answer lies in the incarnation. Jesus left the comforts of heaven and came into our world where righteousness had been lost. He humbled Himself and became a servant. He saw that the people were like sheep without a shepherd, and His own heart was moved with compassion.

Simply seeing yourself as a Christian who needs to receive all the time will make you spiritually dull. But serving others will stimulate your spiritual appetite.

4. Use your blessings and troubles as incentives to feed on Christ.

I am the bread of life… If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever (Jn. 6:48, 51).

Thomas Watson, the pithy Puritan whose writing I have found so helpful, asked the question: How can we stimulate a spiritual appetite? His answer was two-fold: Exercise and “sauce”! [1] Watson was right. What makes food more attractive? Sauce! God increases our hunger and thirst for righteousness by the “sweet sauce” of our blessings, the “sharp sauce” of our troubles, and the “hot sauce” of our persecutions.

When blessings come, learn to say, “God is so good, I want to know more of Him.” When trouble or persecution comes, learn to say, “My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Ps. 73:26).

5. Trust Christ especially for your sanctification.

Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely… He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it (1 Thess. 5:23-24).

Some Christians feel they can trust Christ to forgive their sins and to get them into heaven, but when it comes to becoming a more loving and more effective Christian—one who is more like Jesus Christ—they feel completely hopeless. They trust Christ for their justification and their glorification, but they do not trust Christ for their sanctification.

Remember that Christ didn’t come just for the guilt of your sins or the consequence of your sins. He came to save you from your sins (Matt. 1:21) and to deliver you from all that holds you back from a better life.

Why is it so difficult for you to trust him to help you change by cultivating a new hunger and thirst for righteousness?

Hope is the key to all change.

Somewhere deep inside, you may believe that you will always be the same, that you can never be different. Without hope, change never happens.

Let me shine the light of hope into your discouraged heart. Why are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness blessed? Because they will be satisfied. When you see Christ, you will be like Him (1 Jn. 3:2). You’ve trusted Christ for this. Think what it will mean for you to be like Christ! Think of His wisdom, compassion, patience, kindness, righteousness, and strength.

If you can trust Christ to complete His redeeming work in you then, why should you not trust Him to advance his redeeming work in you now? If you can trust Him to make you completely like Christ on the last day, why should you not trust Him to make you more like Christ on earth?

Trust Christ for your sanctification today. Change begins when you say, “There is hope for me to be a better person, to live a better life in Jesus Christ.” Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for God and for righteousness. They will not be disappointed.

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This article is adapted from Pastor Colin’s sermon, “Cultivating a Godly Appetite”, from his series Momentum, Volume 1.

1. Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12 (Smith: 1660).

Posted at: https://unlockingthebible.org/2020/11/cultivate-godly-appetite/

Blessed Are the Peacemakers

Ben Ciavolella

In light of Matt Foreman's insightful article, it seems appropriate to look at some practical advice from The Beatitudes by Thomas Watson.[1]. Here's what Watson had to say about becoming a peacemaker:

How shall we attain to peaceableness?

1. Take heed of those things which will hinder it. There are several impediments of Peace which we must beware of; and they are either outward or inward.

a) Outward; as whisperers (Rom. 1:29)

There are some who will be buzzing things in our ears purposely to exasperate and provoke; among these we may rank Tale-bearers (Lev. 19:16). The Tale-bearer carries reports up and down, the Devil finds his Letters by this Post; the Tale-Bearer is an Incendiary, he blows the coals of contention. Do you hear (saith he) what such a one saith of you? Will you put up such a wrong? Will you suffer yourself to be so abused? Thus saith he by throwing in his fireballs, foment differences, and set men together by the ears; we are commanded indeed to provoke one another to love (Heb. 10:24), but nowhere to provoke anger: We should stop our ears to such persons as are known to come on the Devil's errand.

b) Take Heed of Inward Hinderances[2] to Peace, such as:

i) Self-Love (φιλαυτία). Men shall be lovers of themselves (2 Tim. 3:2): And it follows, they shall be fierce (ἀνήμεροι; v. 3) The setting-up of this Idol of Self, hath caused so many Law-suits, Plunders, Massacres in the World. All seek their own (Phil. 2:21). Nay; it were well if they would seek but their own. Self-love angles away the Estates of others, either by force or fraud. Self-love sets up Monopolies and Enclosures; it is a Bird of prey, which lives upon rapine. Self-love cuts asunder the bond of Peace. Lay aside Self. The Heathens could say "We are not born for ourselves" (Non nobis solum nati).

ii) Pride (ἀλαζονεία). He That is of a proud heart, stirreth up strife (Prov. 28:26). Pride and Contention, like Hippocrates Twins, are both born at once. A proud man thinks himself better than others, and will contend for superiority. "Diotrephes, who loveth to have the preeminence" (3 John 9): A proud man would have all strike sail to him. Because Mordecai would not give Haman the Cap and Knee, he gets a bloody warrant signed for the death of all the Jews (Esther 3:9). What made all the strife between Pompey and Caesar, but pride? Their Spirits were too high to yield one to another. When this wind of pride gets into a mans heart, it causeth sad Earthquakes of division. The Poets fain, that when Pandora's Box was broke open, it filled the world with disease. When Adam's pride had broken the Box of Original Righteousness, it hath ever since filled the world with debates and dissensions. Let us shake off this viper of Pride; humility solders Christians together in Peace.

iii) Envy (φθόνος). Envy stirreth up strife; the Apostle hath linked them together (1 Tim 6:4). Envy cannot endure a Superiour; this made the Plebeian faction so strong among the Romans, they envied their Superiours: an envious man seeing another to have a fuller Crop, a better Trade, is ready to pick a quarrel with him. "Who can stand therefore envy?" (Prov. 27:4). Envy is a vermin that lives on blood; take heed of it; peace will not dwell with this inmate.

iv) Credulity (ταχυτείθεια). "The Simple believeth every word" (Prov. 14:15). A credulous man is a kin to a fool; he believes all that is told him, and this doth often created differences. As it is a sin to be a Tale-bearer, so it is a folly to be a Tale-believer. A wise man will not take a report at the first bound, but will sift and examine it before he gives credit to it.

2. Let Us Labour for those things which will maintain and cherish peace, such as:

a) Faith. Faith and peace keep house together. Faith believes the Word of God; the Word saith, "Live in peace" (2 Cor. 13:11). And as soon as faith sees the King of heavens Warrant, it obeys. Faith persuades the soul that God is at peace; and it is impossible to believe this, and live in variance. Nourish faith; faith knits us to God in love, and to our Brethren in peace/

b) Christian-Communion. There should not be too much strangeness among Christians; the primitive Saints had their love-feasts (ἀγάπαι). The Apostle exhorting to peace, brings this as an Expedient: "Be ye kind one to another" (Eph. 4:32).

c) Look not upon the failings of others, but their graces; there is no perfection here. We read of the "spots of God's children" (Deut. 32:5). The most golden Christians are some grains too light. Oh let us not so quarrel with the infirmities of others, as to pass by their virtues. If in some things they fail, in other things they excel. 'Tis the manner of the world to look more upon the Sun in an Exlipse, than when it shines in its full luster.

d) Pray to God that he will send down the Spirit of Peace into our hearts. We should not, as Vultures, prey one upon another, but pray one for another. Pray that God will quench the fire of contention, and kindle the fire of compassion in our hearts one to another.

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[1] Thomas Watson, The Beatitudes, or a Discourse Upon Part of Christ's Famous Sermon on the Mount (London, 1671). 

[2] Original: "lets" (credit to Banner's 2014 edition for clarifying). 

Ben Ciavolella is a student at Westminster Theological Seminary. He works as a publishing assistant for the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals.

Posted at: https://www.reformation21.org/blog/blessed-are-the-peacemakers

Applying the Beatitudes

Matt Foreman

The Beatitudes, according to Matthew, mark the beginning of Jesus' public teaching ministry. They are the first things that Jesus emphasized as he proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. Unlike Moses at Mount Sinai, Jesus began his Sermon on the Mount, not with commandments, but with promises of God's blessing on heart attitudes. He began focusing on the heart, doing heart surgery, wanting to reconstruct our hearts and bring our hearts in tune with his. The Beatitudes describe the foundational character qualities and family characteristics Jesus wanted to be at work in his people.

Sadly, it often seems that Christians today easily forget the foundational importance of the Beatitudes. Going by the evidence of public interactions between "Christians" on social media, blogs, public debates, publications, it's hard sometimes to see active evidence of the Beatitudes. But since these are the foundational teachings of our Savior, they are the heart attitudes that should govern, guide, and be evident in all our interactions. Christians then need to be regularly giving themselves to meditation and application of the Beatitudes as the foundation for Christian living.

Foundations for the Christian Life

Consider the following:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit"

- the foundation for a relationship with God

- losing hope in yourself and finding your only hope in God.

"Blessed are those who mourn"

- the foundation for repentance

- seeing the true grievousness of sin.

"Blessed are the meek"

- the foundation for faith

- quieting your soul to trust God in all circumstances.

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness"

- the foundation for Christian living and sanctification

- the pursuit of holiness in your life and in the world.

"Blessed are the merciful"

- the foundation for Christian relationships

- loving others as God has loved us.

"Blessed are the pure in heart"

- the foundation for Christian worship

- having a vision of God 'win out' over all other things.

"Blessed are the peacemakers"

- the foundation for Christian mission

- seeking to bring God's offer of peace to a hostile world.

"Blessed are the persecuted"

- the foundation for Christian perseverance

- knowing and following our Savior through many tribulations for the joy set before us.

A Guide to Prayer

The Beatitudes become a great guide to prayer - for ourselves, our children, our fellow church members, our neighbors. If you have children, you are probably aware of one of your children who needs to come to a poverty of spirit, or to a mourning over sin, or to a meekness of faith. You may know a husband and wife struggling in their marriage who need to grow in mercy and compassion towards one another, who need to apply the Gospel of peace in their home (James 4:13-18; 2 Tim.2:24-26; 2 Cor.13:11). You may know someone struggling in sin who has become defeated and complacent, who needs his hunger and thirst for righteousness aroused and who needs his heart purified in Spirit-filled worship to God again (James 4:7-10; Psalm 73:1-2, 25-28; 1 John 3:2-3; Deut.30:6). You may know someone being persecuted for their faith - in their workplace, by their family, on the mission field - who need prayer to be able to rejoice and grow in the steadfastness of hope (1 Pet.2:19-21, 4:1-14; Rom.5:3-4; James 1:2).

Questions for Self-Examination

The Beatitudes are a great source for self-examination, personal confession, and prayer. Here are a list of questions to ask yourself from the Beatitudes...

"Blessed are the poor in spirit."

• Do I trust myself and my strength and my rightness too much? Am I often satisfied in myself?

• Do I say, "I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing. But ... not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked" (Rev.3:17).

• Or do I realize that I am poor and weak and desperate, and my only hope is in God?

• Do my days begin on my knees, acknowledging my spiritual poverty before God?

"Blessed are those who mourn."

• Do I only grieve over temporary things that inconvenience and affect me personally?

• Or do I ever grieve more deeply, as Jesus himself did, over the ugliness and destructiveness of sin, over the dishonoring of the goodness of God, over the brokenness and hardness of the world?

• Am I only 'sorry' for my sins, or am I grieved enough that I want to quit?

"Blessed are the meek."

• Am I someone who is always defending myself, defending my rights, asserting myself, fearfully trying to control my circumstances?

• Am I harsh and emotionally reactionary?

• Or have I learned to submit to difficulties and trust God in all circumstances?

• Have I learned to be humble about myself and confident in God so that I am able to respond to others with softness and gentleness and patience?

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness."

• Do I hunger and thirst for worldly pleasure and worldly recognition?

• Am I complacent spiritually and act like I've arrived and I'm satisfied with where I am?

• Or do I have new desires to be closer to God, to live rightly before him in the world, and to see his righteousness spread in the lives of others?

"Blessed are the merciful."

• Am I too concerned about 'the letter of the law' and judgmental towards others?

• Do I find it hard to forgive? Am I regularly impatient with those around me? Do I think that people deserve what they get?

• Or am I more aware of my own sins against God, and the death Christ died for me to show me mercy, so that I am inclined towards mercy?

• Am I a forgiving, patient, gracious, compassionate person because of Christ?

"Blessed are the pure in heart."

• Am I complacent with impure thoughts and hypocrisy in my life?

• Does love for myself and for the world often 'win out' over love for God?

• Or am I actively seeking to 'clean my hands' and 'purify my heart' through repentance, worship, and devotion to Christ - making him first in all things?

"Blessed are the peacemakers."

• Am I a fighter and thrive on conflict? Or do I passively avoid conflict at all costs?

• Do I think I have to choose between truth and love? Do I think it's godly to fight, that I'm standing up for my convictions and am zealous for truth, but it's never motivated or presented with love? 2 Tim.2:24-26

• Am I only a peace-faker or peace-keeper, but not a peace-maker?

• Or do I actively and sacrificially seek to bring God's Gospel of peace, truth, justice, repentance, and reconciliation to the world with gentleness and love?

"Rejoicing in Persecution."

• Am I a people-pleaser? Afraid to speak up, quick to back down, wanting everyone to speak well of me?

• Do I 'seek' persecution by being obnoxious, not realizing that actual persecution only comes after the other Beatitudes - like humility, meekness, mercy, and peace-making?

• Or am I willing to suffer to bring Christ and his Gospel to a dying world?

• Does opposition and hardship overwhelm me? Or does it draw me nearer to fellowship and faith and hope and joy in Christ, with willingness to die to myself and show his incomparable worth, no matter the cost?

These are the heart attitudes of true Christianity and the life truly blessed by God, because they are the heart attitudes of God's own Son, in whom he is well-pleased. May we be transformed more and more into his image!

Matt Foreman is the pastor of Faith Reformed Baptist Church in Media, PA. Matt is a graduate of Furman University and Westminster Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. He previously served as the Founding Chairman of the Reformed Baptist Network, is the secretary for the RBN Missions Committee, and is a lecturer in Practical Theology at Reformed Baptist Seminary. Matt also writes music for worship; some of which can be found at ekklesiahymns.org.

Posted at: https://www.reformation21.org/blogs/applying-the-beatitudes.php