 By James H. Cagle |
“If ye know that he (Jesus) is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him” (1 John 2: 29 KJV).
“Right” means the “direct, straight, and correct way.” “Righteous” means in the right way. “Righteousness” is the character the Christian has by renouncing sin and striving for holiness of life.
“Justification is a judicial declaration of the innocence of the one charged with an offense. In the case of the Christian, this is the result of the imputed righteousness of Christ.” But the Christian needs more than justification; they need to be sanctified and kept pure and holy. “As Christ was not made a sinner by the imputation of our sin, but was reckoned a sinner, and treated as such; so we are not made holy by the imputation of His righteousness, but are reckoned righteous by God and treated as such, and treated as His sons.”
Righteousness imputed at justification is being counted righteous by God through faith in Jesus Christ and is an act completed at a definite period, when one gets saved.
Sanctification is being made righteous progressively through continuous obedience to God’s Word, which a Christian will obey because of the divine nature and the continual operation of the Holy Spirit. Through sanctification, righteousness is imparted to the individual and they grow in righteousness and holiness.
Jesus Christ is righteous, and because He is righteous, is our Advocate and He alone can plead with the righteous Father (1 John 2: 1). And those that are “born of him” habitually live in righteousness. John says in 3: 7 “He that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he (Christ) is righteous.” In other words, righteous deeds spring naturally from a righteous character and are the proof of one’s salvation.
John also continues and says, “He that committeth (continually practices and lives in) sin is of the devil . . . Whosoever is born of God doth not commit (practice) sin; for his (Jesus’) seed remaineth in him: and he cannot (continue in) sin, because he is born of God. In this the children of God are manifest (identified), and the children of the devil: whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother” (1 John 3: 8-10).
Righteous living is proof that one is a child of God and has a righteous standing before Him, through Jesus Christ the Righteous One. This is a fact; this is something we know for sure.
