1 John 3:7
Memory Verse
Little children, let no one cause you to wander, the one doing the righteousness is righteous, just as that One is righteous (1 John 3:7).
Righteousness results from being in Christ, not works produced through self-effort, which are as filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). The person who is characterized by their right actions is righteous because of Christ, for Christ is our righteousness, sanctification, and complete redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30).
Righteousness is not obtained through law; it is out from faith (Romans 3:21; 4:3). Happy is the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works (Romans 4:6). The grace believer has been set free from the rule of the sin nature because he is now part of the Christ, having been co–buried and co–raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4-6). Therefore, he is now a slave to righteousness (Romans 6:13).
The one who practices righteousness to the extent that his right actions characterize him has put on the new man, who is created in righteousness and piety of the truth (Ephesians 4:24). Thus, he has put off the conduct of the old man as an old garment: lying, stealing, rotten words, bitterness, inner burning anger, wrath, clamor, blasphemy, and all that is wrong. His character manifests love, joy, peace, long–suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, objectivity of mind, and self-control, for he is led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18, 22–23).