"He who practices righteousness is righteous" (1 John 3:7)

zoidar

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Many BACs in the churches today are NOT practicing righteousness.
Instead, they are practicing habitual (unrepentant) sin.
These are NOT on their way to heaven.
They need to sincerely repent of their evil deeds (sins)
... and return to the Lord who saved them.

If so, what are we to do about it?
 
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Hammster

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Paul warns us over and over, that if we believers choose to walk after the flesh, we will die spiritually - but if we choose to walk after the spirit, we will have everlasting life:


Rom 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.


Rom 8:6 For to be carnally minded isDEATH, but to be spiritually minded isLIFE and peace.


Rom 8:7 Because the carnal mind isENMITY against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.


Rom 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.


Verse 8:7 above, having a carnal mind is ENMITY against God, meaning you actually become Gods ENEMY.
That’s not his point. At all. Paul isn’t instructing. He’s describing the two minds. This is a summation of everything he’s been talking about since chapter 5. Read a few more verses and it will be clearer.
 
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Ceallaigh

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Many BACs in the churches today are NOT practicing righteousness.
Instead, they are practicing habitual (unrepentant) sin.
These are NOT on their way to heaven.
They need to sincerely repent of their evil deeds (sins)
... and return to the Lord who saved them.

There are a number of people on this forum who say this about churches today. But none of them ever name these churches. I'm guessing if I called all the churches in town and asked if they taught it was okay to practice sin, most if not all of them would say "no". Have you ever attended a church that preached practicing sin?

As for false Christians, they've always been around since the beginning. The Bible speaks of them. There are even false Christians who act like BACs but aren't, because they're only putting on an act. Maybe they have a squeaky clean lifestyle and do good works, but they only do so to put on a show to impress others.
 
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Ceallaigh

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And that disproves a well known TV preachers teaching about the carnal Christian who can lead the most sinful life, indistinguishable from the lifestyle of the unsaved, and still be saved.

Like who? Seriously I'm wondering who teaches that on TV.
 
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Soloworld

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All verses below are from the NKJV.

“… everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
(
1 John 2:29)

“… whoever does NOT practice righteousness is NOT of God …”
(
1 John 3:10)

“He who practices righteousness is righteous,
just as He is righteous.” (
1 John 3:7)

“In this the children of God and the children of the devil
are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness
is NOT of God, NOR is he who does NOT love his brother.”
(
1 John 3:10)

“… whoever fears Him and works righteousness
is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:35)


“… (slaves) of obedience leading to righteousness
(Romans 6:16)

“… slaves of righteousness for holiness.” (
Romans 6:19)

God does NOT practice righteousness for BACs.
BACs must do the practicing of righteousness for themselves.

From the verses above, do we agree?
God only invites into heaven …
those who have a standing of righteousness before Him,
those whom He considers righteous.
Great reminder
 
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Ceallaigh

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Serious Christians should RECONCILE these 2 groups of NT verses:
(1) the so-called OSAS eternal security NT verses
(2) all of those NT verses standing against the (1) verses

I suggest that we see the NT word "believe" as including obedience.

True saving faith ... enduring until death:
deep heart-felt belief, faith, trust, practicing righteousness, obedience.

I think OSAS means you'll always yearn for obedience and righteousness and regard sin as a bad thing. To me being saved doesn't just mean I have a ticket to heaven. It means being saved from the negative consequences of sin reigning in my life here and now. Literally God only knows what pitfalls I've escaped. It would be interesting, and probably chilling, if God showed me how things would have turned out in my earthly life if I hadn't been saved. Yes, I've done things I regret and things that have brought me trouble. But I'm sure it would been much much worse if I hadn't been saved.
 
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Danthemailman

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I think OSAS means you'll always yearn for obedience and righteousness and regard sin as a bad thing. To be bringing saved doesn't just mean I have a ticket to heaven. It means being saved from the negative consequences of sin regining in my life here and now. Literally only God knows what I've escaped.
People who include "obedience" into the definition of "believe" typically teach salvation by works. In many cases, "type 2 works salvation."
 
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Ceallaigh

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People who include "obedience" into the definition of "believe" typically teach salvation by works. In many cases, "type 2 works salvation."

They probably don't mean to, but that's how it always seems to pan out.

The minute my salvation depends on how well I obey (especially according to God's standards) I'm straight on my way to Hell. And that applies to every BAC as far as I'm concerned. No matter how obedient they think they are.
 
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Dkh587

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Simply putting the will of God ahead of the will of man. That is what the Bible is about from cover to cover.
that sounds a bit vague, IMO. Anybody could say they are putting God’s will ahead of the will of man.

What is God’s will?
 
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Ceallaigh

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that sounds a bit vague, IMO. Anybody could say they are putting God’s will ahead of the will of man.

What is God’s will?

Indeed. I'm sure many have attributed their will to being the will of God.
 
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Butterball1

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All verses below are from the NKJV.

“… everyone who practices righteousness is born of Him.”
(
1 John 2:29)

“… whoever does NOT practice righteousness is NOT of God …”
(
1 John 3:10)

“He who practices righteousness is righteous,
just as He is righteous.” (
1 John 3:7)

“In this the children of God and the children of the devil
are manifest: whoever does not practice righteousness
is NOT of God, NOR is he who does NOT love his brother.”
(
1 John 3:10)

“… whoever fears Him and works righteousness
is accepted by Him.” (Acts 10:35)


“… (slaves) of obedience leading to righteousness
(Romans 6:16)

“… slaves of righteousness for holiness.” (
Romans 6:19)

God does NOT practice righteousness for BACs.
BACs must do the practicing of righteousness for themselves.

From the verses above, do we agree?
God only invites into heaven …
those who have a standing of righteousness before Him,
those whom He considers righteous.
The implication of these verses that does not sit well with faith onlyists is that one must do righteousness in order to be righteous, that is, one must first do a WORK (do God's righteousness) in order for one can be righteous. No one is unconditionally born righteous, no one is unconditionally made righteous, righteousnesss is not just an idea passed from one person to another. 1 John 3:12 the type of work one does, either righteous or unrighteous works, determine if a person is righteous before God or unrighteous. Again, the terms 'righteous' or 'unrighteous' are not terms arbitrarily, unconditionally assigned to men apart from what men do, apart from man's obedience to God.

1 John 3:10 "whosoever doeth not righteousness is not of God" The verb 'doeth' being present tense shows as long as one continues to not do righteousness he continues to not be of God. 1 Peter 3:12 "the righteous" are contrasted from those who continue to "do evil". The only solution to keep from being unrighteous/doing evil is doing righteousness.

Acts of the Apostles 10:35 "But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him." Is thise verse teaching one must EARN God's acceptance by working righteousness? No, working righteousness is a necessary precondition God has placed upon His free gift of accepatance, grace, mercy.

Romans 10:3 "For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God." Those Jews, Paul's brethren in the flesh (Romans 10:1) were lost, unrighteous because they would not do God's righteousness. Psalms 119:172 all God's commandments are righteouness. Hence those Jews were unrighteous for they would not obeysubmit themselves in doing God's will, they would not believe, would not confess, would not obey the gospel (Romans 10:16). Does obeying God's righteousness EARN salvation? No, for God has made obeying the gospel a necessary precondition in order to receive the free gift of salvation for those that 'obey not the gosple of Christ' will be lost (2 Thessalonians 1:8).

Romans 6:16 one obeys UNTO righteousness. Impossible to be righteous apart from obeying God's will.

Objections raised:

1)
But doesn't Isaiah 64:6 say our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. This verse is speaking speicifically of Israel at a time Israel was in sin "and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away" and "for thou hast hid thy face from us, and hast consumed us, because of our iniquities" therfore cannot be applied to all men universally. Isaiah 64:5 "Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness..." Those not living in inquity but instead "worketh righteousness" God meets/helps them and does NOT count their righteousness a filthy rags.

2)
Did not Paul say none are righteous in Romans 3? The context where Paul took this OT quote speaks of those who are righteous (Psalms 14:5). Abel was righteous (Hebrews 11:4). Therefore Paul must be using the term 'righteous' in the absolute sense, that being, no man is absolutely, perfectly righteous in and of himself apart from Christ. Therefore absolute righteousness must come through Christ, those who obey Christ submitting to water baptism have all their sins washed away by Christ and as long as they continue to walk in the light all their sin are continually washed away by the blood of Christ (1 John 1:7) whereby one can then stand righteous before God without sin being in Christ and clothed in Christ's perfect righteousness (Galatians 3:27) having put on Christ. When Christ died, His shed blood flowed backwards to cleanse away the sins of those obedient OT characters as Abel (Hebrews 9:15) washing away all of his sins leaving him righteous before God.

3)
"The verses don't say that"

To a faith onlyist they would not but to the rest of us they do.
 
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Hammster

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The implication of these verses that does not sit well with faith onlyists is that one must do righteousness in order to be righteous, that is, one must first do a WORK (do God's righteousness) in order for one can be righteous
The verses don’t say that.
 
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Mr. M

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The difference is the “must”.
Amen. The "must" here is in "receive correction". Anyone familiar with the life of King David?
In these OT narratives, righteous kings heeded the voice of the prophets and priests, until they
didn't and became lepers. Wicked kings slew them. In Acts, the voice of the Spirit directed the Saints.
BAC actually implies "born of the Spirit". Born From Above. BFAC. To receive wisdom "from above",
to a "hearing heart", a functioning conscience.
Unfortunately, this requires "works".

Hebrews 5:14 But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, those who by reason of use
have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Acts 24:16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void to offence toward God, and toward men.
 
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Norbert L

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You seem to think that practicing righteousness is some kind of automatic process: you believe in the Lord Jesus and - bam - everything you do is righteous!

That's not how it works in reality though. Practicing righteousness is a very active decision of your will. The decision to obey God and subordinate your own will. As long as you don't do that you cannot be a disciple. Yes, it is a must.
I never said anything about “bam”. No, we are being conformed to the image of His Son. As sheep, we wander, but have a Good Shepherd. As children, we disobey, but have a loving Father.
When it comes to "must". In 99% of the time I could state that I mustn't do anything, it all comes natural. Doing good deeds, looking after family and friends but there is that 1%, that one thing which crops up from time to time which isn't all that righteous.

Must I or mustn't I?
 
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timothyu

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They probably don't mean to, but that's how it always seems to pan out.
When you look at the people of the Exodus in the desert or Moses himself, what was their sin? Why were original people to leave Egypt denied access to the promised land. Failure to follow the will of God.
 
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timothyu

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that sounds a bit vague, IMO. Anybody could say they are putting God’s will ahead of the will of man.

What is God’s will?
It might be easier to state what is the will of man. It is self serving, self determining, self interested; all of which leads to seeking gain at the expense of others, the very opposite to the will of God. God's will comes in serving the needs of others and helping each other get along, but not for gain; loving all as self. The Way was a perfect example, and before the time of the gentiles, there was no hierarchy created where the governance lived high on the hog at the expense of the rest.
 
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