If ye know that he is righteous, ye know that every one that doeth righteousness is born of him.
The righteous one is Christ, who is God, and all who practice righteousness are born of him. This comes as the call to remain in him now, so that believers may stand with confidence and without shame when he appears at his coming. Doing righteousness is the evidence and proof of the new birth and of belonging to God. It means keeping the law of Jehovah in loyalty and obedience, through wisdom from Christ who is sanctification and righteousness, by walking in the knowledge of the truth, sharing the divine nature, and growing in love. Such righteous lives reveal Christ's saving power at work within, giving victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil and spiritual dominion over the powers of darkness.
Context and Plain Meaning
The righteous one is Christ, who is God, and everyone who practices righteousness is born of him, with doing righteousness as the evidence of belonging to God and of new birth. Knowing that he is righteous means knowing that everyone who does what is right is born of him, and their righteous lives reveal his power to save at work in them. The verse stands directly after the call to abide in Christ now, so that believers may have confidence and not shame when he appears at his coming. That abiding life gives confidence rather than shame at his coming, as fitting preparation to meet him.
Abiding means letting what was heard from the beginning remain, so that the person remains in the Son and in the Father with the promise of eternal life. It means continuing in the truths about the Father and the Son, abiding in them and living in love. The anointing of the Spirit abiding within teaches all truth, so that no seducer is needed.
The second chapter is to be read and studied to obtain a genuine experience and a true understanding of what Christ teaches. It contains plain truths of special importance for those living in the last days. It is the best sermon for bringing simple, trusting faith in God into practical life. That practical life means trusting God as helper and as the source of all wisdom rather than trusting human weakness or being led astray by any supposed human wisdom. It means remembering that believers are God's little children to be led and guided by the Lord in every step, seeking God, looking to him who is the source of all wisdom, refusing to be decoyed from steadfast faith to follow another man's judgment, and walking in the light of the Word. The first chapter of First John is to be read and taken in its simplicity along with this, together with Christ's warning about leaving first love.
The chapter calls each soul to criticize self and set the heart in order instead of exalting self and disparaging others. It calls for remembering from where fallen, repenting, confessing and forsaking sins, doing the first works, and making diligent work for repentance so as to be cleansed without losing a moment. Presenting beautiful theories is not enough unless the love of Christ is in the heart giving fragrance to words and works, and loss of this love results in loss of all things. This urgent work is required because souls are in peril and this preparation is required to be ready for the Lord's appearing while living in the great day of atonement.
Righteous Life in Practice
Doing righteousness is the evidence and proof of new birth, showing that the one who practices it is born of God and belongs to Him. Knowing that Christ is righteous is inseparably joined to living righteously, and such a life is the fitting preparation to abide in Christ with confidence rather than shame when He appears. Doing righteousness means keeping the law of Jehovah in loyalty and obedience, and human character has been tested from Adam to the present time with blessing always resting on the loyal and obedient who do this. Righteous lives reveal Christ's power to save at work in them, for those who do what is right belong to Him and are glorified in Him. They gain victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil and stand on vantage ground with spiritual dominion over the powers of darkness.
This birth is the working of love seen in Christ crucified. Beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world stamps the image of His love upon the mind so it can never be effaced, sets Christ evidently crucified before the soul, and makes the believer a partaker of the dignity of His suffering, revealing that the heart of the great mystery is love. Doing righteousness comes through wisdom from Christ, who is sanctification and righteousness, through walking in the knowledge of the truth and partaking of the divine nature, and by cultivating love. Those born of God are to live righteously and become Christlike by working with Christ for people of every station, including the poor, the outcast, and those in deepest need. This requires individual accountability to God for service, singleness of purpose because time to work is short, walking humbly with God, keeping the plain Thus saith the Lord, and being faithful in that which is least.
Those who do righteousness are not in favor with the world or with professed Christians who make void the law of God. Abel kept the commandment of the Lord and was hated, persecuted, and killed by his brother Cain, and from the time of Abel there have been two classes on the earth manifesting the same characteristics as these two brothers.
The righteous one is Christ, who is God, and all who practice righteousness are born of him. This comes as the call to remain in him now, so that believers may stand with confidence and without shame when he appears at his coming. Doing righteousness is the evidence and proof of the new birth and of belonging to God. It means keeping the law of Jehovah in loyalty and obedience, through wisdom from Christ who is sanctification and righteousness, by walking in the knowledge of the truth, sharing the divine nature, and growing in love. Such righteous lives reveal Christ's saving power at work within, giving victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil and spiritual dominion over the powers of darkness.
Context and Plain Meaning
The righteous one is Christ, who is God, and everyone who practices righteousness is born of him, with doing righteousness as the evidence of belonging to God and of new birth. Knowing that he is righteous means knowing that everyone who does what is right is born of him, and their righteous lives reveal his power to save at work in them. The verse stands directly after the call to abide in Christ now, so that believers may have confidence and not shame when he appears at his coming. That abiding life gives confidence rather than shame at his coming, as fitting preparation to meet him.
Abiding means letting what was heard from the beginning remain, so that the person remains in the Son and in the Father with the promise of eternal life. It means continuing in the truths about the Father and the Son, abiding in them and living in love. The anointing of the Spirit abiding within teaches all truth, so that no seducer is needed.
The second chapter is to be read and studied to obtain a genuine experience and a true understanding of what Christ teaches. It contains plain truths of special importance for those living in the last days. It is the best sermon for bringing simple, trusting faith in God into practical life. That practical life means trusting God as helper and as the source of all wisdom rather than trusting human weakness or being led astray by any supposed human wisdom. It means remembering that believers are God's little children to be led and guided by the Lord in every step, seeking God, looking to him who is the source of all wisdom, refusing to be decoyed from steadfast faith to follow another man's judgment, and walking in the light of the Word. The first chapter of First John is to be read and taken in its simplicity along with this, together with Christ's warning about leaving first love.
The chapter calls each soul to criticize self and set the heart in order instead of exalting self and disparaging others. It calls for remembering from where fallen, repenting, confessing and forsaking sins, doing the first works, and making diligent work for repentance so as to be cleansed without losing a moment. Presenting beautiful theories is not enough unless the love of Christ is in the heart giving fragrance to words and works, and loss of this love results in loss of all things. This urgent work is required because souls are in peril and this preparation is required to be ready for the Lord's appearing while living in the great day of atonement.
Righteous Life in Practice
Doing righteousness is the evidence and proof of new birth, showing that the one who practices it is born of God and belongs to Him. Knowing that Christ is righteous is inseparably joined to living righteously, and such a life is the fitting preparation to abide in Christ with confidence rather than shame when He appears. Doing righteousness means keeping the law of Jehovah in loyalty and obedience, and human character has been tested from Adam to the present time with blessing always resting on the loyal and obedient who do this. Righteous lives reveal Christ's power to save at work in them, for those who do what is right belong to Him and are glorified in Him. They gain victory over the world, the flesh, and the devil and stand on vantage ground with spiritual dominion over the powers of darkness.
This birth is the working of love seen in Christ crucified. Beholding the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world stamps the image of His love upon the mind so it can never be effaced, sets Christ evidently crucified before the soul, and makes the believer a partaker of the dignity of His suffering, revealing that the heart of the great mystery is love. Doing righteousness comes through wisdom from Christ, who is sanctification and righteousness, through walking in the knowledge of the truth and partaking of the divine nature, and by cultivating love. Those born of God are to live righteously and become Christlike by working with Christ for people of every station, including the poor, the outcast, and those in deepest need. This requires individual accountability to God for service, singleness of purpose because time to work is short, walking humbly with God, keeping the plain Thus saith the Lord, and being faithful in that which is least.
Those who do righteousness are not in favor with the world or with professed Christians who make void the law of God. Abel kept the commandment of the Lord and was hated, persecuted, and killed by his brother Cain, and from the time of Abel there have been two classes on the earth manifesting the same characteristics as these two brothers.