First John: 1 John 3:7b-The Person Who Practices Righteousness is Righteous Just as Jesus Christ is Righteous Lesson # 109

1 John 3:7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. (ESV)

“Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous” is composed of the following: (1) articular nominative masculine singular present active participle form of the verb poieō (ποιέω), “whoever practices” (2) articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun dikaiosune (δικαιοσύνη), “righteousness” (3) nominative masculine singular form of the adjective dikaios (δίκαιος), “righteous” (4) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “is” (5) adverb kathōs (καθώς), “as” (6) nominative masculine singular form of the demonstrative pronoun ekeinos (ἐκεῖνος), “he” (7) nominative masculine singular form of the adjective dikaios (δίκαιος), “righteous” (4) third person singular present active indicative form of the verb eimi (εἰμί), “is.”

Once again, John is using the figure of asyndeton but this time he is using it in order to emphasize the solemn nature of the eternal spiritual principle which asserts that whoever practices righteousness is righteous just as Jesus Christ is righteous.

The verb poieō means, “to practice” and its object is the articular accusative feminine singular form of the noun dikaiosune, “righteousness.”

Therefore, this verb is expressing the idea of any member of the human race practicing righteousness.

The present tense of the verb poieō is a gnomic present which is not used to make a statement of a general, timeless fact but rather is used to describe something that is true any time and does take place.

Therefore, the gnomic present of the verb is expressing the idea of a person who “at any time does” practices righteousness of God.

The noun dikaiosune means “righteousness” and refers to a person exemplifying God’s integrity and virtue which constitutes righteousness.

It refers to believer exemplifying Christ-like character which is perfectly sound by practicing righteousness.

It speaks of perfectly adhering to God’s perfect standards, which appear in the gospel and denotes a child of God doing all that God commands them in the gospel and all that He demands of them in the gospel as His child and all that He approves, and all that He provides through Christ.

It refers to a believer experiencing the righteousness of God by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session, which results in obedience to the various prohibitions and commands that appear in the gospel.

This constitutes loving God with one’s entire being and strength and one’s neighbor as oneself.

Therefore, the noun dikaiosune refers to the believer fulfilling their obligations to both God and man.

The former required that they love God with their entire being and the latter required that they love their neighbor as themselves.

Their obligation to their fellow-believer is to love their fellow-believer as Christ loves them.

The verb eimi means “to possess a particular characteristic” and which characteristic is identified by the nominative masculine singular form of the adjective dikaios, which means “righteous.”

This word asserts that the person who at any time does practice that which is truly righteousness possesses “integrity” in the sense that their character is perfectly sound and adheres perfectly to God’s holy standards.

Thus, they are upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished and sound, and unimpaired and in perfect condition.

It describes their character and nature as being perfect “virtue” in the sense that their character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and is conformed to God’s own perfect holy standards.

This word also indicates that this person who at any time does practice that which is truly righteousness is fulfilling their obligations to their fellow human being and God.

Therefore, the verb eimi is expressing the idea that the person who does at any time practice that which is truly righteousness possesses the characteristic of being righteous.

The present tense of the verb eimi is a gnomic present which is used for a general, timeless fact or specifically, a spiritual axiom or an eternal spiritual truth.

Here it is used to express an absolute statement that is true all the time.

It is expressing the idea that the person who does at any time practice that which is truly righteousness does “as an eternal spiritual truth” possess the characteristic of being righteous.

The adverb kathōs is “comparing” the believer being righteous experientially as a result of practicing righteousness with Jesus Christ who as to His character and nature is righteous.

The demonstrative pronoun ekeinos means “this one” referring of course to Jesus Christ.

The word is anaphoric meaning that this same word appeared in 1 John 3:5 where it was used of Jesus Christ since this verse says that the referent of this word appeared to take away sins.

The Father did not appear as a human being but rather the Son did (cf. John 1:14-18; Phil. 2:5-8).

The verb eimi means “to possess a particular inherent characteristic,” and which characteristic is identified by the nominative masculine singular form of the adjective dikaios, which as it did earlier in the verse means “righteous.”

This word asserts that Jesus Christ’s nature and character is eternally existing in the state or condition of being perfect “integrity” in the sense that His character is perfectly sound and adheres perfectly to His own holy standards and what He has promised to sinners.

Thus, He is upright, honest, perfectly whole, undiminished and sound, and unimpaired and in perfect condition and describes His character and nature as being perfect “virtue” in the sense that His character is perfect moral excellence, goodness, and He always conforms to His own perfect standards.

It speaks of the His character and nature as being in a state or condition of always fulfilling His obligations to His Father and His moral rational creatures, whether angels or men.

The present tense of the verb eimi is a gnomic present referring to a general, timeless fact indicating that Jesus Christ is “as an eternal spiritual truth” righteous and is thus “characterized by” righteousness.

1 John 3:7 Children, continue to make it your habit of permitting absolutely no one at any time to cause any one of you to be deceived. The person who at any time does practice that which is truly righteousness is righteous just as He Himself is righteous. (My translation)

1 John 3:7 contains the second explicit reference in First John with regards to the practice of God’s righteousness by the believer.

The first is found in 1 John 2:29.

1 John 2:29 If each of you possess the conviction that He is righteous, then each of you know experientially that any person who at any time does practice that which is truly righteousness has been fathered by Him. (Author’s translation)

Now, here in 1 John 3:7, notice the connection between the believer practicing righteousness in their lives with that of Jesus Christ Himself being righteous.

John is teaching the recipients of this epistle that that they must continue to practice righteousness in their lives because Jesus Christ Himself is righteous who stands in contrast to the antichrists.

The believer who practices righteousness will reflect Jesus Christ’s righteous character.

In fact, John teaches in 1 John 3:4-10 that practicing divine righteousness distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil.

John is teaching that since Jesus Christ is righteous, then the believer must reflect His righteousness by the practice of this righteousness or in other words, John is inferring that Jesus Christ is the source of the believer’s practice of righteousness.

When the believer was declared justified through faith in Jesus Christ, the Father imputed His Son’s righteousness which is His righteousness, to them.

They now possess the capacity to practice God’s righteousness because of this imputation at the moment of justification.

The believer also has the capacity to imitate Jesus Christ and practice righteousness just as He did during His First Advent.

In fact, in 1 John 2:6, John reminds the recipients of this epistle that if they are going to make the claim of experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ, they must conduct their lives in the same manner as He conducted His life during His First Advent.

1 John 2:6 The one who at any time does say he is living in fellowship with Him, he must himself also conduct his life in the same manner as this One conducted His life. (Author’s translation)

The comparative clause “just as He Himself is righteous” in 1 John 3:7 is similar to what John is saying in 1 John 2:6 in that to conduct one’s life like Jesus Christ demands that the believer practice righteousness as He did during His First Advent.

The practice of righteousness is another metaphor that John uses to describe fellowship with God which is in addition to the previous ones he uses in this epistle such as “living in the light,” 1 (John 1:7; 2:10) “knowing Him experientially” (1 John 2:3-4, 13-14), or “living in fellowship with Him.”