The Believer and Righteousness
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.
Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness.
You know that he appeared to take away sins, and in him there is no sin.
No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.
Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous.
Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.
No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God. (1 John 3:2-9)
We have been made righteous by faith in Christ Jesus. But this righteousness espresses its fruits in righteous deeds. A tree is known by its fruits.
Certain rebrobate men teach that our actions do not matter because we have been made righteous. They teach that regardless of how we live, we remain righteous. Please compare Scriptures with the words and ideas of these ungodly people who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality.
The truth is that the way we know who has truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ is by whether they live right or not.
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. (Titus 2:11)
Yes; God knows those who are His, but the flip side of the coin is that those who are His depart from unrighteousness. If a man does not depart from unrighteousness, it is evidence that God does not know him.
But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.” (2 Timothy 2:19)
