Practice makes perfect?

1 John 3:7
Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.

I think we have a tendency to believe that in order to practice righteousness we must be “doing” something. What, exactly, is your righteous work? I ask that with a hint of sarcasm because the Bible says that all of our righteousnesses are like filthy rags to God (Isaiah 64:6). If our righteousnesses, that is to say, our acts or good deeds, are considered trash to God, how can they make us righteous just as He is righteous? It’s not a trick question; the answer is simple: they can’t.

If we read and interpret this verse in the typical way the only logical conclusion is this: doing good things makes you righteous. But, if we read this verse with that interpretation it contradicts earlier portions of the Bible. Since the Bible is infallible, what does this verse mean?

I like to answer questions with more questions. How does a doctor practice medicine? How does an attorney practice law? You may say, “Well, a doctor operates on a patient. He does the work of a doctor.” Maybe you’d say, “Attorneys go to court and have trials. They make arguments and present cases. They do the work of attorneys.” While that’s true, that’s not practicing medicine or law; that’s actually being a doctor or an attorney. The practice came when they read books and listened to good teachers who told them all about the body or all about the laws. Before they could do their job they had to practice and have an intimate knowledge of the field in which they were going to work. And, interestingly enough, once they became a doctor or attorney, they still have to practice by learning more.

Well folks, the same holds true for the Christian. Before you can do righteous acts, you must be righteous. The only way you can be righteous is to have an intimate knowledge of where your righteousness comes from. It doesn’t come from the works that you do. Your righteousness comes from Jesus; it’s His righteousness. In order to practice righteousness you need only learn more about Jesus. Reminding yourself day by day, hour by hour, even minute by minute if necessary, that you are righteous because He has made you that way (2 Corinthians 5:21) is the only way to practice righteousness.

The “righteous” deeds that you “do” will become a manifestation of the righteousness that you already possess rather than a way to become the righteousness that you aren’t righteous enough to possess. The more you learn about the righteousness of Jesus the more righteous you will become. The more you understand the depth of His love for you and the grace that He’s extended to us all through the cross, the more righteous you’ll become. Your life will become a manifestation of the righteousness you practice as you become intimate with the righteousness of Christ.