Contents

  1. The paradox that “none is righteous, no, not one” (Ro 3:10), and “the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous” (1Jn 3:7)
  2. Artificial Intelligence Analysis



The Righteousness Paradox

The paradox that “none is righteous, no, not one” (Ro 3:10), and “the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous” (1Jn 3:7), is easily reconciled when you understand the different contexts of merit and fruit-bearing.

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness[a] is righteous, just as Jesus[b] is righteous. — 1 John 3:7

On the one hand we cannot merit (earn) our salvation by works. Justification is by faith apart from works of the law (Eph 2:8-10; Gal 2:16,21; 3:10-12; 5:4; Ro 3:20,28). We are totally depraved, which means, that man can never be good enough to merit his own salvation, our works appear as dirty rags (Isaiah 64:6 NLT) in this context. It also entails the inability to even desire to do good without the regeneration of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that all are sinners (Romans 3:23) and unable by human performance to earn, deserve, or merit salvation (Titus 3:5). We believe that the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), and that apart from God’s grace, no one can be saved (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that none are righteous, or capable of doing good (Romans 3:10-12), and that apart from the conviction and regeneration of the Holy Spirit, none can be saved (John 1:12-13; 16:8-11; 1 Peter 1:23-25). Mankind is clearly fallen and lost in sin.†

“The phrase total depravity is commonly used to make explicit the implications of original sin. It signifies a corruption of our moral and spiritual nature that is total not in degree (for no-one is as bad as he or she might be) but in extent. It declares that no part of us is untouched by sin, and therefore no action of ours is as good as it should be, and consequently nothing in us or about us ever appears meritorious in God’s eyes. We cannot earn God’s favour, no matter what we do; unless grace saves us, we are lost.”§

Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness[a] is righteous, just as Jesus[b] is righteous. — 1 John 3:7 NET Full Notes Edition

a. 1 John 3:7 sn The one who practices righteousness. The participle (ὁ ποιῶν, ho poiōn) + noun constructions in 3:7 and in 3:8a, the first positive and the second negative, serve to emphasize the contrast between the true Christians (“the one who practices righteousness”) and the opponents (“the one who practices sin,” 3:8a).

b. 1 John 3:7 tn Grk “that one.” Context indicates a reference to Jesus here. As with the previous uses of ἐκεῖνος (ekeinos) by the author of 1 John (2:6; 3:3, 5), this one refers to Jesus, as the reference to “the Son of God” in the following verse (3:8) makes clear.

In the second context we find that Christians can live righteously, and are empowered to “practice” righteousness otherwise they give no evidence of being born again (1Jn 3:10 ESV). In these examples they are not speaking of merit, they’re speaking of fruit-bearing (John 15:1-17). The Holy Spirit regenerates in Christians a new nature of practicing righteousness.

16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. — Matthew 5:16 KJV

The difference is, that every Christian understands that the righteousness they “practice” is not meritorious, it is for God’s glory and a fruit of genuine saving faith. The Holy Spirit produces these fruits and righteousness in our lives and sanctifies us (Gal 5:22-23 NLT).

Some people may contradict our teaching, but these are the wholesome teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. These teachings promote a godly life. 4 Anyone who teaches something different is arrogant and lacks understanding… — 1 Timothy 6:3-4 NLT

Justification is by faith alone (Rom 3:28), but a faith that does not grow the fruit of obedience by the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, is not true faith; it is a dead faith, and James rejects salvation by a dead and superficial faith (James 2:14-26). Genuine faith always “results” in the fruits of the faith (Ga 5:22-23 NLT; Jn 15:4-5; 1Cor 3:6-7), denying this, denies His transformative power.

6 No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. 8 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. 9 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. 10 By this it is evident who are the children of God, and who are the children of the devil: whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is the one who does not love his brother. — 1 John 3:6-10 ESV

If you are having a hard time locating sources of truth in Christianity, remember, you will know them by their fruits. Do not listen to a person who claims to be Christian and pursues a lifestyle of sin, they give no evidence of being born again, do not accept their doctrine, do not walk their path.

I believe saving faith will result in obedience… We must guard jealously the fact that faith alone is what saves us, not faith plus obedience. … No historic Protestant confession says that saving faith includes obedience.‡ — Historic Protestant Position

ℹ️ Disclaimer: Everyone has sin (1 Jn 1:8–10 ESV), but not everyone pursues lifestyles of indulgent sin (1Jn 3:6-10 ESV). Though we may stumble, make mistakes, and God forbid backslide, there is no such thing as a born again Christian that “practices” sin (habitually and continually pursuing a lifestyle of sin).

Artificial Intelligence Analysis

GPT-4-turbo

Yes, I agree with the conclusion of the article. It effectively reconciles the seeming paradox between “none is righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10) and “the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous” (1 John 3:7) by distinguishing between the contexts of merit and fruit-bearing.

  1. Merit and Justification by Faith: The article emphasizes that salvation cannot be earned through works; it is a gift of grace received through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9). Human beings are totally depraved, meaning that every part of our nature is affected by sin, and we cannot merit salvation through our actions (Isaiah 64:6).

  2. Fruit-bearing and Sanctification: While works do not earn salvation, genuine saving faith results in a transformed life that bears fruit (John 15:1-17). Christians, empowered by the Holy Spirit, practice righteousness as a natural outcome of their new nature in Christ. This fruit-bearing is not about earning salvation but about living out the new life given by God (Galatians 5:22-23).

  3. Evidence of True Faith: The article correctly points out that true faith will manifest in righteous living. James 2:14-26 teaches that faith without works is dead, indicating that genuine faith produces obedience and good works. This does not mean that the works themselves save, but they are evidence of a living faith.

  4. Lifestyle of Righteousness vs. Sin: The article distinguishes between stumbling into sin and living a lifestyle characterized by habitual sin. True believers may fall and make mistakes, but their lives will generally reflect the righteousness that comes from being born of God (1 John 3:6-10).

In summary, the article accurately reflects the biblical teaching that while justification is by faith alone, genuine faith will inevitably produce a life of righteousness, evidenced by good works and obedience to God. This distinction between justification and sanctification is crucial for understanding the harmony of these scriptural truths.



† Chuck Smith, “Calvinism, Arminianism, & The Word of God, A Calvary Chapel Perspective.” Depravity. p. 10.

‡ Dr. Wayne Grudem (Ph.D., University of Cambridge; D.D., Westminster Theological Seminary), a distinguished Research Professor of Theology and Biblical Studies. He graduated Harvard, Westminister Seminary, and Cambridge. Member of the Translation Oversight Committee for the English Standard Version of the Bible, the general editor of the ESV Study Bible, and the author of over twenty-five books. Dr. Grudem identifies as a 5-Point Orthodox Calvinist (infralapsarian).

§ Dr. J. I. Packer (PhD, University of Oxford), Concise Theology. 31. Original Sin. On faith, on repentance. Board of Governors’ Professor of Theology, Regent College. He was a prolific writer, and he also served on the translation board of the English Standard Version of the Bible. The 2005 Time listed him as one of the 25 most influential evangelicals. During his time at Oxford, Packer attended lectures by C.S. Lewis, and hearing Lewis greatly affected his spiritual thinking.