1Jn 3:7  My little children, let no man lead you astray: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous: ASV

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous. KJV

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no one lead you astray; the one practicing righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous. LITV

1Jn 3:7  Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous. MKJV
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                                    COMMENTARY

  The Greek word for "do" [poieo] is a Present Active Participle.
According to the Greek Scholar Spiros Zodhiates, who himself is a Greek, a present participle expresses continuous or repeated action! So it can be said... "
He who is continually, repeatedly doing righteousness, or that which is righteous, is himself a righteous one." People who believe in the false doctrines of "State" and/or "indwelling sin" cannot handle the pressure of this verse. This verse cannot possibly be applied to the guy in Romans 7:14ff either. That guy isn't doing -any- righteousness -at all-! This one verse alone is a 'torpedo' that strikes amid ships well below the waterline and sends all false doctrines of Sanctification right to the bottom, where they belong! For example, the "State" people claim that a Christian's Character and Conduct remain sinful after Regeneration. But John says the exact -opposite- in this verse.

  To "do that which is righteous" is a direct reference to one's Conduct and anybody who denies that is for sure unregenerate. As well when John says that such a person is Righteous, that's a direct
reference to one's Character and anybody who denies that is for sure unregenerate.

  To "Do" righteousness is a direct reference to a person's Conduct. "Is" righteous
is a direct reference to a person's Character. There's just no way in the universe that you can get either "Christians cannot stop sinning" or "This is talking about one's -State- not Character & Conduct" from this verse/passage  without completely destroying language and grammar. The verse clearly identifies all Christians as those who are just like their Savior. He was Righteous and so are they. He did no sin and neither do they.  

  When a person is 'doing righteousness'... is he sinning while he is doing the righteousness?  What absolute nonsense. Yet this is what many would have us believe. See folks, any view of a Christian that says he cannot stop sinning of necessity plays havoc with the doctrine of Sanctification. This is so because now the doctrine of Sanctification must be defined in such a way as to include sin! But that's Biblical madness! Scripture teaches that without holiness -No- man shall see the Lord. It teaches that Christians are to be about the business of ...

Having therefore these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2Cor 7:1

How can a person who keeps on sinning comply with that verse? I say, such necessitates that the doctrine of Sanctification & Holiness includes sin. Scripture commands  God's people;

Le 11:44  For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.
Le 19:2  Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.
Le 20:7  Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

And the Holy Spirit applies this truth to the elect in the New Testament;

1Pe 1:15  But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;
16  Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

  False doctrines of Sanctification that teach Christians are still sinners and cannot stop sinning must give us a doctrine of Holiness that includes sin! But that notion is utter darkness because to "be Holy"  means to be separate from sin!

1John

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