The book of 1 John is the key book for understanding this term “practicing righteousness.”  In chapter 1, verse 6 he calls it “practicing the truth.”  In 2:29, 3:7, and 3:10  he calls it “practicing righteousness.”  In 3:4 John tells us that anyone who “makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness” and that “sin is lawlessness.”  In 3:8 he says that anyone who makes a practice of sinning is of the devil.  Verse nine teaches us that “no one born of God makes a practice of sinning.”  Finally, in verse ten he say, “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 3:10 ESV)

Here John teaches us that we know the children of God by two attributes, they 1) practice righteousness and, 2) they love their brother.  This statement actually reiterates the two great commands given by Christ, 1) love God with all your heart soul and mind and, 2) love your neighbor as yourself.

The last post dealt with this first aspect.  Now we move to the second.  Who is my brother?  If you read the parable of the “good Samaritan” you will understand that all men are our brothers.  Then how do we love our brothers?  Must we go out and take care of all their physical needs?  No, but we must take care of their spiritual needs.  How?  We must do as Jesus did.  We must cover their nakedness.  (Isaiah 58:7)  What?  I thought that meant provide clothing for them!  No, Jesus covered them with his blood spiritually.  We cover them by confessing their sins as if they were our own and asking God to forgive them.

Remember, when Adam and Eve sinned they realized they were naked.  They had been covered with the glory of God; sin caused that glory to leave.  This left them naked.  Immediately God clothed them with the skin of a beast.  Since then men have been as the beast of the field and will remain so for “seven times.”  The beast skin covered their natural nakedness, but not their spiritual nakedness.  Only Christ’s blood can do that.

So if we truly practice rightousness what does that have to do with covering my neighbor’s nakedness?  Now that we have learned how to practice righteousness we know how to love ourselves spiritually.  We repent of every known sin, continue to learn the ways of God, and repent again when we fall short of God’s glory by missing the mark (by sinning).   We love our neighbors by confessing their sins as if they were our own.  We pray that God will forgive them “for they know not what they do,” just as Jesus did to those who tortured him.  We see the same example in Daniel’s prayer, except that Daniel includes himself.  Why?  Because he knows that he is not perfect either.  He wants to be perfect, just as Jesus says we must.  Therefore he practices righteousness by repenting of all known and unknown sin for both himself and confessing the sins of his people.    I am not saying that you have to confess every sin of every person.  Just start praying for and confessing the sins of those you know or become aware of.   Become an intercessor and ambassador of Christ!  We can pray for others as exemplified in the following prayer:

Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.  [4] I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments,  [5] we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.  [6] We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.  [7] To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you.  [8] To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.  [9] To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 
    [10] and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.  [11] All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him.  [12] He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem.  [13] As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth.  [14] Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice.  [15] And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly. [16] “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us.  [17] Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate.  [18] O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.  [19] O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.”   (Daniel 9:3-19 ESV)