Practice makes perfect. That’s a lie. Nothing could be further from the truth. Have you seen me swing a golf club? My friend tells me I golf like an 80-year-old man. When I hear him say that, I think, “That old guy must be a pretty good golfer.” A few years ago, when I was golfing with my friend, we approached a 180-yard par 3. I looked at my bag, pulled out my driver, and teed it up. I left it short. I’ve been practicing my golf swing for 25 years and even still, it’s far from perfect.  

While practice doesn’t make you perfect, what you practice reveals something about the person you’re becoming. Practice sin and you will produce lawlessness. Cut corners, cover-up, and conceal, and your character will be revealed. It won’t be pretty. 

But there’s good news. 

Whoever practices righteousness is righteous. 

Notice that John doesn’t say, “Whoever practices righteousness will become righteous.” This is important. The Christian life isn’t about becoming something you’re not as much as it is living out something that you are. If you’re a child of God, the righteousness of Christ is yours. That doesn’t mean we don’t desire to grow in Christlikeness. It doesn’t mean that we won’t pursue holiness. We certainly do! Practicing righteousness reveals our standing before God, but it doesn’t earn our standing before God. Practice doesn’t produce perfection. Practice reveals character.