What is the connection between virtues and life in Christ?

All of us, regardless of how much evil resides in us, find within ourselves a yearning to be virtuous in character. Philosophers and men of education have discussed the nature of virtue since ancient times. Many kings, governors, and rulers took care to entrust their children to the hands of philosophers who could train them to lead a virtuous life appropriate to their status.

The apostle Paul boasted that concerning the law, he was “a Pharisee … concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless” (Phil. 3:5–6). When he met the Lord Christ, he realized that while the Law reveals to us the sins we commit (Rom. 3:20), it cannot remedy them (Gal. 2:16). Thus, he urges us to encounter the Lord Christ (Rom. 10:4) who alone is able to grant us union with Him and bestow upon us His righteousness. Therefore, when the apostle Paul talks about the “life in Christ” (Rom. 8:2), he means enjoying Christ’s righteousness or partaking of His characteristics, so that we may become as virtuous as is possible for us. These virtues touch every aspect of our lives: personal life; family life; work; social life; etc. It is difficult to restrict a virtue to just one particular aspect of life in isolation from other aspects of life, because the life in Christ is a unified life that impacts all aspects of life. The virtuous life is like an expensive gem with many facets.