That is indeed the truth, but really, you don't get there by cleaning yourself up. Like you could. God is the One Who sanctifies us.
Why is the "Imputed righteousness" scheme so seductive?
- Thread starter Episkopos
- Start date
-
Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.
You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.
We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!
Let's go back to the original language and substantiate that.
Making claims is one thing, let's do more than just make claims.
I was merely pointing out that Luther wasn't the one who coined the phrase "imputed righteousness".
The word "impute" is an accounting term. It means to credit to one's account.
I want to come back to this statement, so show how far off of Scripture this sort of thinking is.
Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
God's Grace causes us to stand. We enter that grace by faith.
1Co 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
God's grace makes us who and what we are.
Paul says he laboured more abundantly, but that it was actually God's grace working. God's grace produces fruit in our lives.
2Co 9:8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
God's grace is our provision to perform all good works - everything!
There are so many more, it's a wonderful study to just look up and read, carefully, everywhere Charis, Grace, Strongs G5485, is mentioned.
E-Sword.net has a great download Bible Study tool.
Much love!
Can you see Jesus on the cross? Can you see the Love in his eyes? Can you see how he preferred dying himself over sinning to defend himself when the government and religious establishment wanted to kill him? Can you imagine wanting this world so much to be a better place that you would prefer dying over living in it if you had to become like it?
If you can see the Love in his eyes, you will be saved. Just like Israel who were healed when they looked up to see the serpent on the pole, if we see -- actually see, and I do not mean with physical eyes -- Jesus on the cross, we will want to be like him. Nothing is worth betraying the nature God gave us as children, the nature of Love. We will see it's safe to love, even if the world kills us. We have found how God made us. We had it once but lost our innocence; and now we find we can capture that innocent loving nature again and cling to it over all else. That is truly what we are -- children of God, made in His image and likeness -- and Jesus proved we can hang onto that no matter what.
Thus he also said anyone who doesn't pick up his own cross to follow him isn't worthy of him. It has to be that way; because if we really see the Love he had on the cross, we will want to be like him. It's what we wanted all along but thought was impossible in this fallen world. There is no need to fear anything in this world -- Love is what matters, and God will not allow us to come to any lasting harm even if the world kills the body.
The cross truly does show Jesus' love for us! He could have stopped it at any moment, but would not, out of the joy of knowing His prize. Us! Amazingly!
I have to agree with you, as we understand God's love, we too will love.
So much love!
I think it helps explain imputed righteousness too. When God sees we want to be like Jesus and don't know how to do it by ourselves, He is willing to give us whatever it takes to make it so. He gives us the gifts to make it possible. We certainly can't earn it; but God delights in giving His children good things. We may even start enjoying being kind to others for no other reason than it's what we enjoy doing.
And lo, another son of God is born who delights in Love. It's what God had in mind all along.
Rom. 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Were the Publican or the thief on the cross godly? These men were not religiously inclined at all. Yet their consciences were not so seared that they were beyond conviction of the Holy Spirit.
Last edited:
OzSpen
Well-Known Member
- Mar 30, 2015
- 3,728
- 796
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- Australia
That is not my understanding of imputed righteousness, which is God declaring me righteous in Christ.
Evangelical theologian, Wayne Grudem, explained:
When we say that God imputes Christ's righteousness to us it means that God thinks of Christ's righteousness as belonging to us, or regards it as belonging to us. He "reckons" it to our account. We read, "Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness' (Rom 4:3)....
When Adam sinned, his guilt was imputed to us; God the Father viewed it as our sins, our sin was imputed to Christ.... Christ's righteousness is imputed to us, and therefore God thinks of it as belonging to us (Systematic Theology 1994:726, emphases in original).
When Adam sinned, his guilt was imputed to us; God the Father viewed it as our sins, our sin was imputed to Christ.... Christ's righteousness is imputed to us, and therefore God thinks of it as belonging to us (Systematic Theology 1994:726, emphases in original).
Oz
OzSpen
Well-Known Member
- Mar 30, 2015
- 3,728
- 796
- 113
- Faith
- Christian
- Country
- Australia
I said I saw the inventors of the doctrine were con men. I would not call the people who believed them that.
Prayer Warrior
Well-Known Member
Isn't salvation offered as a FREE gift? I mean, free to us. Jesus paid it ALL!
Romans 5:15 (AMPC)--But God’s free gift is not at all to be compared to the trespass [His grace is out of all proportion to the fall of man]. For if many died through one man’s falling away (his lapse, his offense), much more profusely did God’s grace and the free gift [that comes] through the undeserved favor of the one Man Jesus Christ abound and overflow to and for [the benefit of] many.
If salvation can be earned in any way, then Jesus would not have had to die. But we see Him in the Garden of Gethsemane asking the Father if it was possible to save mankind any other way?
Matt 26:39 (HCSB)--Going a little farther, He fell facedown and prayed, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup pass from Me. Yet not as I will, but as You will."
Jesus had to die so that we could die to sin and live to righteousness because we are crucified with Him and raised to walk in newness of the life that He offers. But this is not a righteousness of our own based on anything we can do, but that righteousness that comes through faith in Him.
Phil 3:9 (AMPC)--And that I may [actually] be found and known as in Him, not having any [self-achieved] righteousness that can be called my own, based on my obedience to the Law’s demands (ritualistic uprightness and supposed right standing with God thus acquired), but possessing that [genuine righteousness] which comes through faith in Christ (the Anointed One), the [truly] right standing with God, which comes from God by [saving] faith.
.
We sure can latch onto that "counted for righteousness" part. (At the expense of, literally, everything else.) We really are sleazy lawyers, aren't we...?
This is about Christ not us. Anyone who enters into Christ takes on His grace and power. It's about location. But we each individually are not declared more righteous than we actually are. God doesn't give up His righteousness to unrighteous people. To enter into Christ we must pass through the cross of Christ, the power of which destroys our sinful desires...and our autonomous lives. When someone walks by the power of the Spirit...their own power is crucified so that they are almost spectators to their own walks. The Lord takes over.
But that is not desirable to many who want the benefits of eternal life without the cost. It costs us everything to put on Christ.
This is religious nonsense. Abraham didn't have Christ's righteousness...he had his own righteousness according to God who acts in real righteousness. Unrighteous people misinterpret what God does all the time. It is very wrong to add to the word of God.
Religious indoctrination is a very ugly thing.
When God justified the publican after he beat his chest....because he was so deeply troubled by his own sins...God imputed it to him for righteousness. Not Christ's righteousness...but just plain old righteousness. Phinehas killed two people and that was seen as righteous by God. Again, he was simply seen as righteous by God.
The reason for the confusion is that very few have ever entered into Christ to find out what the righteousness of Christ really is. So then His righteousness is reduced to where an ordinary unpowerful and weak righteousness is mislabeled as being of Christ.
Why?
Self-justification.
People impute Christ's righteousness on themselves...that is really what is going on more often than not. And this is done to avoid the cross.
Last edited:
Actually that means that God can justify people who are NOT believers in Christ....but who ACT righteously in God's eyes. Ungodly yes...but unrighteous no.
Last edited:
yes. But the devil is also at work deceiving they who are seeking to save their own lives. Jesus said that whoever sought to save their lives would lose them. So either we ignore Jesus and listen to the devil...or go through the cross of Christ...so that we are crucified to this world and this world to us.
Similar threads
