Why do so many oppose imputed righteousness?

Enoch111 said:

It would appear that large numbers of Christians are opposed to the Gospel truth of imputed righteousness, and sincerely believe that they must add their own righteousness to the righteousness of Christ (or apart from the righteousness of Christ) in order to be accepted into Heaven. Many even falsely believe that water baptism saves them.

Imputed righteousness is so foreign to human experience that if we did not have the Word of God to show us that God literally credits the righteousness of Christ to every believer’s spiritual account, none of us would believe it.

But imputed righteousness cannot be isolated from justification by grace through faith. Therefore if we believe that God justifies the ungodly because they have trusted wholly in Christ and His finished work of redemption, then we must also believe that at that very moment God places the *robe* of the righteousness of Christ upon the one who repents and believes God.

We first read of imputed righteousness in the Old Testament, but it is brought out clearly in the New Testament in the account of Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.(Heb 11:4) In the same way Noah was deemed righteous because he believed, trusted, and obeyed God, his obedience being the outcome of his faith: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen 6:8) We see here that grace and faith are connected.

But the Holy Spirit uses the example of Abraham as the man who was justified by grace through faith, and to whom God imputed righteousness when he believed God: And, behold, the Word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He [the LORD] counted it to him for righteousness.

Thus the Holy Spirit also inspired Paul to take Abraham’s example and apply it to every believer in Romans 4. While the New Testament speaks of this critical matter in several places, it is in the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Romans that Paul – under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit – explains the meaning of imputed righteousness.

ROMANS 4
JUSTIFICATION BY WORKS WOULD GLORIFY MAN
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND WAS DEEMED RIGHTEOUS
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

GRACE IS EXCLUDED WHEN MEN BRING THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS TO GOD
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

WORKS ARE EXCLUDED WHEN GOD JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

CIRCUMCISION DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

CIRCUMCISION SHOULD ONLY BE A SIGN OF FAITH
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

TORAH OBSERVANCE DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE RIGHTEOUS
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

JUSTIFICATION IS PURELY BY GOD'S GRACE THROUGH FAITH
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS STRONG AND GAVE GLORY TO GOD
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS IMPUTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

EVERY BELIEVER’S FAITH IN CHRIST IS ALSO IMPUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

Click to expand...

Now we talking the same language Enoch!! Awesome post!

Ernest T. Bass said:

Not s single example anywhere in the Bible of God forgiving those that live impenitently, disobediently, not a single example of God reckoning a disobedient, impenitent person as righteous.

Click to expand...

There is a general example of the man that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, in Romans 4:5. And this indicates that the Lord justifies the ungodly (declares and reckons them as righteous)

Ernest T. Bass said:

There is no verse that says it is impossible for a Christian to sin.

Click to expand...

I beg to differ. Are Christians of the devil? See 1 John 3:8. And the word "cannot" in 1 John 3:9 speaks volumes.

Ernest T. Bass said:

Romans 6:2 a Christian is one who is dead to sin and does not have sin continually dwelling in him.

Click to expand...

You are in denial of 1 John 1:8; saying that Christians do not have sin.

amadeus said:

The fruits of course tell the story, but who can discern the good fruits from the evil fruits?

Click to expand...

This reminds me of what it says in the following scripture:

Mat 7:15, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16, Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17, Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18, A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19, Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20, Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Nondenom40 said:

Because i'm still in this world and so is satan. And i fail God regularly. You?

Click to expand...

Its not the world's fault you sin... Nor Satan's. You regularly fall God? Yet Jesus died and rose again that you would overcome all that.
Read Romans 6 repeatedly until you get it. Whatever may have been the cause of your sinning previous to conversion, is now dealt with. The flesh is dead. The enemy is conquered. You have been given the holy Spirit. For all Christians who believe the promises of scripture, sin should be a very rare occurrence, if at all.

Seems to me that far too many Christians misunderstand the prime purpose of the gospel. The gospel wasn't given for the main purpose if getting people into heaven. That was a by product. The prime reason Jesus died, rise again, was to remove sin from your life. The result of that is eternal life.
Paul put it like this...
KJV Romans 8
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We are born again of above. We become new creatures. These new creatures, through faith in the power of God, are enabled to live righteous lives. The Old sinner is dead. We are new... Risen in Christ... And it is God's purpose that we should be holy and without blame in His sight...
There are no excuses for sin. The flesh is dead and Satan is conquered. Focus on Christ and yield your members as instruments of righteousness and watch your lives unfold into realms you will be forever grateful for. Let go, and let God.

Enoch111 said:

We first read of imputed righteousness in the Old Testament, but it is brought out clearly in the New Testament in the account of Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.(Heb 11:4) In the same way Noah was deemed righteous because he believed, trusted, and obeyed God, his obedience being the outcome of his faith: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen 6:8) We see here that grace and faith are connected.

Click to expand...

The earliest, the very first case of imputed righteousness—viz., ‘righteousness by faith’—, is read of in Genesis 3:8-24.

...and I mention it just because you cannot take it, the fact it was the event of the first Seventh Day Sabbath of the LORD GOD on earth.

Enoch111 said:

You still did not get it. Do you understand the difference between justification and sanctification? And the passage from Ezekiel simply points to Christ.

Click to expand...

Amen. Yes, as 'our' justification and righteousness is Jesus Christ 'imputed', "your sanctification is Christ Jesus", 'imputed' and 'imparted'.

justbyfaith said:

I know that I myself have the imputed righteousness of Christ. But I am also aware (are you?) that Christ also imparts righteousness to His children:

Mat 5:6, Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Rom 5:19, For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

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

These verses speak of a practical righteousness that is given as a gift to the people of God.

In context of Romans 5:19 (Romans 5:17) righteousness is said to be a gift; and in context of Romans 5:17 (Romans 5:19), this gift is said to be a practical righteousness (the person is not only declared, but made righteous).

In 1 John 3:7, it should be clear that if we really and truly do what is righteous, we are righteous even as Christ is righteous...now that is talking about perfect righteousness in the practical sense! See also Hebrews 10:14.

This is the righteousness that we will have in heaven and can even have while we walk the earth.

Click to expand...

You can do righteously. You can do righteous things. But only in view of having Christ's imputed righteousness declared unto you. No matter how good your righteous deeds are here on earth, they will not get you to heaven.

The declared righteousness is just that...declared. It is you being declared as righteous as Christ even though you are not. As I said, that will be true in Heaven also. You will always be there only due to the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. If that is so, and it is, it shows no matter how good your righteousness here is, it is not enough. Before God it is filthy rags.

Being made righteous, and declared righteous are the same things. You are made righteous by the imputed righteousness of Christ.

You are righteous as Christ only because of your faith in Christ. You do righteous things only because you have been declared righteous by God and have the Holy Spirit in you. I have told you before concerning (1 John 3:7) that John is drawing stark division between sin and righteousness throughout his letter. In one place he says we are all sinners. (1:8-10) In another, he says if you sin you are of the devil and believers don't sin. (3:8-10) It all depends on what error he is addressing.

Johns whole purpose in writing his letter is abiding in Christ and fellowship with God. (1John 1:3-4) (2:6) (3:6) Again, (John) is not giving a doctrinal thesis on the imputation of the Righteousness of Christ as Paul does. So, yes, you as a believer will do righteous things. That reflects on you having Christ's righteousness imputed to you. You are as righteous as Christ, only by imputation.

That 'impartation' of that righteousness, which you like to claim, does not mean you maintain that righteousness. Your good things you do, do not change that righteousness. They don't improve upon it. The bad things you do, your sins, does not take away from that righteousness. You want this to be so, because that way you put the believer under some sort of law. If you could improve or take away from the imputed righteousness of Christ, then you would no longer need it in Heaven, where you are sinless and in the presence of God forever.

Stranger

Ernest T. Bass said:

As pointed out earlier in this thread it is faith onlyist who are trying to figure out a way to get a man to be seen as righteous by God without that man DOING any obedience at all. No verse teaches that righteous is imputed or transferred to the sinner while the sinner continues in unrighteousness, disobedience to God's will.

Psalms 119:172 all of Gods commandments are righteousness Therefore obeying God's commands is doing God's righteousness and how one becomes righteous before God. Nowhere in the Bible is obedience to the will of God said to earn the free gift of salvation. Doing God's righteousness is a condition one must meet to receive the gift of salvation. There is a difference between working to earn some thing and meeting the conditions place upon a free gift.

Romans 10:3 shows the difference between one doing his OWN righteousness in trying to earn salvation and submitting to the righteous commands of God that does save.

Click to expand...

Imputation of Christ's righteousness comes when one places faith in Christ. So, naturally, he is being obedient to the call to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And at that point he is declared righteous because he is covered in the imputed righteousness of Christ. And that point will forever mark the only reason he will ever exist in Heaven.

After you have been in Heaven for, let's say 30 million years, and have been sinless all that time, and have experienced great fellowship with God and Jesus Christ, and all the saints, and have done many wondrous things. Even then, you are there only because of that point in time, back here on this sin infected earth, when you placed faith in Christ, and were declared righteous by God having Christ's righteousness imputed to you.

Concerning (Rom. 10:3), and how was Israel going about trying to establish her own righteousness? By obeying the Law. It is only faith that brings in the imputed righteousness of Christ. (Rom. 10:4-5) "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."

Faith is the only condition to have the imputed righteousness of Christ cover you. (Rom. 10:6) If anything else is added, it is no more of faith but of works and is not a free gift. It becomes an earned gift. Feeds ones self-righteousness. Does nothing before God.

Stranger

Declared Righteous Part 1

DECLARED righteous! How? Can such a thing be possible, when all of Adam’s descendants, every one of them, have been unrighteous, imperfect and with a tendency toward wrongdoing? If honest, each one of us must frankly admit as did the psalmist David: “With error I was brought forth with birth pains, and in sin my mother conceived me.”—Ps. 51:5.

According to the Bible, “sin” and “unrighteousness” are synonymous. (1 John 5:17) Thus the inheritance of sin from our first human parents on down to this day has labeled us all “unrighteous.” And the undeniable evidence of this inherent sinfulness or unrighteousness is the fact that men continue to die. (Rom. 5:12; 6:23) Further, they are unable to relieve themselves of this fatal disability, for the psalmist again writes, under inspiration: “Not one of them can by any means redeem even a brother, nor give to God a ransom for him.”—Ps. 49:7.

Yet the Bible shows that the unrighteous can be declared righteous! How is this possible? On what basis can there be a declaring of imperfect creatures righteous? Can Jehovah God, the great Judge, do this and still remain righteous himself?

THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD

Let us take note of God’s “means of saving” sinful humans from the death-dealing effects of inherited sin. (Luke 2:30) He sent forth his Son, born of a woman, it is true, but not tainted with the imperfect reproductive seed of Adam, for “holy spirit” and “power of the Most High” impregnated Mary with perfect seed. (Luke 1:35) Therefore the one born of her came to be “undefiled, separated from the sinners.” (Heb. 7:26) When he was grown to manhood he qualified as having that ‘body prepared by God’ for sacrifice on behalf of unrighteous men.—Heb. 10:5.

At the time of his baptism in the Jordan, Jesus was a perfect, righteous man. He presented himself willingly to enter upon a sacrificial course marked out for him by his heavenly Father. As he came up out of the water God’s holy spirit came upon him, and by marvelous signs God acknowledged him to be his Son—not in the sense that he was God’s human Son at the time of his birth, but now in the sense that he was “born again,” “born from the spirit.” (John 3:3-6) Thereafter Jesus was on his way back to the heavenly life he had enjoyed prior to his being sent forth to the earth.

Actually perfect in his human organism, Jesus held on to that perfection by reason of his integrity maintained under brutal test. “He learned obedience from the things he suffered,” that is, he continued obedient to God even when openly exposed to hateful persecution by Satan and his agents. (Heb. 5:7-9) So God made the Chief Agent of salvation “perfect through sufferings.” (Heb. 2:10) Not one flaw showed up. Jesus stood firmly righteous before God on his own merit—the only human ever to do so.

Those sufferings culminated in Jesus’ shameful but undeserved death on the torture stake. Thereafter God raised him out of death, enabling Jesus to resume life as a spirit creature and to go his way back to heaven, there to present the merit of his sacrifice as an offering in behalf of sinful humankind. This act of God, resurrecting Jesus to life in the spirit, constituted a ‘declaring of Jesus righteous in the spirit.’ (1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Pet. 3:18) It was, in effect, a declaration by the heavenly Father that, despite all the contrary appearances, this Son who had undergone slander, reproaches and a cruel death, had fully accomplished the Father’s will. That sacrificial death of the Son provided the basis for God to declare righteous those who would exercise faith in Christ. (Gal. 2:16) His willingly going into death would serve to cancel out the condemnation of death that had come upon the human family through Adam’s disobedience.

THE CHRISTIAN CONGREGATION

However, God purposed to select a limited number from among humankind and adopt them into his family of spiritual sons, forming “the congregation of the first-born who have been enrolled in the heavens”—a congregation organized under its Head, Christ Jesus. (Heb. 12:23) Theirs is the prospect of life in the heavens as spirit creatures. But first they must prove faithful until death in a service that God assigns them while they are still alive in the flesh. That service is of a priestly nature—the ministry of reconciliation, whereby they must seek to aid men to get reconciled to God.—2 Cor. 5:18, 19.

In order to qualify these ministers of reconciliation for their service, and that they might be “born from the spirit,” becoming sons of God, they must first have a right standing before God in the flesh, even as did Jesus when he presented himself for baptism. How could they attain this? Only by God’s applying the merit of Jesus’ sacrifice in their behalf immediately, forgiving them all their sins, and, by judicial act on his part in imputing human perfection to them, declaring them righteous. And, of course, God takes this action only with respect to those whom he calls to be members of “the congregation of the first-born” and who demonstrate faith in the ransom sacrifice of Christ Jesus. As the apostle Paul explains it: “It is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by [God’s] undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus.”—Rom. 3:24.

Keep in mind that these are declared righteous in the flesh in order that they might be in line for adoption into the family of God’s spirit sons in heaven. Their being declared righteous does not result in actual fleshly perfection, but they are accounted by God as being perfect humans; the righteousness is imputed to them. Thus God makes them acceptable for sacrifice to himself. So God now makes them his spiritual sons. As such, they must serve him, even to the extent of yielding up human life and all future prospects of life as humans. In a very real sense they follow closely in the steps of their Leader, Christ Jesus.—1 Pet. 2:21.

We have seen that after his loyal course even until death in the flesh Jesus Christ was “made alive in the spirit,” “declared righteous in spirit,” given immortality and incorruption. (1 Pet. 3:18; 1 Tim. 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:42, 45) In the same way his spirit-begotten followers who prove themselves loyal until death are “declared righteous in spirit” by being resurrected as spirit creatures, and they, too, are made sharers in the divine nature. (2 Pet. 1:4) Then their righteousness is no longer an imputed righteousness, a righteousness derived from someone else’s merit, but it is actual. (1 John 3:2) They are rewarded with incorruption, immortality.

“RIGHTEOUSNESS” IN PRE-CHRISTIAN TIMES

But what about those humans who worshiped God and were inclined toward righteousness in pre-Christian times? How did God view them? They were tainted with inherited sin. Adam had lost righteousness for himself and his offspring, and the time was still in the future when Christ Jesus would “shed light upon life and incorruption through the good news.” (2 Tim. 1:10) How, then, could the holy God have dealings with those pre-Christian worshipers? Because of their faith.

It was because of their faith in God’s promises, which faith was manifested by works, that men and women such as Abraham and Rahab were ‘counted righteous’ by God. (Rom. 4:3; Jas. 2:25) They were not given over to wickedness like the worldly people around them. They “walked with the true God,” even as did Noah and many others. (Gen. 6:9) They were not, however, in line for adoption as prospective spirit sons of God. They looked forward to the time when God by resurrection would restore them to life on earth. God could and did deal with them and bless them because of their faith in his word of promise.

Declared Righteous Part 2

RIGHTEOUSNESS” OF MODERN “GREAT CROWD”

Today there is “a great crowd, which no man [is] able to number,” of God’s worshipers on earth, in addition to the remaining ones of the 144,000 who are called to the heavens. In vision the apostle John beheld them and heard them described as those who “have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” (Rev. 7:4, 9-17) They take positive action toward demonstrating their faith in the shed blood of Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God. They are spoken of prophetically by Christ Jesus as “the righteous ones,” because God also counts their faith to them for righteousness.—Matt. 25:37.

But that “great crowd” of Revelation, chapter 7, are not at this time declared righteous with a view to being accepted as God’s sons. Rather, the white robes in their case represent a temporary standing before God—one that will tide them safely through Armageddon’s judgment execution upon a wicked world and bring them into Christ’s thousand-year reign of peace. Under that new system of things they will be trained in righteousness and uplifted toward perfection in the flesh. Under that peaceful reign, too, multitudes will be restored to life on earth from their graves, including the loyal, pre-Christian worshipers of Jehovah God. But will any of such ever be declared righteous?

Yes, but that acceptance of them by Jehovah as his human sons, as part of his universal family, must await the close of the thousand-year reign of Christ. By that time Christ Jesus through his heavenly government will have uplifted obedient humankind to fleshly perfection, to the condition of human perfection enjoyed by Adam at the time God applied the test of obedience to him. Then is the time when Christ “hands over the kingdom to his God and Father” and when the Father determines who are worthy of living forever in happiness on earth. (1 Cor. 15:24-26) That determination, as in Adam’s case, will also be made on the basis of a test—a test that is referred to in the words written at Revelation 20:7-10.

Those then holding fast to the clean worship of Jehovah will be “declared righteous.” They will actually receive “the glorious freedom of the children of God,” earthly children. They will be declared righteous, not in the spirit, but in the flesh. They will then have, not an imputed righteousness, but actual human perfection and the prospect of living everlastingly on earth under God’s fatherly protection.—Rom. 8:18-21; Rev. 21:3, 4.

JEHOVAH RIGHTEOUS IN ALL HIS ACTS

Jehovah never violates his own principles of righteousness. He does not condone or excuse sin. He is too pure and holy to look with complacency on anything unrighteous. (Hab. 1:13) All of those who become his sons in heaven or on earth must be holy just as he is holy. (1 Pet. 1:15, 16) And he has lovingly provided the way whereby his terms of justice can be satisfied while at the same time humans can be rescued from the condemnation of death into which disobedient Adam plunged them.

The vital basis upon which his provision rests is the ransom sacrifice of his own dear Son, Christ Jesus. That ransom, having been once paid, brought release from the condemnation of death to Adam’s offspring. Of course, those released must first have exercised faith in God’s provision of the ransom. While still in the flesh those of Christ’s followers who are called to be eventually with him in the heavens are given the benefit of an early release from sin’s condemnation so that they may be given a “new birth” and so come into union with Christ Jesus as his spiritual brothers.

All others of mankind who will gain everlasting life on earth under the rule of Christ’s kingdom must await the outcome of that test that God will apply at the close of Christ’s thousand-year reign. Those who remain loyal and obedient to God through that test will be declared righteous in the flesh. They will then be earthly sons and daughters of the Most High God.

Thus we have seen that Jehovah is the one who alone can ‘declare righteous.’ And in doing so he proves himself righteous in all his acts. As the apostle Paul explains the matter: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and it is as a free gift that they are being declared righteous by his undeserved kindness through the release by the ransom paid by Christ Jesus. God set him forth as an offering for propitiation through faith in his blood. This was in order to exhibit his own righteousness, because he was forgiving the sins that occurred in the past while God was exercising forbearance; so as to exhibit his own righteousness in this present season, that he might be righteous even when declaring righteous the man that has faith in Jesus.”—Rom. 3:23-26.

Enoch111 said:

It would appear that large numbers of Christians are opposed to the Gospel truth of imputed righteousness, and sincerely believe that they must add their own righteousness to the righteousness of Christ (or apart from the righteousness of Christ) in order to be accepted into Heaven. Many even falsely believe that water baptism saves them.

Imputed righteousness is so foreign to human experience that if we did not have the Word of God to show us that God literally credits the righteousness of Christ to every believer’s spiritual account, none of us would believe it.

But imputed righteousness cannot be isolated from justification by grace through faith. Therefore if we believe that God justifies the ungodly because they have trusted wholly in Christ and His finished work of redemption, then we must also believe that at that very moment God places the *robe* of the righteousness of Christ upon the one who repents and believes God.

We first read of imputed righteousness in the Old Testament, but it is brought out clearly in the New Testament in the account of Abel, who was murdered by his brother Cain: By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.(Heb 11:4) In the same way Noah was deemed righteous because he believed, trusted, and obeyed God, his obedience being the outcome of his faith: But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Gen 6:8) We see here that grace and faith are connected.

But the Holy Spirit uses the example of Abraham as the man who was justified by grace through faith, and to whom God imputed righteousness when he believed God: And, behold, the Word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.And He brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and He said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he [Abraham] believed in the LORD; and He [the LORD] counted it to him for righteousness.

Thus the Holy Spirit also inspired Paul to take Abraham’s example and apply it to every believer in Romans 4. While the New Testament speaks of this critical matter in several places, it is in the fourth chapter of the epistle to the Romans that Paul – under the divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit – explains the meaning of imputed righteousness.

ROMANS 4
JUSTIFICATION BY WORKS WOULD GLORIFY MAN
1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND WAS DEEMED RIGHTEOUS
3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

GRACE IS EXCLUDED WHEN MEN BRING THEIR OWN RIGHTEOUSNESS TO GOD
4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

WORKS ARE EXCLUDED WHEN GOD JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY
5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

CIRCUMCISION DOES NOT GUARANTEE ANYTHING
9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.

CIRCUMCISION SHOULD ONLY BE A SIGN OF FAITH
11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also:12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised.

TORAH OBSERVANCE DOES NOT MAKE ANYONE RIGHTEOUS
13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.

JUSTIFICATION IS PURELY BY GOD'S GRACE THROUGH FAITH
16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were. 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS STRONG AND GAVE GLORY TO GOD
19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sara's womb: 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; 21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

ABRAHAM’S FAITH WAS IMPUTED TO HIM FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.

EVERY BELIEVER’S FAITH IN CHRIST IS ALSO IMPUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS
23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification
.

Click to expand...

Hello Enoch111,

The fact that God's righteousness is imputed to us is such a wonderful act of Divine grace, making access into His presence an ever present opportunity, regardless of our present 'state': for in God's eyes, clothed as we are in His righteousness, in Christ Jesus, we are seen to be 'Holy and without blame', before Him.

* The reason why so many insist that works on our part are a necessity, is because they have fallen into the trap described in the epistle of Galatians, they have placed themselves back under law. Which was the stumbling block to Israel, too:-

'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.'
(Romans 10:1-4)

* Paul recognised this, and could say of Himself,

'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.'
(Galatiansl 2:20-21)

* How wonderful is God's wisdom, in placing us, 'in Christ'. How great His grace.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

brakelite said:

Its not the world's fault you sin... Nor Satan's. You regularly fall God? Yet Jesus died and rose again that you would overcome all that.
Read Romans 6 repeatedly until you get it. Whatever may have been the cause of your sinning previous to conversion, is now dealt with. The flesh is dead. The enemy is conquered. You have been given the holy Spirit. For all Christians who believe the promises of scripture, sin should be a very rare occurrence, if at all.

Click to expand...

I don't think youre being honest with yourself if you think you never sin. Paul even said he does what he doesn't want to do and doesn't do what he should; Romans 7. John says when we sin we have an advocate with the Father...Face it, sin is a part of this life. We sin, we confess. Only when we are in heaven will we be 100% free of sin. Anyone who thinks they are walking around sin free are fooling themselves.

brakelite said:

Seems to me that far too many Christians misunderstand the prime purpose of the gospel. The gospel wasn't given for the main purpose if getting people into heaven. That was a by product. The prime reason Jesus died, rise again, was to remove sin from your life. The result of that is eternal life.
Paul put it like this...
KJV Romans 8
3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:
4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We are born again of above. We become new creatures. These new creatures, through faith in the power of God, are enabled to live righteous lives. The Old sinner is dead. We are new... Risen in Christ... And it is God's purpose that we should be holy and without blame in His sight...
There are no excuses for sin. The flesh is dead and Satan is conquered. Focus on Christ and yield your members as instruments of righteousness and watch your lives unfold into realms you will be forever grateful for. Let go, and let God.

Click to expand...

I disagree. Romans 1:16 says exactly that. The gospel is 'the power of God for salvation...' When we are saved our certificate of debt is nailed to the cross. The penalty of sin is gone, the power of sin is gone but not the presence of sin. That won't be gone until we leave this world.

Stranger said:

Imputation of Christ's righteousness comes when one places faith in Christ. So, naturally, he is being obedient to the call to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And at that point he is declared righteous because he is covered in the imputed righteousness of Christ. And that point will forever mark the only reason he will ever exist in Heaven.

After you have been in Heaven for, let's say 30 million years, and have been sinless all that time, and have experienced great fellowship with God and Jesus Christ, and all the saints, and have done many wondrous things. Even then, you are there only because of that point in time, back here on this sin infected earth, when you placed faith in Christ, and were declared righteous by God having Christ's righteousness imputed to you.

Concerning (Rom. 10:3), and how was Israel going about trying to establish her own righteousness? By obeying the Law. It is only faith that brings in the imputed righteousness of Christ. (Rom. 10:4-5) "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them."

Faith is the only condition to have the imputed righteousness of Christ cover you. (Rom. 10:6) If anything else is added, it is no more of faith but of works and is not a free gift. It becomes an earned gift. Feeds ones self-righteousness. Does nothing before God.

Stranger

Click to expand...

Putting one's faith in Christ means doing what Christ said in being baptized. It is only in baptism that one puts on Christ (Galatians 3:27) putting on Christ's perfect righteousness. No verse at all speaks of Christ's righteousness being transferred to the sinner while the sinner continues to live in disobedience to the will of God.

ROmans 10:3 shows two different kinds of works. Those Jews were lost for they were doing the work of their own righteousness. Had they done the obedient work in submitting to God;s righteousness (Psalms 119:172) commands they would have been saved. THey were lost for not obeying the gospel Romans 10:16.

No verse says "faith only" saves. No verse says "faith only" justifies. no verse says "faith only" clothes one in Christ's perfect righteousness. Faith only is dead.

What one IS depends on what one DOES.
One who IS unrighteous is so because he DOES unrighteousness.
One who IS righteous is so because he DOES righteousness.

There is no example of anyone in the BIble who was seen as righteous by God while DOING unrighteousness living in rebellion to God.

ROmans 9:11 neither twin had done any good or evil before they were born, hence neither was righteous or unrighteous. They were born neutral, innocent and neither became unrighteous until they sinned braking God's law and neither would be seen as righteous until he obeyed God's will.

1 John 3:12 Cain was wicked because his works were evil. Abel was seen as righteous for his works were righteous. Again, what one is depends on what one does. Abel was not considered righteous for some unknown, capricious reason but was seen as righteous for his works were righteous. Nor ws Cain seen as unrighteous for some unknown, capricious reason but was evil for his works were evil.

What one IS (righteous or unrighteous) depends on what one DOES (righteousness or unrighteousness).
Faith only is NOT doing God's righteousness. Faith only is not doing but is nothing more than a mental assent of the mind, a simple acknowledgement of some facts given in the Bible.


EDIT:

The underlying Greek word that is translated "imputed" "credited" or "reckoned" is logizomai. According to Strong's it means:

1. to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over
   1. to take into account, to make an account of
      1. metaph. to pass to one's account, to impute
         
         
      2. a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight
   2. to number among, reckon with
      
      
   3. to reckon or account
2. to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate
   
   
3. by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer
   1. to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on
      
      
   2. to suppose, deem, judge
      
      
   3. to determine, purpose, decide

It does not carry the idea of righteousness being transferred from one person to another. As unrighteousness cannot be transferred from one person to another (no such thing as original sin)


"...the modern doctrine of “imputed righteousness” is nothing more than the flip-side of the Calvinistic doctrine of hereditary sin. One springs from the other. Calvinists teach that the sin of Adam is imputed to all mankind, but that the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to that portion of mankind whom they denominate as the “elect.”
Can sin, or righteousness, be transferred from one person to another? This is the question we seek to answer in this article. The transferral of sin, or imputed righteousness, precisely is what must happen if hereditary sin, or imputed righteousness, is to be accepted. One is as illogical and unscriptural as the other."
Can Sin Be Inherited? - Eagle Park church of Christ

justbyfaith said:

There is a general example of the man that worketh not but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, in Romans 4:5. And this indicates that the Lord justifies the ungodly (declares and reckons them as righteous)



I beg to differ. Are Christians of the devil? See 1 John 3:8. And the word "cannot" in 1 John 3:9 speaks volumes.



You are in denial of 1 John 1:8; saying that Christians do not have sin.



This reminds me of what it says in the following scripture:

Mat 7:15, Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Mat 7:16, Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
Mat 7:17, Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
Mat 7:18, A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
Mat 7:19, Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Mat 7:20, Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Click to expand...

Exodus 23:7 "Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked."

The Bible does not contradict itself, Romans 4:5 does not contradict Exodus 23:7. God does not justify the ungodly as long as the ungodly live in disobedience to God's will. Yet God will justify the ungodly when the ungodly decides to become obedient to His will and then and only then will the ungodly be justified.


The word "cannot" does not mean "impossible". If one who is living in adultery obeys the gospel of Christ and becomes a Christian, then he CANNOT continue to live in that sin of adultery, he must repent of that sinful state and come out of that sin. This does not mean it will be impossible for him to ever sin again.

1 John 1:7 is a pointless, senseless verse if it were impossible for the Christian to sin, yet the Christian can sin 1 John 1:8. Yet IF IF IF a conditional word, IF the Christian continues to walk in the light then all his sins will be continually washed away leaving him spotless and blameless. But IF the Christian quits walking in the light then his sins will not be washed away and he will have spot and blame and become lost,

charity said:

Hello Enoch111,

The fact that God's righteousness is imputed to us is such a wonderful act of Divine grace, making access into His presence an ever present opportunity, regardless of our present 'state': for in God's eyes, clothed as we are in His righteousness, in Christ Jesus, we are seen to be 'Holy and without blame', before Him.

* The reason why so many insist that works on our part are a necessity, is because they have fallen into the trap described in the epistle of Galatians, they have placed themselves back under law. Which was the stumbling block to Israel, too:-

'Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
For they being ignorant of God's righteousness,
and going about to establish their own righteousness,
have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.'
(Romans 10:1-4)

* Paul recognised this, and could say of Himself,

'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me:
and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God,
Who loved me, and gave Himself for me.
I do not frustrate the grace of God:
for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.'
(Galatiansl 2:20-21)

* How wonderful is God's wisdom, in placing us, 'in Christ'. How great His grace.

In Christ Jesus
Chris

Click to expand...

Blessings in Christ Jesus! If today, The Father (while on His Throne) looked down at you and me(a daughter and a son), what would He see. He would see The Son. And if this be so, and it is, He would see righteousness. And this is The Lord's doing, that we all might be One.

Grailhunter said:

Isaiah 59:2 But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, And your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

I am not a Jew, do not quote Jewish scriptures to me like they pertain to Christianity. If you want to be a Jew, quite wasting my time.

If sins go unrepented of they will separate one from God.

Repented and forgiven!!! And if you forget one....you go straight to hell!! Right?

Click to expand...

Sin separates ANYONE from God.

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." The continual (present tense) walking in the light includes a continual repentance of sins. And "IF" (conditional word) the Christian continues to walk in the light then the blood of Christ continually washes away "ALL" sins, even sins one may have committed out of ignorance or deception and did not realize it was sin.


You seem to be implying that a Christian can be impenitent and unconcerned about his sins, that he can happily continue impenitently to wallow in his sins and still be saved. Do you have any Bible support for such an idea?

The kn

Ernest T. Bass said:

Sin separates ANYONE from God.

1 John 1:7 "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." The continual (present tense) walking in the light includes a continual repentance of sins. And "IF" (conditional word) the Christian continues to walk in the light then the blood of Christ continually washes away "ALL" sins, even sins one may have committed out of ignorance or deception and did not realize it was sin.


You seem to be implying that a Christian can be impenitent and unconcerned about his sins, that he can happily continue impenitently to wallow in his sins and still be saved. Do you have any Bible support for such an idea?

Click to expand...

No I am not Jewish, that all. As far as the belief that when you sin, that you are separated from Christ and unsaved and have to get saved again...that humorous. Go with that. The idea that some forgotten sin that is not forgiven, can send you to hell...that is sad. Try taking a walk with Christ....when you stumble....He will be there to pick you up.

Ernest T. Bass said:

Putting one's faith in Christ means doing what Christ said in being baptized. It is only in baptism that one puts on Christ (Galatians 3:27) putting on Christ's perfect righteousness. No verse at all speaks of Christ's righteousness being transferred to the sinner while the sinner continues to live in disobedience to the will of God.

ROmans 10:3 shows two different kinds of works. Those Jews were lost for they were doing the work of their own righteousness. Had they done the obedient work in submitting to God;s righteousness (Psalms 119:172) commands they would have been saved. THey were lost for not obeying the gospel Romans 10:16.

No verse says "faith only" saves. No verse says "faith only" justifies. no verse says "faith only" clothes one in Christ's perfect righteousness. Faith only is dead.

What one IS depends on what one DOES.
One who IS unrighteous is so because he DOES unrighteousness.
One who IS righteous is so because he DOES righteousness.

There is no example of anyone in the BIble who was seen as righteous by God while DOING unrighteousness living in rebellion to God.

ROmans 9:11 neither twin had done any good or evil before they were born, hence neither was righteous or unrighteous. They were born neutral, innocent and neither became unrighteous until they sinned braking God's law and neither would be seen as righteous until he obeyed God's will.

1 John 3:12 Cain was wicked because his works were evil. Abel was seen as righteous for his works were righteous. Again, what one is depends on what one does. Abel was not considered righteous for some unknown, capricious reason but was seen as righteous for his works were righteous. Nor ws Cain seen as unrighteous for some unknown, capricious reason but was evil for his works were evil.

What one IS (righteous or unrighteous) depends on what one DOES (righteousness or unrighteousness).
Faith only is NOT doing God's righteousness. Faith only is not doing but is nothing more than a mental assent of the mind, a simple acknowledgement of some facts given in the Bible.


EDIT:

The underlying Greek word that is translated "imputed" "credited" or "reckoned" is logizomai. According to Strong's it means:

1. to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over
   1. to take into account, to make an account of
      1. metaph. to pass to one's account, to impute
         
         
      2. a thing is reckoned as or to be something, i.e. as availing for or equivalent to something, as having the like force and weight
   2. to number among, reckon with
      
      
   3. to reckon or account
2. to reckon inward, count up or weigh the reasons, to deliberate
   
   
3. by reckoning up all the reasons, to gather or infer
   1. to consider, take into account, weigh, meditate on
      
      
   2. to suppose, deem, judge
      
      
   3. to determine, purpose, decide

It does not carry the idea of righteousness being transferred from one person to another. As unrighteousness cannot be transferred from one person to another (no such thing as original sin)


"...the modern doctrine of “imputed righteousness” is nothing more than the flip-side of the Calvinistic doctrine of hereditary sin. One springs from the other. Calvinists teach that the sin of Adam is imputed to all mankind, but that the perfect righteousness of Christ is imputed to that portion of mankind whom they denominate as the “elect.”
Can sin, or righteousness, be transferred from one person to another? This is the question we seek to answer in this article. The transferral of sin, or imputed righteousness, precisely is what must happen if hereditary sin, or imputed righteousness, is to be accepted. One is as illogical and unscriptural as the other."
Can Sin Be Inherited? - Eagle Park church of Christ

Click to expand...

You reject salvation by faith alone. You hold to a works salvation. You reject the imputation of both sin and righteousness. You will stand before God in your righteousness. Good luck.

Since you reject both the imputation of sin and righteousness, I have a question. Who did Christ die for? I mean, if we need a substitute, and every man was required to bring his substitute, for which person did Christ substitute for. For He was only one Man. He could only die for one person. Maybe it was you. What are the odds?

Stranger