ROMANS: IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS

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Doug

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(Romans 4:6-8 KJV) 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.

Paul is referring to Psalm 32, in which, David speaks of those blessed through faith and imputed righteousness:

(Psalm 32:1-2 KJV) 1 [[[A Psalm] of David, Maschil.]] Blessed [is he whose] transgression [is] forgiven, [whose] sin [is] covered. 2 Blessed [is] the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit [there is] no guile.

Imputation is God deeming us to be righteous, God accounts us as being righteous.

(Romans 4:20-25 KJV) 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. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him 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.

Faith is believing God, being persuaded that what God says, he will, and is able to do.

We have the righteousness of God imputed to us as well when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his redemption. We are to believe that Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification (declared righteous). Christ was made sin for us, we are given his righteousness.

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4 KJV) 3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

(2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV) For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

(1 Corinthians 1:30 KJV) But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
 
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Pearl

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We have the righteousness of God imputed to us as well when we place our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and his redemption. We are to believe that Christ died for our sins and rose for our justification (declared righteous). Christ was made sin for us, we are given his righteousness.


Amen.
 

historyb

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I like how this article puts it:

The Protestant notion of “imputation,” (as I understand it) grew out of the conviction that we are inherently (by nature) incapable of making ourselves righteous; we cannot become truly just on the basis of our own good deeds or merits. Insofar as the qualities of justice and righteousness are attributable to us, we should understand that God imputes them to us as an expression of His mercy. This God does so that we can re-enter the realm of His righteousness, His holiness, and thus be saved from the consequences of sin, which is (eternal) death. This interpretation, however, as many people have pointed out, means that our righteousness is little more than a legal fiction. God treats us as if we were just or righteous, although He (like us) knows full well that we are not.

The difference between this notion and the Orthodox perspective is well illustrated by our respective interpretations of Romans 5:12. In the West, at least in the popular mind, the debate was long polarized between Catholic emphasis on salvation through “works-righteousness,” and Protestant insistence on “justification by faith (alone!).” The presupposition underlying both views is that we inherit Adam’s guilt, which resulted from his sinful disobedience to the divine commandment. St Augustine seemed convinced that the guilt resulting from Adam’s sin is transmitted through the sexual act, from generation to generation, like some deleterious gene. This “original sin” must be removed if we are to be saved from death, to share in eternal life. The question as to how this is accomplished has received many different answers. Medieval Catholic piety held that this occurs through infused grace, which confers upon us the power to perform righteous deeds and thereby actually to become or be made righteous. This enables us to build up a “treasury of merits,” the term “merit” being understood as a gift of divine grace rather than our own accomplishment (Council of Trent, 1547). The popular notion that we are saved only if our merits outweigh our sins on the scales of divine justice is usually attributed to Roman Catholics. It is shared, nevertheless, by many Orthodox, who have failed to appreciate the fullness of God’s grace, both in enabling us to perform good works and in forgiving us fully when we sincerely repent of our sins.

To the Greek Fathers, what we inherit from Adam is not his sin and consequent guilt, but mortality.4 From Adam (understood, really, as an archetype), we “inherit” the sting of death. Death has spread to all of humanity, as an inevitable consequence of our fallen nature; yet each of us, under the threat of death, rebels personally against God, the Author of Life. This means that our guilt is our own; we bring it upon ourselves. (A sign in our local marina declares: “You are responsible for your wake!” How true…)

God’s “Righteousness”
 

Pearl

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I don't...

(see Proverbs 23:31).

Proverbs 23:31
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!

Why don't you like it @justbyfaith What has that got to do with communion wine. Or don't you do communion?
 
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justbyfaith

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Proverbs 23:31
Do not gaze at wine when it is red, when it sparkles in the cup, when it goes down smoothly!

Why don't you like it @justbyfaith What has that got to do with communion wine. Or don't you do communion?

I didn't see any bread in that picture...
 

justbyfaith

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I do believe that looking on the wine when it is red would be a sin in the eyes of the Lord....if you take the Proverb in question to be a commandment.

There is too great of a possibility of people stumbling, if they be alcoholics, to use wine in a communion service. Grape juice is just as much the blood of a grape.

I think that there is something in 1 Corinthians 11 that tells us that it is not good for people to get drunk because of communion. And if wine is used in the communion service, it opens the door for people to drink wine apart from the communion service and feel justified in doing so.

That is fine and dandy for those who do not have any kind of problem with alcohol; but for those who do it can be a stumbling block.

Rom 14:21, It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
 

Pearl

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I do believe that looking on the wine when it is red would be a sin in the eyes of the Lord....if you take the Proverb in question to be a commandment.

There is too great of a possibility of people stumbling, if they be alcoholics, to use wine in a communion service. Grape juice is just as much the blood of a grape.

I think that there is something in 1 Corinthians 11 that tells us that it is not good for people to get drunk because of communion. And if wine is used in the communion service, it opens the door for people to drink wine apart from the communion service and feel justified in doing so.

That is fine and dandy for those who do not have any kind of problem with alcohol; but for those who do it can be a stumbling block.

Rom 14:21, It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

If anybody is a recovering alcoholic they have the option of grape juice.
 

Pearl

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I don't think that's good enough.

But then again, what do I know?
Are you yourself a recovering alcoholic that you have such views? Or perhaps you know people who are. I knew a lady who was and when she took communion she just kissed the cup instead of actually letting a drop of wine touch her lips.

And if we have people in who are known to have a drink problem then grape juice is used.