Why do so many stumble over imputed righteousness?

[mailmandan]

ephesians 2:8

Amen! Saved through faith (Ephesians 2:8) "apart from additions or modifications" = saved through faith (rightly understood) in Christ alone.
Not by works. (Ephesians 2:9) Works-salvationists just cannot seem to grasp this.

 

[Enoch111]

So when does God impute righteousness ? And on what basis does He impute righteousness ?

God imputes righteousness the moment a sinner repents, believes on, and receives Christ as Lord and Savior. This is called justification by grace through faith, which is based purely upon the grace of God and the finished work of Christ.

 

[brightfame52]

God imputes righteousness the moment a sinner repents, believes on, and receives Christ as Lord and Savior. This is called justification by grace through faith, which is based purely upon the grace of God and the finished work of Christ.

Thats called Justification by works, by the actions of man. God imputes righteousness when He imputed sin to Christ 2 Cor 5:21

21 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.

Now that's called Justification by Grace based purely on the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. You however taint the imputation with mans sinner actions of believing and repentance.

 

[Enoch111]

Thats called Justification by works, by the actions of man.

That is a purely STUPID response. You neither understand justification nor the grace of God.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Short answer: "They DO NOT believe God". Pure and simple. Instead they use human and humanistic reasoning to declare "That is impossible".

We need to believe God before we will believe that God actually justifies sinners by His grace when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption. And when God justifies a sinner, He also imputes righteousness to him or her.

When God told Abraham that he would have descendants as vast in number as the stars in Heaven, Abraham (Abram) was about 76 years old and childless. But here is the key. Abraham believed God, and believed that what God had promised, God would fulfil, regardless of his age, or the age of Sarah. And it is because Abraham believed God it was IMPUTED to him for righteousness. Here is what we read in Genesis 15:1-6:
1 After these things the Word of the LORD [Christ] came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the Word of the LORD [Christ] 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. 5 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. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

While it says here "he believed in the LORD" Paul clarifies this in Romans 4:3 and says "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness". Then Paul goes on to explain that "counted unto him" means "imputed unto him" in Romans 4:21,22: And being fully persuaded that, what He [God] had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him [Abraham] for righteousness.

Now this is extremely hard for anyone to swallow. But we believe -- by faith -- that what is revealed in Scripture is absolutely true. So what exactly does "imputed" mean? The Greek word in the text is Ἐλογίσθη (elogisthē) from logizomai, which means "reckoned" or "counted" (or put to one's account).

Strong's Concordance
logizomai: to reckon, to consider
Original Word: λογίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: logizomai
Phonetic Spelling: (log-id'-zom-ahee)
Definition: to reckon, to consider
Usage: I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

Now it is God who puts His own righteousness -- the righteousness of Christ -- into our spiritual account when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He exchanges our faith for Christ's righteousness by placing the metaphorical "robe" of righteousness upon us. Hence we are deemed as perfect as Christ, even though we are imperfect. Thus the Christian can say with Isaiah:

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10)

Even simpler than all this! Human pride. Our sin nature cannot stand God doing it all, so we must like Cain present the work of our hands so that God owes us something!

 

[Enoch111]

Even simpler than all this! Human pride. Our sin nature cannot stand God doing it all, so we must like Cain present the work of our hands so that God owes us something!

Another inane comment when the OP has made it crystal clear that it is GOD who imputes righteousness to the one who believes on Christ. How can God's work be made into "the work of our hands"? That is a total perversion of what has been posted.

 

[Ronald Nolette]

Another inane comment when the OP has made it crystal clear that it is GOD who imputes righteousness to the one who believes on Christ. How can God's work be made into "the work of our hands"? That is a total perversion of what has been posted.

You misunderstand me!

I am saying this is a reason why people reject the imputed righteousness of god. They seek to establish their own righteousness because of pride

 

[Enoch111]

You however taint the imputation with mans sinner actions of believing and repentance.

Since the Bible makes it crystal clear that you must repent and believe in order to be saved, you do not even understand the basis of salvation.

 

[brightfame52]

That is a purely STUPID response. You neither understand justification nor the grace of God.

I know justification by works when I see it. If you condition any part of Justification before God, by anything you do, it defaults to Justification by your works, and just forget about Grace, it aint happening.

 

[brightfame52]

Since the Bible makes it crystal clear that you must repent and believe in order to be saved, you do not even understand the basis of salvation.

No its not clear, Justification is by the Blood of Christ Rom 5:9
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Justification is by His Grace Rom 3:24

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Nothing about Justification before God by your faith and repentance, thats a false message !

 

[dhh712]

Short answer: "They DO NOT believe God". Pure and simple. Instead they use human and humanistic reasoning to declare "That is impossible".

We need to believe God before we will believe that God actually justifies sinners by His grace when they believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and His finished work of redemption. And when God justifies a sinner, He also imputes righteousness to him or her.

When God told Abraham that he would have descendants as vast in number as the stars in Heaven, Abraham (Abram) was about 76 years old and childless. But here is the key. Abraham believed God, and believed that what God had promised, God would fulfil, regardless of his age, or the age of Sarah. And it is because Abraham believed God it was IMPUTED to him for righteousness. Here is what we read in Genesis 15:1-6:
1 After these things the Word of the LORD [Christ] came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward. 2 And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus? 3 And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. 4 And, behold, the Word of the LORD [Christ] 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. 5 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. 6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

While it says here "he believed in the LORD" Paul clarifies this in Romans 4:3 and says "Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness". Then Paul goes on to explain that "counted unto him" means "imputed unto him" in Romans 4:21,22: And being fully persuaded that, what He [God] had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to him [Abraham] for righteousness.

Now this is extremely hard for anyone to swallow. But we believe -- by faith -- that what is revealed in Scripture is absolutely true. So what exactly does "imputed" mean? The Greek word in the text is Ἐλογίσθη (elogisthē) from logizomai, which means "reckoned" or "counted" (or put to one's account).

Strong's Concordance
logizomai: to reckon, to consider
Original Word: λογίζομαι
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: logizomai
Phonetic Spelling: (log-id'-zom-ahee)
Definition: to reckon, to consider
Usage: I reckon, count, charge with; reason, decide, conclude; think, suppose.

Now it is God who puts His own righteousness -- the righteousness of Christ -- into our spiritual account when we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. He exchanges our faith for Christ's righteousness by placing the metaphorical "robe" of righteousness upon us. Hence we are deemed as perfect as Christ, even though we are imperfect. Thus the Christian can say with Isaiah:

I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels (Isaiah 61:10)

I don't know why, Enoch. It appears to me that they look at verses in the Bible and do not take into consideration the whole context. If you pick apart verses from the Bible I'm pretty sure you can come up with just about anything. There are some verses in God's word which would appear to mean something drastically different if you ignore other verses, and then if you look at them it would appear that God is being contradictory. Thus, the Bible needs to be viewed in a way so that you use it to interpret itself.

Great post though. To me, imputed righteousness seems pretty clear. It may not seem "fair" to us, but God's ways are usually not our ways.

 

[dhh712]

Catholics believe in Sacramentalism and redefine "imputed" righteousness calling it "imparted" righteousness. In fact, the Council of Trent had a great deal to say AGAINST this doctrine.

Council of Trent
CANON IV.-If any one saith, that the sacraments of the New Law are not necessary unto salvation, but superfluous; and that, without them, or without the desire thereof, men obtain of God, through faith alone, the grace of justification;-though all (the sacraments) are not indeed necessary for every individual; let him be anathema.

That is why there can never be an ecumenical movement between Catholics and Protestants because of that. They reject salvation by faith alone thereby espousing the heretical statement that we do something to gain our own salvation. That is rejecting the work of Christ, identifying his sacrifice as incomplete in regards to salvation.

 

[farouk]

the Bible needs to be viewed in a way so that you use it to interpret itself.

Great post though. To me, imputed righteousness seems pretty clear. It may not seem "fair" to us, but God's ways are usually not our ways.

Hi @dhh712

I like the hymn:

"Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan His works in vain.
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain."

(W. Cowper)

 

[heartwashed]

I typically hear works-salvationists talk about "imparted" or "infused" righteousness rather than "imputed" righteousness.

Righteousness is imputed in justification and imparted in sanctification.

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

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.

 

[heartwashed]

No its not clear, Justification is by the Blood of Christ Rom 5:9
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Justification is by His Grace Rom 3:24

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Nothing about Justification before God by your faith and repentance, thats a false message !

Justification is through faith in the blood of Christ.

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.

Rom 5:9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Rom 3:25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

 

[brightfame52]

Righteousness is imputed in justification and imparted in sanctification.

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

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.

Imputed righteousness is the grounds for imparted righteousness. All who Christ died for, they have imputed righteousness while dead in sin and unbelief. But because of that imputed righteousness, God imparts spiritual life, which is imparted righteousness, then they can believe the Gospel of their Salvation.

 

[brightfame52]

Justification is through faith in the blood of Christ.

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.

Rom 5:9, Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Rom 3:25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

Justification is by the Blood of Christ Rom 5:9

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Justification is Grace Rom 3:24

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Now Justification is received into the mind and heart by Faith.

 

[heartwashed]

Imputed righteousness is the grounds for imparted righteousness. All who Christ died for, they have imputed righteousness while dead in sin and unbelief. But because of that imputed righteousness, God imparts spiritual life, which is imparted righteousness, then they can believe the Gospel of their Salvation.

Yes, justification comes before sanctification.

(although there are instances in scripture, such as in 1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, and 1 Peter 1:2, where sanctification comes before justification)

 

[heartwashed]

Justification is by the Blood of Christ Rom 5:9

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

Justification is Grace Rom 3:24

24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Now Justification is received into the mind and heart by Faith.

Since I have already addressed this misconception of yours, I do not feel the need to address it again.

For clearly, faith is a factor.

 

[brightfame52]

Yes, justification comes before sanctification.

(although there are instances in scripture, such as in 1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, and 1 Peter 1:2, where sanctification comes before justification)

Never does sanctification come before Justification. Sanctification is the fruit of Justification, those who are Justified will be born again, or experience the Sanctification of the Spirit.