imputed righteousness, being righteous, counted as righteous

[PeterJens]

Our faith has 4 types of righteousness
1. The righteousness of Christ
2. Imputed righteousness
3. Being righteous
4. Counted as righteous

1. The righteousness of Christ - Christ was sinless so righteous.
2. Imputed righeousness - We are seen as righteous because of Christ sacrifice on the cross.
3. Being righteous - After being forgiven of our sins we walk without defilement so are righteous
4. Counted as righteous - Our faith is counted as righteousness before God

Now two camps have appeared.
If you hold we are always sinful, never truly clean, then we could never be righteous
In this case only Christs righteousness could be seen as being our righteousness.
We could be regarded as righteous by our faith being imputed as righteousness as well.

Abraham did not have forgiveness through the cross.
So his righteousness was counted as righteousness because of faith.
He also walk righteously, but this did not count as justification because faith counts.

Now if this works for Abraham why is not the same dynamic working for us.
Christ through the cross dealt with our sin and being washed clean.
We can walk righteously without defilement but our righteousness comes from
the relationship by faith, being counted as righteousness.

But all of this is invalidated if we sin.

If we walk with imputed righteousness, which appears not to be biblical, sin no longer
spoils the relationship, which seems totally wrong.

If righteousness is reconned to us because of faith, why would we need this idea of
imputed righteousness, unless you have a doctrine of total inability to walk in righteousness.

So when did imputed righteousness start to be taught and by whom and why?

 

[PeterJens]

The teaching of imputed righteousness is a signature doctrine of the Lutheran and Reformed traditions of Christianity.[2] There is some dispute as to the origin of the reformation era concept of imputed righteousness. Some modern Lutherans deny that Luther taught it before other reformers such as Melancthon. However, Luther did use the term in this sense as early as 1516.[3] In his seminal 1516 Novum Instrumentum omne (actually finished late in 1515 but printed in March 1516), Erasmus rendered the Greek logizomai (reckon) as "imputat" all eleven times it appears in Romans chapter four. The Vulgate Erasmus intended to "correct" usually rendered it "reputat" (repute).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Imputed_righteousness

Imputed righteousness is an invention of calvin and the reformation.
Not a good sign, so not surprisingly that I have a problem with it.

 

[Grace777x70]

There is only one kind of righteousness that counts when standing before God and it is Christ's righteousness or we end up standing on our own by our good works of righteousness.

We will never be anymore righteous then the day we received Christ.

The drug addict prostitute that receives the abundance of grace and the "gift of righteousness" that comes with the believing of the message of Christ is just as righteous as Billy Graham or the Lord Jesus Christ is.

Believers in Christ are declared righteous by grace though faith in what Christ has already done. They have been created in righteousness and holiness in the new heart - the inner person in Christ - the new creation.

Doing righteous deeds by themselves does not make one righteous. This is having the cart before the horse.


I know there have been "good" people doing "righteous deeds " but they were not belonging to God. Many religions have moral living people in them - all doing "righteous deeds".

Here is how righteousness is manifested in a believer....we need to be righteousness conscious...not sin-conscious...we have a new creation in Christ now!

This "righteousness " will manifest outwardly in doing righteous deeds - but we need the "horse" in front first.

The "horse" being Christ's righteousness in us because of our being in Christ in our inner man..our new creation in Christ.

Awake to who you are in Christ!..Awake to righteousness and sin not..when you see who you are in Him in your new man...you will then manifest outwardly who you already are now in Christ.

2 Corinthians 3:17-18 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

[SUP]18 [/SUP] But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.


Hebrews 5:13 (NASB)
[SUP]13[/SUP] For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.

Romans 5:17 (NASB)
[SUP]17 [/SUP] For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

Isaiah 54:14 (NASB)
[SUP]14 [/SUP] "In righteousness you will be established; You will be far from oppression, for you will not fear; And from terror, for it will not come near you.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)
[SUP]21[/SUP] He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

When you see who you are in Christ because of His finished work...you become outwardly in behavior what you are truly like in your new inner man where Christ dwells and His life gets manifested in love towards others in this hurt and dying world.

 

[lastofall]

[for me anyway] our being in the way of righteousness only remains in tact as long as we deny (disown) our own will, and submit to and rely upon the Word of God; as long as we make the sincere effort to do the things which He says: but if we are not denying ourselves, and not hearing (submitting to and relying upon) the Word of God, which is only from where faith comes, then we are not in the way of righteousness: this is when repentance is needed of us, which is the righteous thing to do, according to Christ.

 

[notuptome]

2Co 5:21 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.

Substitutionary death, vicarious atonement and imputed righteousness.

2Co 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

Until we shed these earthen vessels we will strive against the old nature in our flesh and reach for our Spiritual nature in Christ.

For the cause of Christ
Roger

 

[stonesoffire]

Our faith has 4 types of righteousness
1. The righteousness of Christ
2. Imputed righteousness
3. Being righteous
4. Counted as righteous

1. The righteousness of Christ - Christ was sinless so righteous.
2. Imputed righeousness - We are seen as righteous because of Christ sacrifice on the cross.
3. Being righteous - After being forgiven of our sins we walk without defilement so are righteous
4. Counted as righteous - Our faith is counted as righteousness before God

Now two camps have appeared.
If you hold we are always sinful, never truly clean, then we could never be righteous
In this case only Christs righteousness could be seen as being our righteousness.
We could be regarded as righteous by our faith being imputed as righteousness as well.

Abraham did not have forgiveness through the cross.
So his righteousness was counted as righteousness because of faith.
He also walk righteously, but this did not count as justification because faith counts.

Now if this works for Abraham why is not the same dynamic working for us.
Christ through the cross dealt with our sin and being washed clean.
We can walk righteously without defilement but our righteousness comes from
the relationship by faith, being counted as righteousness.

But all of this is invalidated if we sin.

If we walk with imputed righteousness, which appears not to be biblical, sin no longer
spoils the relationship, which seems totally wrong.

If righteousness is reconned to us because of faith, why would we need this idea of
imputed righteousness, unless you have a doctrine of total inability to walk in righteousness.

So when did imputed righteousness start to be taught and by whom and why?

Peter,

There is such a thing as walking upright. This has more to do with character and maturity in the faith.

Its taught from the scriptures.

Rom 4:11 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:
Rom 4:12 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.


Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
Rom 4:7 Saying, Blessed arethey whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
Rom 4:8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 

[zone]

Abraham did not have forgiveness through the cross.
So his righteousness was counted as righteousness because of faith.
He also walk righteously, but this did not count as justification because faith counts.

epic fail...

 

[zone]

[video=youtube;oibL_KZdz4M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibL_KZdz4M[/video]

Not My Own Righteousness (Philippians 3:9) Phil Johnson

....

58+ minutes, worth every second.
enjoy it as you fall asleep

 

[PeterJens]

There is a theological war that has raged over 2,000 years.

How do we conquer the sexual impulse, the guilt, the desire? It drives the world to
sexual immorality as a way of release from the chaos and stress of life.
Some have called this desire the original sin. They picture that this is the basis of
the doctrine of total inability.

Paul held this view
To the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance.
Act 26:20

This is probably the biggest test of spiritual reality.
Ascetism is one way, but as Paul says this is of no value.

These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.
Col 2:23

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Col 3:12-17

Now this is overly simplistic, taken at a superficial level.
The foundation of repentance, sorrow, understanding the sins we have done and
the good we desire to do, commiting to abandon the acts sin and persue the acts of
righteousness. On top of this is seeing Christ, the lover of our souls, upon the cross,
freely taking our sin and dying as a sacrificial offering to cancel the debt for our sins.

And finally being baptised in the Holy Spirit and becoming Holy temples of the living
God, pure, spotless, undefiled.

Then through obedience to the Spirit, walking in love and forgiveness, purifying our
souls of evil thoughts, of evil desires, of things that destroy and serve our own ends
replacing them with thoughts of service and love for others, carrying the burdens of
those around and seeking to help and carry their loads as and when we can.

We are counted righteous because of our faith, forgiven because of the cross, and walk
in purity and holiness because we walk in love and obedience to the law of Christ.

Without an open heart, all of this is pointless and just words. Our very souls need to
be engaged with Christ and become one with Him. We are ambassadors of Christ on
earth to carry the message of freedom and conquering sin through the death and
resurrection of our Lord.

In everything we do, rather than being defended and protected we need to look for
opportunities to reach out and touch those we meet with Jesus's love at work within
us and not to fear the hurts that come our way. This is the way of Christ.

 

[Grace777x70]

[video=youtube;oibL_KZdz4M]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oibL_KZdz4M[/video]

Not My Own Righteousness (Philippians 3:9) Phil Johnson

....

58+ minutes, worth every second.
enjoy it as you fall asleep

That one is going to goad the D.I.Y self-righteousness/holiness mindset that can be in us. Jesus and His righteousness is always a major stumbling block to this mindset.

They try to make the "deeds of righteousness" as if it creates righteousness itself. We are trying to make the cart ( the deeds of righteousness ) create the horse. ( God's righteousness given as a gift in Christ )

The teaching of the gift of righteousness of God that is given as a gift to the believer in Christ is paramount to growing in the Lord.

Without this understanding we create our own religion of self effort in the flesh and try to make it look godly but in reality it stops the very grace of God that we need for experiencing an exchanged life here on this earth.

Great video. Thanks!

 

[PeterJens]

That one is going to goad the D.I.Y self-righteousness/holiness mindset that can be in us. Jesus and His righteousness is always a major stumbling block to this mindset.

G7 proposes a DIY free ticket to heaven because behaviour means nothing.

Imagine if you are commited to doing something but get the final reward
anyway, why would you do the thing you are commited to, especially if
you actually believe it is impossible?

What keeps the show on the road? The reassurance everything is fine,
the details are a bit fuzzy, but listen to the promises.

Now I understand how this works, because unless you really, really find
the Lord, this is always true in part. But if I can poke holes in it, it is
not the answer, but on the road to the answer.

 

[Grace777x70]

If any one is interested if behavior matters in this world - this is a great video that shows - it does matter...it'll bless you and help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

[video=youtube;yPFZv08ZCoY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPFZv08ZCoY&t=123s&index=5&list=PLgneOZ41w dT3dd5IoAJt9pFQ48cLfEyHC[/video]

 

[PeterJens]

I understand G7 loves this preacher but his model of people and spirituality is simply wrong.

You cannot have a simple mistake theologically and ignore it with scriptures which do not
address the issue at all.

Imagine life is building blocks.
The first building block is Jesus and His righteousness.
This washes us clean, and presents us whole before God.
But then we have to walk in this righteousness, righteously.

If we do not, what is the point of being cleansed.

It is like a alcoholic who destroys his liver. If he gets a new one
but still is an alcoholic he will destroy it as well. It is a waste of the
gift.

God saves us to walk with Him. To walk in rebellion is to trample on
the cross and righteousness Christ has given us.

It is like a street beggar being given a flat to live in, who then wrecks
the flat. It would have been better to leave them on the street to
get ill and die.

Now this analogy is no joke, because this is what happens in real life
and they do end up back on the streets and do die.

Repentance and salvation is not just some I like this guy, it is I want to be
a new creation and then walking in it.

But the teaching of many you would have no clue this is the reality.