The Biblical View of Imputed Righteousness

[Skinski7]

Never does the bible say Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us. It says our FAITH is accounted for righteousness. Moral character cannot be transferred. Remember that IMPUTE does NOT mean "transfer."

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ORiowwCFtU[/video]




Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

Rom 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
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.

Not of the external works of law.
Rom 4:13 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.
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Rom 4:16 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,

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Grace
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Faith
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Work Out - katergazomai - to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion: - cause, do (deed), perform, work (out).

Rom 4:19 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:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;


Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.




Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

 

[Skinski7]

[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1322Tb9SGE[/video]
John Piper quotes some old false teachers and claims that the Righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer by trusting in His Provision by faith. WHERE Does the Bible say that Christ imputed His own personal righteousness to us? NO WHERE! Righteouness is DOING the Right thing by faith! Video by Mike DeSario of Standing the Gap. Standing the Gap

 

[Tombo]

John Piper is right, this guy, and you, are wrong. Still trying to work your way to heaven?
So sad.

Tom

 

[Red33]

Never does the bible say Jesus' righteousness is imputed to us. It says our FAITH is accounted for righteousness. Moral character cannot be transferred. Remember that IMPUTE does NOT mean "transfer."

It is not 'moral righteousness' that saves an individual sinner, it is the righteousness of Christ that was accomplished on the cross on behalf of the sinner that saves us. This righteousness goes way beyond any 'moral' righteousness or rectitude on the sinners part. The redemption that we have through the blood of Christ was obtained for us (Heb 9:12)...

12 Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.

12 He went once for all into the [Holy of] Holies [of heaven], not by virtue of the blood of goats and calves [by which to make reconciliation between God and man], but His own blood, having found and secured a complete redemption (an everlasting release for us).

The only way that we can receive that perfect righteousness of Christ is to believe with the heart unto that righteousness according to (Rom 10:10)...

10 For with the heart a person believes (adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Christ) and so is justified (declared righteous, acceptable to God), and with the mouth he confesses (declares openly and speaks out freely his faith) and confirms [his] salvation.

We do not attain unto that righteousness but we believe unto that righteousness because it was obtained by Christ for us.


Rom 3:24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Rom 4:1 What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
Rom 4:2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
Rom 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Rom 4:4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.
Rom 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Rom 4:6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,

HERE ARE THE VERSES (7-9) YOU FORGOT TO INCLUDE

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed (extremely overjoyed) is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
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

Rom 4:10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision.
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.

Not of the external works of law.
Rom 4:13 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.
Rom 4:14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect:

Rom 4:16 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,

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.

Grace
Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

Faith
Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Work Out - katergazomai - to work fully, that is, accomplish; by implication to finish, fashion: - cause, do (deed), perform, work (out).

Rom 4:19 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:
Rom 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;
Rom 4:21 And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.
Rom 4:22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness.
Rom 4:23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him;


Rom 4:24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;

Col 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.




Luk_18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

COMMENTS ABOVE ^^^^^

Just in case you did not see it...

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed (extremely overjoyed) is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 

[cfultz3]

COMMENTS ABOVE ^^^^^

Just in case you did not see it...

7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed (extremely overjoyed) is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

I did not even notice that Red, thank you for having a keen eye.


Notice verse 9 where it says that FAITH was reckoned for righteousness.

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

 

[Tombo]

You know, it is an unfortunate thing that some verses in the Bible that speak of the "faith of Christ" , have been changed to "faith in Christ" in the modern Bible translations. They really had no warrant to do that. It is true that the Bible speaks in some verses of us having faith in Christ, but it also speaks of Christ's faith (Christ's faithfulness on our behalf).
I beleive Galatians 2:15-16 is just one such example:
KJV: "We who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles, knowing that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
The KJV translates this verse literally and faithfully. I don't know why the modern translations changed the word "of" to "in". The ESV that I generally use used to have a foot note at the bottom of the page to indicate the verses that would say "faith of Chirst", but the later versions removed them. I find that very unfortunate because it changes the whole meaning of the verse.
Galations is clearly speaking of Christ's faithfulness to God on our behalf. It says, "even we have believed in Jesus Christ (our faith in His work), that we might be justified by the faith of Christ (Jesus faithfulness on our behalf).
This is one reason it pays to refer to several translations of the Bible. I also have a copy of Young's Literal Translation of The Bible. The word is definitely "of" and not "in", in this verse.
God bless.

Tom

 

[Tommy4Christ]

You ignore the truth, I just cant figure you guys out, you have no concept of what a real saving faith is!

We don't save ourselves, we follow the commands of God to repent or perish, and follow Jesus on the narrow road.

Here is a Summery of What is Being taught in the Present Day Churches:

How is the Old Man Kept Alive?
1)Brought into Kingdom, in his sins, told clean up later
2)Made Positional Righteous by Imputation
3)Gradually Sanctified by this ‘inward’ cleaning of Spirit
4)Saved IN your sin, not OUT of them!

What Does this Imply to a Professing Christian?
1)Since Desires gradually change by degree, the sin is not a serious matter, but Nature.
2)Admonishment or Rebuke is OUT of question because God is Working on them
3)The WHOLE System is aimed at Reforming the Carnal (Old) man.
4)The Work is NEVER Complete until final Redemption, because no one is Perfect & God Doesn’t expect the sin to ever Stop in this life.
5)Thus a HUGE Gray area exists where sin remains ‘unaccountable’, because you were Born a sinner and its God’s Task to Cleanse it out of you.

Therefore, Instead of Repentance (Godly Sorrow for sin & Clearing)
1)Try to Reform their conduct with counseling
2)Offer Self Help Books, tapes, Courses, Ethics studies, Discussion groups, ect
3)Preach flowery Sermons about ‘Doing Right thing’ & Being a good person, with the WARNINGS removed of course. (always cushion it, soften the message)


This System is in place Unanimously, without exception. And it’s the reason for the Massive degradation and moral decay in our churches and society at large. The Church leaders are Blinded to it and WILL NOT even consider correcting their error. They are Wholly CONVINCED they are Preaching the Gospel of Christ and bringing people to Salvation! But the Bondage to Sin Remains and the Corruption is getting worse. This dilemma Explains a great deal however about the conditions among professing Christians today.
Because they have the Gospel in Reverse:
1)Sinful behavior cannot be admonished or even brought to the attention of the church
2)The Warnings in Scripture against sin are avoided and played down
3)It’s assumed that everyone, including the pastor, sins all the time and can’t help doing it
4)Doing the Right thing is ‘WORKS’ and anathema to all!
5)Repentance has NOTHING to do with Actually Stopping the sin
6)And the Old man is Crucified in Stages, Gradually dying to the world.

WHEN is the Old Man Crucified? (In Stages or in the Process of Repentance?)
Let’s see what the Bible REALLY has to say:

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. Gal 2:20

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Gal5:24

Is Paul Speaking of a PAST Action or Something that Happens by Degree?

‘Have Crucified’ (here is the Greek Translation)

5777 Tense - Aorist

The aorist tense is characterized by its emphasis on punctiliar action; that is, the concept of the verb is considered without regard for past, present, or future time. There is no direct or clear English equivalent for this tense, though it is generally rendered as a simple past tense in most translations.
The events described by the aorist tense are classified into a number of categories by grammarians. The most common of these include a view of the action as having begun from a certain
point ("inceptive aorist"), of having ended at a certain point ("cumulative aorist"), or merely existing at a certain point ("punctiliar aorist"). The categorization of other cases can be found in Greek reference grammars.
The English reader need not concern himself with most of these finer points concerning the aorist tense, since in most cases they cannot be rendered accurately in English translation, being fine points of Greek exegesis only. The common practice of rendering an aorist by a simple English past tense should suffice in most cases.

It’s A DONE DEAL! Paul is CLEARLY Speaking about something that happened in a Precise and Particular timeframe, in Reference to PUTTING to Death the Old Man with his Passions and Desires,
(Outlined in Gal5:19-21) Contrasted with the Fruit of the Spirit, (Gal 5:22-23) that Came about BECAUSE THOSE WHO BELONG (in Christ) have ALREADY Crucified the Old man.

More Proof! ‘I AM Crucified with Christ’ (Greek Translation)

5778 Tense - Perfect

The perfect tense in Greek corresponds to the perfect tense in English, and describes an action which is viewed as having been completed in the past, once and for all, not needing to be
repeated.

Therefore it is NOT On-Going, A Process, Something that happens by Degree or Gradually.

Rom 6 Also Bears this out.
1)‘Is Crucified with Him’ Verse 6, ‘Already Done’
2)Body of Sin Destroyed, V: 6 ‘Already Done’
3)United or Planted together with Him through Baptism unto Death, V: 5 ‘Already Done’
4)Buried with Him through Baptism unto Death, V: 4 ‘Already Done’

WITHOUT A DOUBT Rom6 is Speaking of Initial Salvation, no Dispute. Thus the Death of the Old man is TAKING Place in REPENTANCE. (The Baptism of repentance, (Mk1:4, Lk3:3, Acts 13:24, 19:24)

It all Happens in the Baptism of Repentance! The Regeneration, (New Birth!) the Washing, (Clearing of wrong doing, removal of guilt) Renewing of Mind and Heart by Spirit, (The Newness of life!)
IN CHRIST you become a NEW Man, BABE, Teachable, Easily Molded into New Image. THEN you can GROW, Mature, Overcome. But NOT WITHOUT This Firm Foundation at Beginning.




Ignore the warnings at your own risk, I am thankful for Skinski's patients and for Mike D, for boldly proclaiming the truth as laid out in scripture! www.standingthegap.org

Let the truth set you free!

 

[Tommy4Christ]

"Therefore TAKE HEED how (or in what manner) you hear. For whoever has to him more will be given and whoever does not have, even what (assuredly) he has will be taken from him!" Luke8:18
"Take HEED ‘WHO’ you hear. With the same measure you use, it will be measured to you and to you who hear, more will be given. For whoever has to him more will be given, but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away." Mark4:24-25



The Twisted Version of Imputed Righteousness teaches the following:

1. You are declared Righteous at the moment of Justification by faith in Christ
2. God then Transfers the Righteousness of Christ to you and no longer holds you accountable for sin
3. You are declared ‘Positional’ Righteous, but ‘Practically’ you still sin
4. God doesn’t see you sin, He only sees Christ as your Cloak
5. NOTHING you do, no matter how vile, will effect the outcome of your salvation

To various extremes this is the Gospel message MOST people are hearing today as representative of Christianity. Ignore it if you wish. Pretend it’s not influencing ‘your’ church, but don’t expect the situation to improve until SOME at the local level WAKE UP to the Danger and start Contending for the faith! We need clarion definitions of Repentance, Faith and Obedience and a Grass Roots return to the Doctrine Which is according to godliness. Not merely in theory, but in PRACTICE! People have drawn their own conclusions about what it means to follow Jesus long enough based on this twisted understanding of imputed Righteousness. The Word Sown from the pages of Scripture is being SOWN among thorns of error into the hearts of the people with NO LASTING Fruit being born within them.
Many are already defiled past the point of no return and others are becoming slowly hardened against the truth that can save them. Although they are Cloaked in a ‘form’ of godliness that is disguised as sound doctrine, they are full of duplicity, double minded and disobedient to the core. But ‘convinced’ they are SAFE in the arms of Jesus for evermore. Not knowing that the Jesus they are looking to is merely a reflection of their own design crafted into an IMAGE that condones their carnality and winks at their sin!
Courtesy standingthegap.org

 

[Tommy4Christ]

Counted As Righteousness!
Faith that is imputed as Righteousness must turn on an Obedient and Upright heart brought to birth through genuine repentance. God CANNOT pronounce anyone Righteous in Christ who has NOT been first made PURE by Faith working by Love. (Acts15:9, Gal5:6) Abraham’s faith was credited to him as Righteousness, Rom4:3, because it contained these WOKRING Principles within.
"You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,"[e] and he was called God's friend. You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone. Jame2:22-23 NIV
Thus he became the father of circumcision (heart circumcision!) to ANYONE who would WALK in the STEPS of FAITH as he did. (Rom4:12) His faith sprang from a WHOLEHEARTED Obedience to the Mode of Doctrine that delivered him from sin. This is well beyond the common definition of ‘Trust’ loosely used by the imputed righteousness teachers.
"But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." Rom6:16-17
Abraham was not ‘Weak’ in Faith, nor did he waver or doubt through ‘unfaithfulness’. He was FULLY CONVINCED in what God had promised and OBEYED from that foundation. (Rom4:19-21, Heb11:8)
THEREFORE his Faith was Credited (imputed) to him as RIGHTEOUSNESS!! (Rom4:22) God did not have to ‘Pretend’ that he was Righteous because now his heart was Upright and Obedient in Faith.
"After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise!" Heb6:15
The New Covenant turns the focus of God’s Word INWARD. It’s the heart that needs Fixed! (Matt15:16-20) People can learn to live a better, improved version of life, through applying religious principles, but still MISS the Kingdom. Because it’s the heart that needs CLEANSED by faith, not the intellect convinced that Jesus will pronounce them Righteous if they ‘trust’ Him. It’s a spiritual impossibility to become Holy WITHOUT BEING Holy! The Flesh must be subdued, not Cloaked. This requires WHOLEHEARTED Obedience to Truth and a Faith that WORKS!
"But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness. James 3:8-9 www.standingthegap.org

 

[IMINJC]

tommy4christ


YOU SAID: God CANNOT pronounce anyone Righteous in Christ who has NOT been first made PURE by Faith working by Love. (Acts15:9, Gal5:6) Abraham’s faith was credited to him as Righteousness, Rom4:3, because it contained these WOKRING Principles within.

We have to be careful not to make this more complicated than what it really is. The statement above is true, but the faith that was excercised that made the believer righteous was faith in the death burrial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Abraham was declared righteous simply because he believed God. When we believe in what God did for us through His son Jesus...then we are declared righteous also just as Abraham was.

The problem with the Church on this action by God is this. A great portion of believers do not really believe that they are now actually "righteous," even though they are aware that it is in the Word. Most Christians still see themselves more as imperfect, hopeless sinners than beings of righteousness. Another portion of Christians thinks that the righteousness that they have been made some how acts as a permanent seal for their salvation no matter what kind of life that they live.

The truth is that upon our confession in Christ, we were declared righteous. We have the ability to fulfill all righteuosness in the earth. We were made righteous to consistently say no to sin and do righteous works...If We Believe What The Word Say's About Us.

 

[Laodicea]

Righteousness By Faith
Romans 3:21-31 KJV
(21) But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
(22) Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
(23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
(24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
(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;
(26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
(27) Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.
(28) Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
(29) Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:
(30) Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.
(31) Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.