Imputation is the Heart of the Gospel. (WHI – 2of4)
How important is the doctrine of imputation to your ministry?
How important is the doctrine of imputation to your ministry?
October 18, 2008 by kennethclayton
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Greetings, I think you understand what ‘imputed’ means, but unfortunately, you don’t understand what imputed righteousness is, or is not.
Everywhere I go on the web, no one understands, or I just haven’t found anyone that does.
If I told you what ‘imputed righteousness’ is, you would disagree, given the popularity of almost everyone’s false understanding of it.
About me: I’m 62yrs old, live in Michigan. I’ve been a Christian for about 52yrs. Called to preach at age 16.
I must confess, my knowledge on this subject has come about in the last maybe 10yrs.
Roger
Well I have recently come to understand this doctrine within the past year. Why don’t you tell me what you think imputed righteousness means. I would be interested to hear. Where do or did you preach at?
This is to: kenethclayton.
Truely, there really is far too much to type here, but I will not be able to do much justice to the subject, and that like being defected without a fair chance. The real problem is Satan, he is a professional deciever, and he’s made such a mess of peoples minds, that there is only one type of person that can beat him. I am one of those: who seek the truth. Many say that, but don’t realize they verify what they’ve heard, and it fits, that makes it simple.
Satan begain by causing a doctrine error, and making it believable. With that error begain another, and then another, like a suttle chain reaction, because beliving the first error cause another one, and so on, to make scripture fit. We know scripture has to fit, but the outcome is faulted because it’s based upon Satan’s deception. His deception is invisible to most everyone, except a few.
I know what I probably sound like to you, but you be the judge.
I have to explain faith before I can explain IR.
FIRST: Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)
1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
As you can see, faith has two elements.
1. Part A is the substance of things hoped for, which is the subject, object, or things that God has promised and one would like to receive.
2. Part B provides the evidence of things not seen, by a response that furnishes proof of one’s full persuasion that God can perform what He has promised in Part A – the substance of things hoped for, but hasn’t seen.
Abraham left with Part A, in hope that God could give him the promise land. (substance is the promise land…etc.)
When he offered Isaac, that was his proof (evidence) to God that he had full confidence in Him. That is Part B fulfilled, or his faith made perfect (complete).
In between Part A and Part B Abraham was imupted with righteousness.
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.
Abraham received imputed righteousness without works, which forgave him of his lawlessness, and covered his sins. Since, God wasn’t imputing sins to Abraham, his future sins were also covered under imputed righteousness.
IR covered his sins, and that’s all it did, no more or less. This put Abraham in a state of INNOCENCE, like a new born, or like Adam and Eve were created. Neither are saved, but safe, so that if one died before works are done for justification they would be in heaven, but without works, which means they wouldn’t have any rewards like an innocence baby that dies. (All babies go to heaven, because they are born innocent.)
IR is God’s way of protecting a believer from Hell while he waits for proof that one is fully persuaded , and they are call a Friend of God, not a Son of God.
This same condition protects a believer today!
Romans 4:23-25 (KJV) (speaking of Abraham)
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.
If we “believe” (in the gosple of Christ), IR protects the new believer.
Abraham was the example of salvation in the OT, but his was over a long period of time. Today, IR doesn’ stay with us that long, that is determined by God. Abraham’s work completed his faith, but today if one ignores the opportunities for works, IR ends, because faith is dead without works. (I understand Paul vs. James also)
But WAIT, because we are now under the NT, we have to go through Jesus Christ to get to the Father! In short, ye must be born again with a symbolic death and resurrection. There is no other way to FOLLOW Christ!
Roger
Roger,
Well you were correct that I would disagree. Your view is an imputed righteousness based on or granted because of works, when Rom. 4 teaches the opposite. I would describe justification in one part a forgiveness of sins which would leave you in a neutral state but then the righteousness of Christ is imputed to you so a Holy God can declare you righteous. None of this is based upon your works, which seems consistent with Rom. ch3 which says no one does good no not one.
You also have a strange view of being born innocent. If you are born in sin which I believe is the biblical view then you are in need of a savior and a work outside of you and a righteousness that is imputed to you from another and your punishment being poured on another a substitute for you. When your righteousness comes from another then it dependeth not on your works but on His. So then your imputed righteousness can not end.
What denomination do you come from?
Ken,
Somehow you missunderstood my position. Please, carefully read my previous comments again. We both agree that IR is NOT based upon works, but on blief, that’s a scriptural fact. IR is the removal of sins. God took his sins away because he ‘believed’ He could give him a son from his wife of old age.
When God called and promised him a land, and a great name,…etc., Abraham went by faith, but he was NOT fully persuaded that God could fulfill his promises to him. After 10 years in the promised land, God said He would give him a child from Sarah, and he believed God, then God imputed righteousness to him (covered his sins).
Genesis 22:10-12 (KJV)
10 And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 11 And the angel of the LORD called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I. 12 And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me.
God now knows Abraham reveres HIM.
James 2:21-22 (KJV)
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? 22 Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? (perfect = complete)
James 2:24
24 Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. (faith only=Part A = hoping for his promises)
If IR wasn’t temporary, why did God want a sacrifice from Abraham after he offered Isaac, and God provided a RAM to be sacrificed for his sins?
Born innocent: God took King David’s first born infant shortly after birth, and David said in 2 Samuel 12:22-23 (KJV) 22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? 23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”
Divid knows he will see his son again in heaven, but that cannot be if a child is born with sin, as you believe, because sin cannot enter heaven.
Paul wrote: Romans 5:12 (KJV) 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.
Sin was NOT passed upon all men, but death passed upon all men.
David’s son went to heaven because he was born innocent of sin, else he would be in Hell. Can a new-born believe in God, and respond to him?
Romans 9:8-11 (KJV)
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. 9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sara shall have a son. 10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac; 11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)
How is it that God would impute sin to a new-born, when they are in the womb, not yet born, and NOT having done any good or evil?
Death is passed to all, but not sin. Sins have NAMES such as, stealing, murder, cursing God, backstabbing, lying for personal gain,… etc. Therefore, what is the NAME of the sin that a new-born is charged with?
The children of Isaac had done no good or evil, yet they were still in the womb. Birth is not a sin. In fact these two were males, and…..Luke 2:23 (KJV) 23 (As it is written in the law of the Lord, Every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)
Roger
Greetings, and Merry Christmas Ken,
I forgot to answer your question. I was a Fundamental Baptist for over 40yrs.
Here’s one verse that supports the necessity of water baptism.
Romans 6:4 (KJV)
4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
We should walk in newness of life after we are raised up from the dead in baptism, but not before.
Roger