C. BOSTIAN                      THE DOCTRINE OF IMPUTATION                             6/8/03

 

Romans 4:8 (KJV)

Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

 

Romans 4:1-8 (KJV) 

    What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as

pertaining to the flesh, hath found? [2] For if Abraham were

justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.

[3] For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and

it was counted unto him for righteousness. [4] Now to him

that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

[5] But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. [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.

 

Hebrews 6:1-3 (MsgB) 

    So come on, let's leave the preschool fingerpainting exercises on Christ and get on with the grand work of art. Grow up in Christ. The basic foundational truths are in place: turning your back on "salvation by self-help" and turning in trust toward God; [2] baptismal instructions; laying on of hands; resurrection of the dead; eternal judgment. [3] God helping us, we'll stay true to all that. But there's so much more. Let's get on with it!

 

   YES, GOD WANTS US TO GET ON WITH GROWING UP IN CHRIST AND COME INTO A FULLER UNDERSTANDING OF THE SURPASSING RICHES IN CHRIST.  BUT THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN DO THAT IS WHEN WE BUILD ON THE FOUNDATIONAL PRINCIPLES OF CHRIST.  ONE OF THOSE FOUNDATIONAL TEACHINGS IS THE DOCTRINE OF IMPUTATION.  THIS WORD “IMPUTE” IS USED IN VARIOUS ENGLISH TRANSLATIONS IN SUCH WORDS AS “TO ACCOUNT OR TO RECKON.” IN FACT THE WORD IMPUTE COMES FROM THE GREEK WORD LOGIZOMAI AND IS VARIOUSLY TRANSLATED IN ENGLISH AS IMPUTE, COUNT OR RECKON.  IT MEANS TO TAKE INVENTORY, TO PUT DOWN TO A PERSON'S ACCOUNT, HENCE TO ATTRIBUTE TO A PERSON, A CHARGING TO ONE ANYTHING GOOD OR BAD, A SETTING OF SOMETHING TO ONE'S ACCOUNT ON A LEGAL BASIS.  This takes place sometimes in a judicial manner, so that the thing imputed becomes a ground of reward or punishment.  logizomai (log-id'-zom-ahee); FROM THE middle voice: to take an inventory, i.e. estimate (literally or figuratively): KJV-- conclude, (ac-) count (of), esteem, impute, lay, number, reason, reckon, suppose, think (on).  THE BEST WAY FOR US TO UNDERSTAND THIS WORD IMPUTE IS TO LIKEN IT ONTO A CREDIT CARD OR A BANK STATEMENT WHERE YOU HAVE YOUR DEBITS AND YOUR CREDITS.  TO IMPUTE MEANS TO PUT INTO YOUR LEGAL ACCOUNT BOTH CREDITS AND OR DEBITS.

 

Ps 32:2

2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

 

Ps 106:29-31

29 Thus they provoked him to anger with their inventions: and the plague brake in upon them. 30 Then stood up Phinehas, and executed judgment: and so the plague was stayed. 31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.

 

Rom 2:26

26 Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

 

Lev 17:3-4

3 What man soever there be of the house of Israel, that killeth an ox, or lamb, or goat, in the camp, or that killeth it out of the camp,

4 And bringeth it not unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, to offer an offering unto the LORD before the tabernacle of the LORD; blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people:

    

IN ALL THESE CASES THE act of imputation is simply the charging of one with something. It denotes just what we mean by our ordinary use of the term. It does not change the inward state or character of the person to whom something is imputed. When, for example, we say that we impute bad motives to anyone, we do not mean that we make such a one bad; and just so in the Scripture the phrase "to impute iniquity" does not mean to make one personally bad, but simply to lay iniquity to his charge. Hence, when God is said "to impute sin" to anyone, the meaning is that God accounts such a one to be a sinner, and consequently guilty and liable to punishment. Similarly, the non-imputation of sin means simply not to lay it to one's charge as a ground of punishment <Ps 32:2>. In the same manner, when God is said "to impute righteousness" to a person, the meaning is that He judicially accounts such a one to be righteous and entitled to all the rewards of a righteous person <Rom 4:6,11>. IN THE BIBLE, IMPUTATION IS RECKONING TO A PERSON THE CONSEQUENCES OF ANOTHER PERSONS ACTIONS:  WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THREE ASPECTS OF IMPUTATION THIS MORNING AS WE PREPARE FOR COMMUNION:

 

1.    ADAM'S SINS WERE IMPUTED TO ALL OF HIS DESCENDENTS 

    (ROM.5)

 

2.    MAN'S SIN IS IMPUTED TO CHRIST WHO MADE ATONEMENT

         FOR OUR SIN BY HIS DEATH ON THE CROSS.

 

3.    ALL OF THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF JESUS CHRIST HAS BEEN

    IMPUTED TO EACH PERSON WHO BELIEVES IN JESUS AS

    SAVIOR.

 

1. SO, FIRST OF ALL LET’S LOOK AT THE IMPUTED SINS OF ADAM TO HIS DESCENDENTS IN ROM.5:10

 

Romans 5:12-14 (MsgB)

You know the story of how Adam landed us in the dilemma

we're in—first sin, then death, and no one exempt from either

sin or death. [13] That sin disturbed relations with God in

everything and everyone, but the extent of the disturbance was not clear until God spelled it out in detail to Moses. So death, this huge abyss separating us from God, dominated the landscape from

Adam to Moses. [14] Even those who didn't sin precisely as Adam

did by disobeying a specific command of God still had to experience this termination of life, this separation from God. But Adam, who got us into this, also points ahead to the One who will get us out of it.

 

THE DOCTRINE OF THE IMPUTED SINS OF ADAM TO THE HUMAN RACE IS ALSO KNOWN IN THEOLOGICAL TERMS AS ORIGINAL SIN.  EVERY MAN, WOMAN AND CHILD IS BORN INTO SIN, THAT IS, THAY HAVE A NATURE THAT IS PRONE TO SIN AND A PHYSICAL BODY THAT IS SUSEPTIBLE TO SIN.  WE CAN THANK ADAM FOR THAT.  LISTEN, HE ONLY HAD ONE STINKIN RULE: DON’T EAT THE FRUIT OF THE TREE OF THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL.  THE PEOPLE IN THE O.C. HAD TEN COMMANDMENTS BUT ADAM ONLY HAD ONE AND HE COULDN’T KEEP IT.  THE ONLY PLACE WE GOT MORE RULES THAN WE’LL EVER NEED IS THE CHURCH.  WE GOT 500 RULES ON HOW TO DRESS, WHERE WE CAN GO AND WHAT WE SHOULD DO OR NOT DO.  HOW MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT WHAT THE CHURCH IS SUPPOSE TO BE ALL ABOUT.  ITS NOT CONFORMITY TO RULES BUT CONFORMITY TO CHRIST WHICH REQUIRES RELATIONSHIP AND NOT PERFORMANCE.  

 

1 Cor 15:21-23

21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

 

AT ANY RATE, WHEN ADAM SIN HE PASSED ON THE SIN NATURE TO HIS WHOLE PROGENY.  SO WE ARE BORN INTO SIN AND ADAM’S SIN IS IMPUTED TO OUR LEGAL ACCOUNT.  ROM.3:23 TELLS US THAT ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.  SO ADAM’S SINS HAVE BEEN IMPUTED TO US AS WELL AS THE CONSEQUENCE WHICH IS DEATH.  NOW THERE ARE 3 STAGES TO DEATH: 1. THERE IS PHYSICAL DEATH; 2. THERE IS SPIRITUAL DEATH; AND 3. THERE IS ETERNAL DEATH AND SEPARATION FROM GOD.  NOW JUST AS THE IMPUTED SIN OF ADAM HAS CONSEQUENCES SO DOES THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS HAVE CONSEQUENCES FOR THE BELIEVER.  BUT, BEFORE WE CAN GET TO THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR SINS WERE IMPUTED TO CHRIST.

 

2.  THE DOCTRINE OF IMPUTATION OR LEGALLY PLACING ON ONES ACCOUNT THE ACTIONS OF ANOTHER IS EXPRESSED FROM THE SINNER TO THE SAVIOR.

 

2 Cor. 5:21 (MsgB) 

    How? you say. In Christ. God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.

 

Isaiah 53:3-11 (MsgB)

He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand. One look at him and people turned away.

We looked down on him, thought he was scum. [4] But the fact is, it was our pains he carried— our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own failures. [5] But it was our sins that did that to him,

that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed. [6] We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.

We've all done our own thing, gone our own way. And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong, on him, on him.

(KJV.And God laid on him the iniquity of us all) [7] He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn't say a word. Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence. [8] Justice miscarried, and he was led off—and did anyone really know what was happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of my people. [9] They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, Even though he'd never hurt a soul or said one word that wasn't true.

[10] Still, it's what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain.

The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life. And God's plan will deeply prosper through him. [11] Out of that terrible travail of soul,

he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many "righteous ones," as he himself carries the burden of their sins.

 

   When Jesus Christ was hanging on the cross of Calvary, he literally took every person’s sin upon His own body. He actually physically became sin for us when God imputed all men’s sin to Christ. I Peter 2:24 “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sin, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” This truth exemplifies the heart of the gospel. The sinless Savior took all men’s sin upon Himself

and freely offers forgiveness to all.

the o.t.type of this imputation of our sins to christ was foreshadowed in the offering of a spotless lamb as a sacrifice for the o.c. believer. John 1:29 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” Two Old Testament animals prefigured Jesus as the Lamb of God.
7. First, Jesus was the lamb for the sin offering “the Lamb of God…”- Lev. 4:3-4.  The sin offering was a lamb, laden with the sins of the people. The lamb was sacrificed in place of the sinful person. This is what Jesus did on the cross. You and I have sinned, and we must of necessity have an offering for sin to appease God’s righteous and holy standards. Thank God Jesus became our sin offering!
and then the second lamb is prefigured as the scapegoat in Lev. 16:7-10, 20-22.  The high priest would present two goats before the Lord. One was to be slain as the sin offering, and the other was sent into the wilderness alive.  The word “scapegoat” is the Hebrew word “Azazel”, and is a combination of two words meaning “goat” and “depart.” It was literally the goat of removing and symbolized the removal of Israel’s sin. Psalm103:12 “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Hebrews 9:26 “For then must he have often suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.” The Levitical sacrifices were nothing more than a foreshadowing of what was to come! They could never truly take away sin and therefore had to be repeated over and over again for 1,500 years. Seas of blood were shed. But Christ came and shed his blood only once, and His sacrifice completely and forever removed our sins from us! Thank God our sin was imputed to christ on the cross! he has forever become our sin offering and our scapegoat.

 

3. the third aspect of the doctrine of imputation is that all of the righteousness of christ is imputed to our legal account and god sees us as rigtheous and holy in his sight.

 

James 2:23 (KJV)

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed

God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:

and he was called the Friend of God.

 

Romans 4:23-5:1 (KJV)

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. [5:1] Therefore being justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

 

   Abraham was a man just like any other man. He had shortcomings and even occasionally engaged in sinful behavior. However, Abraham had righteousness imputed to him! how did Abraham get this righteousness? the scriptures tells us that Abraham believed God. He put his faith in the promises that God made to him. Therefore, God imputed His righteousness to him. The only condition for having the righteousness of Christ applied to your account is faith in His atoning work at Calvary. Nearly 200 times in the New Testament alone faith, or believing is mentioned as being the only condition for salvation.

Romans 3:21-31 (KJV)

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.

 

     WHEN GOD IS SAID TO IMPUTE RIGHTEOUSNESS TO A PERSON, THE MEANING IS THAT HE JUDICIALLY ACCOUNTS SUCH A ONE TO BE RIGHTEOUS AND THERBY ENTITLED TO ALL OF THE RIGHTS, PRIVILEGES AND REWARDS OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON.  RIGHTEOUSNESS IS DEFINED AS OBEDIENCE TO DIVINE AND HUMAN LAW AND SUCH AS ONE OUGHT TO BE.  IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS IS DEFINED AS CHRIST'S LEGAL STATUS OR MERIT ACQUIRED BY ALL THAT HE DID IN SATSIFYING ALL THE DEMANDS OF GOD'S LAW, INCLUDING HIS ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE.  The apostle says that just as men are condemned on account of a sin not their own, so they are justified on account of a righteousness which is not their own. The idea of imputed sin and imputed righteousness, as was said, is the precise point of the parallelism between condemnation in Adam and justification in Christ. This is also the idea which underlies the apostle's contrast of the Old and New Covenants <2 Cor 3:9>. The New Covenant is described as a "ministry of righteousness," and contrasted with the Old Covenant which is described as a "ministry of condemnation."

 

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.

 

we "become the righteousness of God" in precisely the same sense in which Christ was "made to be sin" <2 Cor 5:21>. Since Christ was made sin by having the guilt. of our sin imputed to Him so that He bore its penalty, Paul must mean that we "become the righteousness of God" in this same objective sense through the imputation to us of the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.

 

 

     AS WE PREPARE FOR COMMUNION THIS MORNING LET US APPROPRIATE THE BLOOD OF CHRIST TO COVER OUR SIN AND IMPUTE THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST TO OUR ACCOUNT.  AS WE CONFESS OUR SINS HE WILL BE FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE US OUR SINS AND CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.  THE ACTIVE INGREDIENT THAT CLEANSES OUR SINS AND IMPUTES THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS THE BLOOD.  THE BLOOD COVERS OUR SIN AS THE ONLY PERFECT ATONEMENT THAT GOD ACCEPTS.  WITH THE BLOOD COVING US, GOD NO LONGER SEES OUR SINS AND DISOBEDIENCE BUT RATHER THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.  WE ARE TOLD IN Leviticus 17:11 (KJV)  For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. WHEN WE, BY FAITH, APPROPRIATE THE BLOOD OF CHRIST OUR SINS ARE REMOVED AND WE RECEIVE THE IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST.  GOD NOW SEES US AS RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY AS WE SHALL EVER BE.  LET US APPROACH THE COMMUNION TABLE THIS MORNING AND REMEMBER THE POWER OF THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.

 

Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)

How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?