IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS
Roman 4:22
The Lord Jesus
Christ came into this world for the purpose of fulfilling all righteousness as
the Representative of God's elect. And he did it! He brought in, established
and finished the work of righteousness for all his people by his obedience to
the Father as our Federal Head. It is this righteousness, the righteousness of
God in Christ, that is proclaimed to sinners in the preaching of the gospel
(Rom. 3:24-28). Until the righteousness of God, which was accomplished by the
faithful obedience of Christ, is plainly declared, the gospel has not been
preached. And any gospel that offers sinners any other grounds of
righteousness, than that which Christ has accomplished, is a false gospel. It
is this righteousness, accomplished by Christ, which is imputed to us for
justification and acceptance with God. The Word of God speaks of a threefold
imputation.
1. ADAM'S SIN HAS BEEN IMPUTED TO ALL MEN (Rom. 5:12, 18, 19). By God's
appointment, Adam was the head and representative of all men. When he sinned,
we all became sinners by imputation. God laid the charge and guilt of Adam's
sin upon us. We became sinners, not by what we do, but by what Adam, our
representative, did.
2. ALL THE SINS OF GOD'S ELECT WERE IMUTED TO CHRIST ON THE CROSS (Isa.
53:6, 8). Our Lord Jesus never committed any act of sin. But he was made to be
sin as our Substitute, by our sins being charged to his account. Once he was
made to be sin, he had to suffer the just consequences of sin. He died under
the curse of the law (Gal. 3:13).
3. AND THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST IS IMPUTED TO EVERY BELIEVER (Rom.
3:23-24; II Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:19). We are not made righteous by something we
do, any more than Christ was made to be a sinner by something he did. Christ's
obedience has been charged to the account of all God's elect, those represented
by him, those for whom he lived and died, those who trust him. God looks upon
us in Christ as men and women who are perfectly righteous. He reckons us to be
righteous in his sight. And he shall reward us with the just consequence of
perfect righteousness: ETERNAL LIFE!