DIVINE IMPUTATION

 

Suppose I have been caught speeding in town. I appear before the judge, who, according to law, charges me a fine of $58.75. But I have no money to pay my fine. So  Bob Poncer stands up and declares that he will pay my fine. He writes the court a check for $58.75, which is charged to my account. My fine is paid. The law is satisfied. That is imputation. Mr. Poncer's act on my behalf satisfies and honors the law for me. It is charged to my account.  The gospel of Christ reveals three separate and distinct acts of imputation.

 

THE SIN OF OUR FATHER ADAM HAS BEEN IMPUTED TO ALL MEN. It has been judicially set to our account, We are all guilty of sin and suffer the consequences of sin, by virtue of our union with Adam. "By the offence of one judgement came upon all man to condemnation...By one man's disobedience (the) many (who were in him) were made sinners.'' When Adam sinned, God declared all men guilty in his sight. In exactly the same way

 

THE SINS OF GOD'S ELECT WERE IMPUTED TO THE LORD JESUS CHRIST BY GOD THE FATHER. "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." In the sight of God's law, Christ became sin. He became responsible for our sins and suffered, to the full satisfaction of God's law, the consequence of our sin, which is death. That which we could not pay Christ has paid for us. It has been laid to our account; so that when Christ died, so far as God's taw and justice is concerned, we died.

 

THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST HAS BEEN IMPUTED TO ALL OF THOSE SINNERS FOR WHOM HE LIVED AND DIED. "By the righteousness of One (Christ) the free gift came upon all men (all who are in him) unto justification of life...By the obedience of One shall (the) many (in him) be made righteous." The very righteousness of Christ has been imputed to every believer. When Christ died at Calvary, God declared his people NOT GUILTY and PERFECTLY RIGHTEOUS. The righteousness of Christ is so really and truly ours that in the sight of God we are perfectly righteous in Christ.