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Imputation

From: Bible Witness and Review: Volume 2

Romans 5:9 • 1 min. read • grade level: 9

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The meritorious ground of our justification is the blood of Christ (Rom. 5:9⁹Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (Romans 5:9)). But had He, who was "made of a woman, made under the law," failed in any one point in keeping it, He would not have been the holy Lamb of God, who could have atoned by His death for our sins. Now it is clear that we were not justified by His keeping the law for us, for " if righteousness come by law, then Christ is dead in vain" (Gal. 2:21²¹I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. (Galatians 2:21)). We should have been justified before He died in that case. This shows the mistake of such thoughts.

On the teaching of God imputing righteousness, Scripture is clear. Faith, not the obedience of Christ, is imputed to us for righteousness (Rom. 4:5⁵But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5); Gal. 3:6⁶Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness. (Galatians 3:6); James 2:23²³And 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. (James 2:23)); that God reckons the man righteous, who believes His testimony, whatever it may be. In Abraham's case it was God's testimony as to his seed: in ours it is His testimony about the work of His Son (Rom. 4:19-25¹⁹And 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: ²⁰He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; ²¹And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform. ²²And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. ²³Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ²⁴But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; ²⁵Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. (Romans 4:19‑25)),

" Obedience " (ὑπαχοή) may, of course, often be used with reference to continued obedience, but in Rom. 5:19¹⁹For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. (Romans 5:19), it refers to only one act, as the preceding verse distinctly states, "Therefore as by one offense, unto all to condemnation: so by one righteousness (διχαίωμα), unto all men unto justification of life."

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Bible Witness and Review: Volume 2

• Atonement, The

• Atonement as Set Forth in the Old Testament

• Examination of Mill's Logic

• Examination of Mill's Logic 2

• Examination of the Book Entitled the Restitution of All Things*

• Examination of the Book Entitled the Restitution of All Things*: Notes

• Father, The

• God Manifest in the Flesh

• Jesus Christ Come in the Flesh

• Glory of the Only-Begotten, The

• Glory of God, The

• New Song, The

• Temple of God, The

• True Worshippers, The

• Lord's Supper, The

• Faith of the Son of God, The

• Church in Sardis, The: Modern Phases of the Church

• God of Glory With Abraham and the Son of Man in the Glory of God, The

• Sufferings of Christ, The

• Sufferings of Christ Distinguished, The

• The Sufferings of Christ in Atonement

• Purchase and Redemption

• Biblical Annotations*

• Bearing Sins

• 1 Corinthians 9 and 10

• Doctrine Taught in Romans 11 Overlaid by Mistranslation, The

• Imputation