Imputation of Christ's righteousness

I have done little more than looking over some notes and a few resources. I have not looked into the modern debate, so no labels – ok dudes! Yes! You! Now get your mom some lunch. I wrote this over lunch.. K ..

Imputation of Christ's righteousness is part of God’s justification of us. Justification is twofold in function 1.) Forgiveness and 3.) Imputation of Christ’s righteousness. Justification is objective and declarative in Christian teaching as a way of viewing what Christ has does as the object of our faith that justify us.

Imputation means to “think of as belonging to”. It is used to describe the transaction that allows us to stand before God . Imputation is akin to, if not synonymous with another theological concept: Union with Christ. No Transaction of righteousness is at an arm’s length. Rather it is about two becoming one, Christ and the believer becoming one in the sight of God. Thus Paul is able to speak of the believer dying and being made alive in Christ (Rom6:3-4).

I think the best way to get at imputation is to take the above idea and frame it within the metaphor of a bridle covenant (Eph 5). This is not a stretch for I think the union in Christ is the theological construct imputation fits within.

Imputation as an aspect of Oneness: The mystery spoken of in Eph 5 is the oneness of Christ and the church foreshadowed in the oneness of a bride and husband. So Christ’s righteousness is our righteousness for we are made one with him. The oneness we share with Christ is a position we have before the father. Imputation is not as much transference from person to person but an act of two becoming one. A bride is dressed in the bridegroom’s robes and shares in his inheritance, and in His love. So In him we hold all things in common with him and are declared as righteous “IN HIM”. As Isaiah 61:10, reads, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God, for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself like a priest with a beautiful headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.”

Justification is declarative and not a personal internal work of making someone actually righteous (sanctification) but righteous in position (like a marriage makes one a wife or husband in position). Their is no infusing righteousness in the oneness view only a positional shift from under the wrath of God to “in Him” thus In Him we gain the grace and joy and pleasure the Father has for Christ because of his righteousness that is counted as our righteousness for we are in covenant relationship. OK, Ok, I will say it, we are marriage to Jesus. His is ours by his work (the bridal price) that makes us his possession and he gives us a new identity (position before God) and keeps all sides of the covenant because of his covenant keeping faithfulness. The result of imputation is a new identity and position be have because of our covenant relationship with Christ. We are “in him” one with him in the new covenant, So that we can become in practice what we are in position. (2 Cor 6:1)

The bridal covenant is a New Testament theme used repeatedly to describe the new covenant in Christ. It is in the background of Paul’s thought in his view of the Old Testament promise. Look in 2 cor 6:16,18 he uses this theme as the backdrop to stress the temple metaphor which is another way of looking at oneness with Christ as a way to promote church accountability and responsible action in view of our positional relationship with God. In 2 Cor 6:16, 18, Paul writes:

17. I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them,
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.

18. and I will be a father to you,
and you shall be sons and daughters to me,
says the Lord Almighty.”

Paul is not seeing adoption here but people of being made Sons and Daughters by covenant, such an act happens when a coupe enters a marriage covenant. As in the new covenant, the two become one; the church and Christ become one to be one new family.

SO Christ’s righteousness is our righteousness – we are in right relationship and made perfect in God’s sight. It is our possession because we are his possession. It is our position because it is his position. It is about him and clinging by faith to him and his work as the only way of salvation.


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Books used in reflection:

Christian theology - Erickson

Systematic theology – Grudem

Sit, walk, stand - Watchman Nee