Sin and Righteousness — Imputed and Imparted
Romans 5:18-19
Many who rejoice in the
testimony of Scripture regarding the imputation of Christ’s
righteousness to us in justification strenuously object to the equally clear
teaching of Holy Scripture that the righteousness of Christ is imparted
to chosen, redeemed sinners in sanctification (the new birth). They do so
because some heretics use the term “imparted righteousness” to teach that God
the Holy Spirit imparts a meritorious righteousness to us, mixing grace and
works. But we must not allow some heretic to rob us of the joy of precious
gospel truth. I do not intend to quit calling Christ “Christ,” because the pope
calls him “Christ”!
Let me be crystal clear. — The
righteousness of Christ that is imparted to God’s elect in regeneration has
nothing to do with meriting God’s favor in salvation. The righteousness of
Christ imparted in the new birth is the righteous nature imparted to (given to
and created in) us by God the Holy Spirit in the new birth, by which we have
been made “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4). This “divine
nature” is “that new man which after God is created in righteousness and
true holiness” (Eph. 4:24), “Christ in you the hope of glory” (Col.
1:27). It is this new, righteous nature that was created in us in regeneration,
which is ever in conflict with the old Adamic nature (Rom.
Adam’s Sin
All that our father Adam did
as our federal head in the garden, we did in him. All that Adam did was imputed
to (charged to) us by God. So that we were “made sinners”
by that one man’s sin. All that Adam became as the result of his fall,
we became by natural generation. Every human being, being born of the seed of
Adam, is born in sin, a natural born sinner, depraved in all his being. Adam’s
sin was judicially, legally imputed to us when he sinned in the garden; and his
sinful nature was imparted to us in time when we were born of his seed by
natural generation.
Christ’s Righteousness
In like manner, all that
Christ did in his obedience to the will of God, as the Federal Head and
Representative of his elect, we did in him. His righteousness was imputed to
(charged to) us when he died as our Substitute in the complete accomplishment
of our justification (Rom.
“Made Righteous”
In verse 18 the Holy Spirit
tells us, “by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life.” Notice that the words here have
reference to that which was done in the past. When Christ was “made sin”
and satisfied the justice of God for us by his death upon the cross, we were
made “the righteousness of God in him.” His righteousness was imputed to
us in justification.
Now, look at verse 19. — “For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so
by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.” Here when the Spirit of God speaks of the result of
Christ’s obedience unto death, he tells us that “by the obedience
of one shall
many be made righteous.” Here he uses the future tense. Those words
cannot possibly refer to righteousness being imputed to us in justification.
That was done at
The righteousness of Christ imputed
to us in justification is the basis for and cause of the righteousness of Christ
being imparted to us by the Holy Spirit in regeneration.
“Cannot Sin”
It is this new nature that
is created in us in the image of Christ, a nature that “cannot sin” (1
John 3:9). It is the old man that sins, not the new. It is written, “Now if I do that I would not, it is no more
I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me” (Rom.
When God saves a sinner, he does not
renovate, repair, and renew the old nature. He creates a new nature in his
elect. Our old, Adamic, fallen, sinful nature is not changed. The flesh is
subdued by the spirit; but it will never surrender to the spirit. The spirit
wars against the flesh; but it will never conquer or improve the flesh. The
flesh is sinful. The flesh is cursed. Thank God, the flesh must die! But it
will never be improved.
Revelation and Experience
This dual nature of the
believer is plainly taught in the Word of God. Carefully study Romans 7,
Galatians 5, and 1 John 3. It is utterly impossible to honestly interpret those
portions of Holy Scripture without concluding that both Paul and John teach
that there is within every believer, so long as he lives in this world, both an
old Adamic nature that can do nothing but sin and a new righteous nature, that
which is born of God, that “cannot sin,” that can only do righteousness.
Every believer knows the duality of his
nature by painful, bitterly painful experience. Ask any child of God what he
desires above all things and he will quickly reply, “That I may live without
sin in perfect conformity to Christ, perfectly obeying the will of God in all
things.” But that which he most greatly desires is an utter impossibility in
this life. Is it not so with you? Though you delight in the law of God after
the inward man, there is another law of evil in your members, warring against
you. You would do good; but evil is always present with you, so that you cannot
do the things that you would. Even your best, noblest, most sincere acts of
good, when honestly evaluated, are so marred by sin in motive and in execution,
that you must confess, “All my righteousnesses are filthy rags!”
It is this warfare between the flesh and
the spirit, more than anything else, that keeps the
believer from being satisfied with life in this world. Blessed be God, we shall
soon be free! When we have dropped this robe of flesh, we shall be perfectly
conformed to the image of him who loved us and gave himself for us!
Imputed
Righteousness and Imparted Righteousness
“For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be
made righteous” (Rom.
Imputed righteousness is an
act of God's grace in redemption. Because the Lord Jesus Christ lived in righteousness
upon this earth as our Representative and died under the penalty of God's law
as our Substitute, the law and justice of God declare that we are righteous.
The very righteousness of Christ, his perfect obedience to God as a man, has
been imputed to us. That is to say, righteousness has been laid to our account.
In exactly the same manner as our sins
were imputed to Christ, his righteousness has been imputed to us. When the holy
Lord God made his darling Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, sin for us, he charged
him with our sin. The Son of God became responsible to the law of God for the
sins of his elect. And the penalty of sin was exacted from him. He died under
the wrath of God. Even so, God having imputed the righteousness of Christ to us
who believe, we have become responsible for righteousness in the sight of God's
law. And we shall receive the just reward of the law for righteousness, eternal
life, and everlasting glory.
As our works of sin were made to be our
Redeemer’s, so his works of righteousness have been made ours. As he received
the reward of our sin, we must receive the reward of his righteousness. That is
substitution. Our righteousness before God is perfect, unalterable
righteousness. It is the righteousness of Christ, our Substitute. Child of God,
can you realize this? Your standing, your acceptance with God never varies. God
is always well pleased with you in his Son!
Imparted righteousness is an act of God's
grace in regeneration. In the new birth God gives his people a new heart, a new
will, a new nature created in righteousness and true holiness. Your standing
before God is not improved at all by imparted righteousness in the new birth.
Imparted righteousness is God giving you a heart, nature, and will of
righteousness so that you now love the things you once hated and hate the
things you once loved. By this act of divine grace in regeneration the
righteous nature of Christ is imparted to God's elect.
We rejoice in the righteousness of Christ
imputed in justification and in the righteousness of Christ imparted in
regeneration. Both are precious boons of God’s free grace in salvation; and
both are necessary. They should be maintained and fully preached side by side.
The righteousness by which we are justified is imputed. The righteousness by
which we are sanctified is imparted. The first is our title to heaven, the second is our fitness for heaven.
"Imparted Righteousness"
“According as his divine
power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness,
through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and
precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature,
having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.” (2 Pet.
1:3-4)
Just as the fallen,
unrighteous nature of Adam was imparted to all men by natural birth, the holy,
righteous nature of Christ is imparted to all God's elect in the new birth. The
righteousness of Christ is imputed to us for justification. And the
righteousness of Christ is imparted to us in regeneration, by the irresistible
power and effectual grace of God the Holy Spirit (1 Pet.
I Am Not Saying
I am not saying that the
believer is without sin! He is not. Sin is what we are by nature. Sin is mixed
with all we do. Sin mars our best thoughts, blackens our best deeds, corrupts
our best words, and defiles our noblest aspirations.
I am not saying that the old nature is
changed in regeneration; it is not. Flesh is always flesh. It never improves.
It never becomes spirit. It only corrupts, rots and,
thank God, in time dies.
I am not saying that the believer's works
can ever be accepted before God upon their own merit! They are not. We offer up
our prayers and sacrifices to God, which are accepted by him, only upon the
merits of Christ's righteousness and blood atonement (1 Pet. 2:5).
I Am Saying
But I am saying that the
person who is born of God is a new creature in Christ (2 Cor.
There is a constant warfare within! (See
Rom. 7:14-25). All who are born of God mind the things of God (
Those who do not have this
imparted righteousness are no more born of God than those who do not have
Christ's imputed righteousness are justified before God.