Last week we looked at the best way to study this great doctrine and in reality any doctrine. That way is to see oneself as a creature and a sinner in order to be humbled and broken before God. It is the sinner who feels the weight of his sin that will be able to see the clearest into the only thing that is the remedy for his case. The person that is burdened with sin and his own helplessness is able to see more of the meaning of the cross than the one who sees little to none of his sin. The same thing is true of other aspects of Justification and of the Gospel as a whole. So the person who does not feel the weight and awfulness of what sin is as against an infinite and holy God will not really understand the Gospel.As we look at the imputation of the righteousness of Christ, we should first notice how it fits with the doctrine of depravity as well. If a person understands the depths of his own depravity, he knows that Romans 3:9-19 is speaking directly to his own heart. He would know that no one is righteous and no one does good and so he would know that in his own case he is not righteous and does not do good either. Now if a person does not do good, then how can he earn any righteousness at all? If even my works of righteousness are as filthy rags (Isa. 64:6), then how am I to be righteous or to earn righteousness? To understand that the heart is the very sink of sin and that all the intents of the thoughts of the heart are evil and that continually (Gen 6:5) is to realize that earning righteousness is not an option. What is the soul to do?
It is at this point that the soul that has understood the depths of his sin begins to look for a righteousness that can be obtained apart from works. Here is where the Gospel is truly good news. When a person knows that he deserves hell and nothing but hell, the cross of Christ and His substitutionary sufferings in the place of sinners is good news. When a person sees that he not only has no righteousness but has no way of earning righteousness, the imputation of the righteousness of Christ is exceedingly good news. Trying to understand the imputation of the righteousness of Christ apart from a heart that is broken for sin is simply not possible. There may be some notional information that can be attained, but the understanding of it will certainly be lacking. Perhaps the best way to proclaim the Gospel is to teach the doctrine of depravity thoroughly. In fact, there may be no other way to teach it properly. As Jesus taught, He did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance (Luke 5:31-32).
Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS.” 4 Now to the one who works, his wage is not credited as a favor, but as what is due. 5 But to the one who does not work, but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is credited as righteousness, 6 just as David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7 “BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN, AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED. 8 “BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.”
We can simply ask one question of each person in this passage of Scripture. Where did righteousness come from in the case of Abraham? Where did righteousness come from in the case of David? The text teaches us that Abraham was not justified by works in v. 3. It does say, however, that Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness. So belief or faith is opposed to works. The righteousness by which Abraham was justified did not come from works, but by faith. The text simply says that it is not by works because this would give Abraham something to boast about. It does not tell us that it was God working through Abraham or anything like that, but simply that this did not come through or by works.
As we continue on in v. 3, the text clearly teaches us that righteousness was credited to Abraham. Now what does the term “credited” mean? It is the term that the Reformers and Protestants have referred to as “impute,” “reckon,” or “account.” The word is logizomai (logizomai) and is also used in Romans 4:6, 8, 11, 22, 23, 24. It is an accounting term and has the idea of reckoning or crediting to an account. The righteousness that Abraham had was something that was credited or reckoned to his account and not something that came by works. Whatever else that is said about this, it must take into consideration that the righteousness that Abraham was justified by was reckoned to him and did not come by or through works.
Verse 4 gives us one reason why righteousness does not come by works. It is because that the person who works for something is actually due a wage. Works do not produce something that comes as a favor or by grace; they produce a debt for the one worked for. So if works can be considered as being acceptable before God for justification either because of the one working doing it himself or because God enabled the person to do them to some degree, then the works make God to be a debtor and salvation becomes God’s paying a debt rather than one of grace. Any works for salvation destroys the Gospel of grace that is taught in Scripture. Ephesians 2:8-9 shows so clearly that salvation is not by works but by grace. It then goes on to show that works are what Christians are created for and God is the One who has prepared good works for His people to do. Christians are saved for good works, but not by them.
Verse 5 is a very strong verse to support this. It says that the Gospel of grace is for the one who does not work (for salvation). This text could not be clearer in this regard. The one who is declared righteous is the one who does not work for salvation. The Gospel is for those who do not work for salvation. The text then goes on and makes its point with the force of a hammer. Not only is it those who do not work for salvation who are justified, it is those who are ungodly who are declared just and credited righteousness. If this does not destroy the works for justification scheme of many, then nothing will do it. This text is a double whammy, so to speak, for any form of works for justification. Only those who do not work for justification and are ungodly are declared just. So how can a person work for justification if only those who do not work for it are declared just? How can it be held that God works in people to do works and they are then actually just if only the ungodly are declared just? To those who do not work and are ungodly but have faith are the ones who are credited with righteousness.
Where does the righteousness come from in David’s case? Verse 6 tells us that David speaks of the man who is blessed because God credits righteousness apart from works. It should be clear that the righteousness that David speaks of is not something he worked for. Notice also from verse 7 that the sins of men are not taken into account. So in the way that sins are not taken into account of some is the same way (analogically speaking) that men have righteousness reckoned to their account. So in the case of David we see that the blessed man is one who, though he is a sinner, does not have sin reckoned to his account and on the other hand has righteousness reckoned or credited to him even though he do not work for it.
Now let us back up and look at both Abraham and David. Their righteousness did not come from works and it did not come from God’s working it in them. Their righteousness was given to them or accredited to their account in some way. This way is by faith. But is faith simply a way by which man may obtain righteousness for himself? No, in the broader view of the Bible we can see that Christ is the representative of man. From Romans 5 we see that all men are born in Adam and in him all sin. When Adam sinned the whole human race fell in him and all were counted guilty of sin since he was the representative of all. But Christ is the Head of the Church and His righteousness is for all those who are in Him. So a person who has faith in Christ is part of the bride (the Church) of Christ. The bride of Christ is married to Christ and what is the brides belongs to Christ and what belongs to Christ is the brides. So the sin of the bride (humans who make up the Church which is the bride of Christ) belongs to Him and He satisfied the wrath of God in Her place. The righteousness of Christ belongs to the bride and so She is declared righteous on account of Christ. In this way, then, righteousness is said to be reckoned or credited to Her or all who believe.
What do we end up with? We end up with those who do not trust in their works and are ungodly in and of themselves being declared just by God on the basis of Christ and Christ alone. This does not mean that Christians are not to work, but they should never count the works as having merit for justification. This also puts a shine and luster on the glory of the grace of God. Salvation is all of Christ and His merits. Salvation is all from God and all display the glory of God when understood. What does that leave for man to do in terms of justification? In one sense absolutely nothing. In another sense, man must be humbled in order to lean on nothing but Christ and His works for salvation. Once again, we see that the Gospel is that which exalts God and leaves man no room for boasting. These two things help set the parameters for the truth. If God is not highly exalted and man is not humbled below the dust by a doctrine taught from Scripture, it is either not true or simply misunderstood.
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