Daily Devotions
Romans
"It was accounted to him for righteousness."
Text: Romans 4:22
THE CONCEPT OF IMPUTATION OF RIGHTEOUSNESS
The concept of imputed righteousness is stated very simply in the following text.
“And therefore, ‘It was accounted to him for
righteousness.”
Romans 4:22
Lest there is misunderstanding, let us take time to go over the following features of this great doctrine:-
1. Righteousness
a) Only God has full and absolute righteousness.
b) Man’s righteousness cannot be compared to God’s.
c) He would need to have Divine righteousness imputed to him.
2. Faith
a) God will impute righteousness to the person who has genuine faith in him
b) Abraham is cited as one who possessed that genuine faith.
c) Features of genuine faith must include the following:-
i) Full belief in God and His promises.
ii) There is no doubt whatsoever that God is able to fulfill all He has promised.
iii) There is great and firm faith in God.
3. Imputed righteousness
a) God imputes full righteousness to the person who has this faith in Him.
b) The believer stands fully clothed in God’s righteousness imputed to him.
c) The believer is fully aware of his sinfulness and unworthiness, but believes that God has declared him “righteous in His sight”!
This doctrine of imputed righteousness is the cornerstone of Paul’s Gospel. What a glorious Gospel of hope we have in Christ!