Righteousness by Faith Alone (3): David and the Non-Imputation of Sins (Romans 4:6-8) by Rev. Angus Stewart
I. The Meaning of It
II. The Significance of It
III. The Blessedness of It
Belgic Confession 23: “We believe that our salvation consists in the remission of our sins for Jesus Christ’s sake, and that therein our righteousness before God is implied; as David and Paul teach us, declaring this to be the happiness of man, that God imputes righteousness to him without works. And the same apostle saith that we are justified freely by His grace, through the redemption which is in Jesus Christ ...”
Charles Hodge: “The righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer for his justification. The word impute is familiar and unambiguous. To impute is to ascribe to, to reckon to, to lay to one’s charge. When we say we impute a good or bad motive to a man, or that a good or evil action is imputed to him, no one misunderstands our meaning. Philemon had no doubt what Paul meant when he told him to impute to him the debt of Onesimus [Phile. 18]. ‘Let not the king impute anything unto his servant.’ (1 Sam. xxii. 15.) ‘Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me.’ (2 Sam. xix. 19.) ‘Neither shall it be imputed unto him that offereth it.’ (Lev. vii. 19.) ‘Blood shall be imputed unto that man; he hath shed blood.’ (Lev. xvii.4.) ‘Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity.’ (Ps. xxxii.2.) ‘Unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works.’ (Rom. iv. 6.) God is ‘in Christ not imputing their trespasses utno them.’ (2 Cor. v. 19.) The meaning of these and similar passages of Scripture has never been disputed. Every one understands them. We use the word impute in its simple admitted sense, when we say that the righteousness of Christ is imputed to the believer for his justification” (Systematic Theology, vol. 3, p. 144).
Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 33. What is justification?
A. Justification is an act of God’s free grace,[1] wherein he pardoneth all our sins,[2] and accepteth us as righteous in his sight,[3] only for the righteousness of Christ imputed to us,[4] and received by faith alone.[5]
[1] Rom. 3:24
[2] Rom. 4:6-8; II Cor. 5:19
[3] II Cor. 5:21
[4] Rom. 4:6, 11; 5:19
[5] Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9
Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 70: What is justification?
A. 70: Justification is an act of God’s free grace unto sinners,[1] in which he pardoneth all their sins, accepteth and accounteth their persons righteous in his sight;[2] not for any thing wrought in them, or done by them,[3] but only for the perfect obedience and full satisfaction of Christ, by God imputed to them,[4] and received by faith alone.[5]
[1] Rom. 3:22, 24-25; 4:5
[2] II Cor. 5:19, 21; Rom. 3:22-25, 27-28
[3] Titus 3:5, 7; Eph. 1:7
[4] Rom. 4:6-8; 5:17-19
[5] Acts 10:43; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9
Westminster Shorter Catechism, Q. 35. What is sanctification?
A. Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace,[1] whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God,[2] and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.[3]
[1] Eze. 36:27; Phil. 2:13; II Thess. 2:13
[2] II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:23-24; I Thess. 5:23
[3] 6.25-Ezek.36.27" class="scriptRef">Eze. 36:25-27; Rom. 6:4, 6, 12-14; II Cor. 7:1; I Pet. 2:24
Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 75: What is sanctification?
A. 75: Sanctification is a work of God’s grace, whereby they whom God hath, before the foundation of the world, chosen to be holy, are in time, through the powerful operation of his Spirit [1] applying the death and resurrection of Christ unto them,[2] renewed in their whole man after the image of God;[3] having the seeds of repentance unto life, and all other saving graces, put into their hearts,[4] and those graces so stirred up, increased, and strengthened,[5] as that they more and more die unto sin, and rise unto newness of life.[6]
[1] Eph. 1:4; I Cor. 6:11; II Thess. 2:13
[2] Rom. 6:4-6
[3] Eph. 4:23-24
[4] Acts 11:18; I John 3:9
[5] Jude 20; Heb. 6:11-12; Eph. 3:16-19; Col. 1:10-11
[6] Rom. 6:4, 14; Gal. 5:24
Westminster Larger Catechism, Q. 77: Wherein do justification and sanctification differ?
A. 77: Although sanctification be inseparably joined with justification,[1] yet they differ, in that God in justification imputeth the righteousness of Christ;[2] in sanctification his Spirit infuseth grace, and enableth to the exercise thereof;[3] in the former, sin is pardoned;[4] in the other, it is subdued:[5] the one doth equally free all believers from the revenging wrath of God, and that perfectly in this life, that they never fall into condemnation;[6] the other is neither equal in all,[7] nor in this life perfect in any,[8] but growing up to perfection.[9]
[1] I Cor. 1:30; 6:11
[2] Rom. 4:6, 8
[3] Eze. 36:27
[4] Rom. 3:24-25
[5] Rom. 6:6, 14
[6] Rom. 8:33-34
[7] I John 2:12-14; Heb. 5:12-14
[8] I John 1:8, 10
[9] II Cor. 7:1; Phil 3:12-14