Imputeth Righteousness Without Works – by Joseph A. Cortes

Romans 4:6. It reads,

Circle imputeth. What does the word imputeth mean? If you look it up in a Greek dictionary, it will give you several definitions, but write this down in your Bible or notes: to pass to one’s account. We would say in our day to deposit into one’s account. So, Romans 4:6 could read, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God passes or deposits into his (or her) account without works.”

You will see the same Greek word that is translated as imputed is also translated as reckoned, which is why verse 10 reads, “How was it then reckoned.” Reckoned there is the same Greek word that was translated imputed. We see this in different areas of the Scripture, so remember that.

This means that Jesus placed His righteous record, His righteousness upon our record, without works. There the word is ergon: the employment of the Word or the employment of whatever to achieve or to earn something. Jesus places his righteousness upon our record and that happens if we trust him, and him only for our salvation.

In the same chapter, verse 3 reads, “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed [pisteuo; have trust and confidence] God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” It doesn’t say he worked for that righteousness. It says he trusted God. It goes on to say in verse 4, “Now to him that worketh is the reward…” [What is the reward? Whatever you can obtain here with your own effort, that falls short of God’s criteria.] “…not reckoned [imputed] of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth [pisteuo] on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

Now, neither David nor Abraham (as you read through this chapter) were saved by good works, just as we are never saved by good works. But rather, he believed, and he trusted God. We tend to complicate these passages because we want to bring works into the equation. Works, no matter where you go, is left out of the equation. Abraham was saved by placing his trust and confidence in and upon the Lord.

Genesis 15:6, “And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.”

Why was Abraham able to believe and have trust in God in place of good works that he somehow had to earn or merit? The simple answer is Jesus paid the price not just for Abraham’s sins, but for all of mankind’s sins. You cannot, Abraham couldn’t, please God in our own fabricated self-righteousness. God will just not have it. We’ve been to these passages before, but let’s look at them again because I really want this imprinted on your mind so that when someone does approach you, you can recall them to share with them.

Romans 10:3, “For they [Israel] being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law…” [Understand, they were still trying to be Law keepers and they were brainwashing themselves that they were doing a good job of it, which they weren’t.] “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that [practices the Law? No,] believeth.” There the word again is pisteuo, those who have trust and confidence in Christ Jesus.

We read in Titus 3:3-4, “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish [lacking intelligence], disobedient [no one could persuade us],deceived, serving divers lusts [strong desires] and pleasures, living in malice [badness] and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration [restoration; spiritual rebirth], and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly [richly] through Jesus Christ our Saviour.”

If you won’t put your trust and confidence in Jesus, it doesn’t matter how much good you’ve done in this world, or how much of a saint others perceive you to be. If your trust and confidence is not in the saving work of Jesus Christ and what He did at Calvary, in His precious blood and the importance of that, your sins are still recorded in heaven. Period. I repeat, your sins are still recorded in heaven, and to be right with God, our sins must be dealt with. There is no getting around that. That is why His only begotten son was sent,to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay. Therefore Jesus came. Therefore He paid the price for our sins in His own precious blood. That is the message of I Peter.

I Peter 1: 18, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers…” [That still applies today, traditions from our fathers, traditions that we make up.]“…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

My friends, all of us prior to being saved by the precious blood of Jesus Christ are corrupt. Even where it concerns our sincerest efforts, we are tarnished with the curse of sin, which leads us to rebellion. There is no getting around it. I repeat, we need His righteousness daily, the imputed righteousness that we read about in Romans 4, the imputed righteousness of Jesus Christ. We are saved by God’s righteousness by having faith in Christ, period. There is no getting around that, no faith in anything else, except Jesus Christ.

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In 2 Corinthians 9:7 it reads, “God loveth a cheerful giver.” The Greek word for cheerful is Hilaros which means when someone is prompt to do something, they are ready in mind, with a joyful heart. In the Septuagint it also means to cause to shine. Today I am looking for Hilaros Givers who are ready and full of joy for the opportunity to cause others to shine by hearing, learning, and growing in God’s Word.

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