Imputation: God Credits Our Account

Imputation: God Credits Our Account

So important is eternal life that the Bible gives us many illustrations so that no one will miss the message. To the farmers, Jesus talked about soil and seed. To the shepherds, He talked about sheep. To beggars, He talked about a great feast that God had spread. To lawyers, He talked about justification. To the housewife, He talked about a coin that had been lost and had to be found. But when you use the word “imputation,” you find God speaking to the banker, because this is a financial term.

Romans 4:1-8 says, “What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed in God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without [apart from] works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.”

Our English word “imputation” comes from the Latin word which means “to reckon, or credit, to one’s account.” When you go to the bank or the savings and loan association and deposit money, imputation takes place. They deposit that on your account, and they write it on your record.

We want to study imputation from three different aspects-first by way of explanation, then by way of example and finally by way of experience.

Explanation of Imputation

The easiest way to understand imputation is simply to see two record books, and two bankbooks. One of them has Christ’s name on it, and the other has Adam’s name on it. The record book for our Lord Jesus Christ is perfect-there is no indebtedness whatsoever. He is absolutely righteous, and His record is spotless. But alas, the record book for Adam is imperfect-he is bankrupt! He has sinned and come short of the glory of God.

Our record is Adam’s record because we are the children of Adam. Genesis 5:1 says, “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” The entire Old Testament is “the book of the generations of Adam,” and everyone named in the book is a failure. Then you turn to Matthew 1:1 and read: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ.” God opens a new book, and that book is perfect, because His Son’s name is on it.

What can you and I do about this imperfect record that is on our account? As far as God’s spiritual bank is concerned, we are bankrupt-we fall short. God has audited the books and discovered that you and I do not have anything with which to pay for our indebtedness. What shall we do about it?

Well, we could ignore it, and most people do. Most people don’t think about their debt to God. They have broken His Law; they have gone beyond His barriers. He has said, “This far and no farther,” and they have said, “We’re going to do it anyway.” Then they try to ignore their disobedience. But a day of reckoning is coming, and that day may be soon.

A man can work for a bank and secretly be steal ing money and falsify the records, but eventually, a day of reckoning comes, and he is caught. So we can ignore it, but the day of reckoning is going to come.

We could try to change it ourselves, but we are too bankrupt to do this. We simply do not have the spiritual capital necessary to wipe out the spiritual debt that we have to God. Can we destroy the book? No, that book is in God’s hands; no one can destroy that record. How, then, can we solve the problem of our spiritual bankruptcy-the debt that we have to God? Well, the answer is imputation, and Jesus Christ is the One who comes with the solution. What did He do? Christ Took Our Debt

First of all, He took our debt. That is a remark. able thing. When our Lord Jesus Christ came to earth, He came to die. God made Christ to be sin for us-He who knew no sin. Why? “That we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (II Cor. 5:21). In Isaiah 53:12 we are told that He was reckoned among the transgressors. This is quoted in Mark 15:28. That word “reckon” means counted. In other words, He was counted as a transgressor. He was made poor that we might become rich (II Cor. 8:9). So He took our debt.

He Gave Us His Righteousness

But that leaves me with a problem. If He takes my debt, then the next time I sin, I go back into debt again. So He did something else. He not only took our debt, but He credited to our account His own righteousness. Romans 4:6 says, “Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without [apart from] works.” Imputation means putting it to our account.

You must not confuse imputation with impartation. Let me explain. Justification means God puts His righteousness on our account. This is righteousness imputed. Right in the middle of that word “impute” you have p-u-t, put-righteousness put to our account. But sanctification is righteousness imparted-God shares His righteousness in our lives and enables us to live a holy life. So Jesus Christ paid our debt; He assumed our bankruptcy. Second, He credited His righteousness to our account so that we have the righteousness of Christ on our record. That is a remarkable thing. But once again, I ask the question, What about

the next time I sin? Romans 4:8 takes care of that: “Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.” Once the righteousness of Christ has been put on our record, how could God ever record sin? Can He record our sin along with the righteousness of Christ? Of course not. The righteousness of Jesus Christ is written on our record. “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (vv. 7,8). So there is the negative and the positive. Negatively, He took our debt; positively, He credits His righteousness to our account. He does not record our sin.

Example of Imputation

Now let’s look at imputation by way of example. The most beautiful example of imputation is found in a little letter that Paul wrote to his friend Philemon. I think you probably know the story. Philemon had a slave named Onesimus. Onesimus stole something from his master, Philemon, and fled to the city of Rome, trying to hide. In the providence of God, Onesimus met Paul and was converted. Paul wrote this letter to Philemon on behalf of Onesimus, because he wanted Philemon to forgive

Onesimus and to restore him. Onesimus is a picture of the lost sinner. He was a slave-he had no freedom of his own, he was in bondage. He was a thief; he had robbed his master. A slave was not treated with much kindness and mercy in those days. He deserved to die. He tried to run away. He was a lawbreaker, and he was caught. And yet Paul loved this man, and God loved this man, so Paul wrote to Philemon these words, in verse 18: “If he hath wronged thee, or oweth thee ought put that on mine account.” Isn’t that thrilling? Paul was saying, “I want you to impute his debt to me. He stole from you, and he has probably sold what he had stolen and spent the money. He is broke, he is bankrupt, but you put that on my account.” That is imputation.

But that is not enough. Verse 17 says, “If thou count me, therefore, a partner, receive him as myself.” That is the positive part. He said, “When Onesimus comes home, don’t see Onesimus, see Paul. Receive him the way you would receive me. Receive him as me.”

The Lord Jesus Christ did that for us. He said to God the Father, “Warren Wiersbe is bankrupt. He couldn’t begin to pay his debt. Put it on My account.” He died for me. And now He says to God the Father, “Whenever you see Warren Wiersbe, see Your own Son. Receive him as You would receive Me.” That is imputation. It is marvelous, isn’t it, that God should not only pay our debt but that He should give us His righteousness? Then He says, “Your sins and your iniquities will I remember no more. I am no longer keeping a record.’ God does keep a record of our works, and of course, our sins affect our works. We must not think that because God is not keeping a record of our sins we can freely go out and sin. Of course, no born-again Christian wants to deliberately, habitually sin. In fact, the person who lives like that would be giving evidence he has never really been born again. But this doctrine of imputation encourages us to seek cleansing when we do sin.

Experience of Imputation

Now let’s look at imputation by way of experience. How can we make this work in our lives? Admit Your Debt

First of all, admit your debt. If you have never been born again, if you have never been saved, just admit that you are in debt, that you are bankrupt and that you can’t pay it yourself.

You will remember in Luke 7:36-50, Jesus had a meeting with a Pharisee. While He was having dinner with the Pharisees, a woman of the streets came in and wept and washed our Lord’s feet. The Pharisees was offended. But Jesus told a story about two people who were in debt. In modern language, one owed a thousand dollars and one owed ten dollars. But the man to whom they owed this debt freely forgave them both. Now Jesus said to this Pharisee, “Which one of those two people is going to love him the most?” He said, “Well, I suppose the one who had the most forgiven.” But Simon didn’t realize that he himself was in debt. He said, “Oh, this woman of the streets, she is in debt to God. She has broken God’s Law. But Simon the Pharisee hasn’t.” Jesus said, “Now, wait a minute. You are just as much in debt as she is and maybe more, because you don’t see it the way she does. Furthermore, you are just as bankrupt.” Admit your debt, and receive by grace God’s gift of righteousness.

Don’t Record Your Own Sins

Second, don’t keep books on yourself. Some Christians are always remembering what God has forgotten, and they are forgetting what God wants them to remember. It is good for us to say, “Search me, O God, and know my heart” (Ps. 139:23). But it is also good for us not to keep a record of our sins. God is not keeping a record of our sins, so why should we? The Devil loves to have us do this. Satan enjoys it when God’s people wallow around in self-pity, remembering their past sins, and get discouraged and feel guilty. God has forgiven; God has put His righteousness on your book, and He is not keeping a record of your sins.

Don’t Record Others’ Sins

Third, don’t keep a record of other people’s sins. First Corinthians 13:5 reminds us that love does not keep a record of wrongs. Don’t keep in your mind and heart a record of the bad things people have done to you. Just turn it over to God. God is not keeping a record; why should you? Just lovingly forgive them. God Records Our Works

Finally, remember that God is keeping a record of our works. He has given us righteousness so that we might live righteous lives. Righteousness is not only imputed (put on our account), but through the Holy, Spirit righteousness is imparted. Let’s be faithful. Let’s rejoice at this wonderful freedom that we have. We do not have this debt hanging over our heads. We have been forgiven. We have a record that is clean. The righteousness of Jesus Christ has been put to our account.

It is no wonder that David said, “Blessed is he whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin” (see Ps. 32:1,2). God has written His righteousness on your record; now let Him write that righteousness on your life.