THE BIBLE DOCTRINE of IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS There Is No Coattail Righteousness Taught in the Bible
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June 2010 – Seek The Old Paths 49 Vol. 21, No. 6 June 2010 THE BIBLE DOCTRINE OF IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS There is no coattail righteousness taught in the Bible. In the realm of politics a man might sweep into a lesser office by catching hold of the coattail of a much more popular politician. But no one is going to heaven by hanging on to the righteousness of someone else. definition of terms is first in to us. No human being has ever been foolishness is sin (Prov. 24:9), what- order. By the Bible, I mean the guilty of Adam’s and Eve’s sins in ever is not of faith is sin (Rom. 14:23), AWord of God — the thirty-nine Eden except Adam and Eve. (2) They a failure to do what we ought is sin books of the Old Testament and the want to impute all our sins to Christ (James 4:17), sin as being transgres- twenty-seven of the New Testament. and thus make him the greatest sion or lawlessness (1 John 3:4) and This Book is our all-authoritative murderer, liar, adulterer, drunkard, that all unrighteousness is sin (1 and all-sufficient guide in matters of robber, etc., the world has ever John 5:17). Ezekiel 18:20 refutes the spirit. Doctrine means teaching known. It is true that Christ became such by affirming that the “soul that or instruction. Imputed means to our great sin-bearer and that the sinneth, it shall die.” Sons do not bear count, reckon, “calculate, evaluate or God of heaven laid on him the sins iniquities of fathers and vice versa. consider” (Gary Workman). Right- and iniquities of us all. But he was Fathers are not righteous because eousness is right standing before still the INNOCENT Lamb of God sons are and vice versa. Judgment God, proper acceptance by him, justi- becoming an atonement or sacrifice passages uniformly teach that we fication, conformity to God’s stan- for our sins. (3) Some think they can shall give account of OUR works — dard or right-doing. God declares us impute the righteousness of a saintly not another’s. righteous, justified or acceptable to person to themselves. They think of Jesus did bear our sins when he him when we do his will. I propose certain giants in the faith who have went to Calvary and by his stripes we that we look at this subject both neg- lived very exemplary lives and thus are healed (1 Peter 2:24). The Lord atively and positively, both by noting have built up a reserve of righteous- has laid on him the iniquity of all of some ruinous doctrines that have ness or good works beyond what they us (Isa. 53:6). Isaiah 53:5 states, “But been taught and by setting forth the needed. These have been transferred he was wounded for our transgres- true Bible doctrine of imputed or to a Bank of Good Works and those sions, he was bruised for our iniqui- reckoned righteousness. deficient can borrow from someone’s ties: the chastisement of our peace surplus or superabundance. (4) Many was upon him; and with his stripes THE SUBJECT VIEWED NEGATIVELY have been led to believe that Christ’s we are healed.” Yet it was still the own personal righteousness is trans- case of the just suffering for the Numerous religious leaders have ferred to us. They think they are just unjust (1 Peter 3:18). He died for gone wild with this word imputed. (1) as good as he is and if this doctrine is murderers but did not become a mur- They want to impute Adam’s sin to so, they would be. derer personally; he died for adulter- all of us and thus we have original or ers but did not become a moral misfit Adamic sin. This is back of the A REFUTATION OF THE FOREGOING personally; he died for drunkards but Calvinistic concept that every person did not become a drunkard personal- is born a sinner, actually conceived in Adamic or original sin will not fit sin. Sin thus becomes an inherited a single one of the following defini- (Continued on page 52) thing. Another’s sins are not imputed tions of sin, such as: the thought of Imputed Righteousness… 50 Seek The Old Paths – June 2010 endurance, constancy, bearing up under trials, longsuffering. It pro- vides the consistency to help us exer- cise temperance (self-control). Patience is a characteristic of those who love the Lord. Romans 2:7 BARREN NOR UNFRUITFUL says, “To them who by patient contin- uance in well doing seek for glory and IN THE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD #2 honour and immortality, eternal life.” As children of God, we are to be Garland M. Robinson patient (2 Tim. 2:24; James 5:8). We are to be patient in facing tribulation (Rom. 12:12). We are to be patient refer you to last month’s issue to and great, stand before God; and the toward all men (1 Thess. 5:14). We read the first installment of this books were opened: and another book are to be patient in waiting for Christ Iarticle. We are speaking of Chris- was opened, which is the book of life: (2 Thess. 3:5; James 5:7). tian graces that every Christian is to and the dead were judged out of those Everyone needs patience. Don’t incorporate into their lives. things which were written in the you need some? Will you hold up your books, according to their works.” KNOWLEDGE hand and say “I have plenty, I have TEMPERANCE patience to spare.” I don’t expect to Knowledge is correct insight, see any hands. understanding, true wisdom by Temperance is self-control, self- which our faith in increased. discipline, the ability to restrain our- GODLINESS It has always been the case that selves. It is to have the mastery over Godliness is true piety, holiness. we are to grow in the grace and our passions and desires. We do not It is God likeness, godly character knowledge of our Lord and Savior have the excuse to run wild and out of devotion to God. Every day Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). God blame it on the excitement of the that passes affirms the fact that we desires that we know and under- moment. We are to be rational, delib- are to grow closer in likeness to our stand the will of the Lord (Eph. 5:17). erate, reasonable, balanced, clear- Lord. Our life in the Lord is to be In understanding, we are to be headed. quiet and peaceable “in all godliness “men,” not children (1 Cor. 14:20). There is no law prohibiting tem- and honesty” (1 Tim. 2:2). We are to Grace and peace is multiplied perance (Gal. 5:23). It is good and exercise ourselves unto godliness through knowledge (2 Peter 1:2). Paul appropriate. It is to be desired, culti- because godliness is “profitable unto commended the church at Rome for vated and developed in our lives. Self all things” (1 Tim. 4:7-8). The teach- being “...full of goodness, filled with control enables us to apply the ing and doctrine of the Lord is all knowledge, able also to admonish knowledge we have of God’s Word. according to godliness (1 Tim. 6:3). one another” (Rom. 15:14). We are to Paul reasoned with Felix “of We are to follow after godliness (1 be filled with the knowledge of His righteousness, temperance, and judg- Tim. 6:11) because Titus 1:1 says Will (Col. 1:9). Without the knowl- ment to come” (Acts 24:15). Felix, that acknowledging the truth is god- edge of God’s Will, we cannot see considering the sobering words of liness. what our work is, for it is only Paul, “trembled, and answered, Go Some suppose that gaining defined by the Lord’s instruction. thy way for this time; when I have a wealth and prosperity in this world is Therefore, Paul wrote, “Study to convenient season, I will call for godliness, but they are sadly mistak- shew thyself approved unto God, a thee.” He was unwilling to exercise en according to 1 Timothy 6:5. Faith- workman that needeth not to be restraint in his life. He would not say ful Christians are to have nothing to ashamed, rightly dividing the word of “no” to his passions and lusts. He was do with those who so believe and truth” (2 Tim. 2:15). consumed by the “good life” (as men teach. We must come to believe and Souls are condemned for not hav- call it) and would not let it go. At know with all surety that “godliness ing the knowledge they should. “For I least for a moment he contemplated with contentment is great gain” (1 bear them record that they have a the consequences of his actions and Tim. 6:6). zeal of God, but not according to the impending eternal torment he Some have only a form of godli- knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). We must would suffer, but he resisted the ness and are hypocrites (2 Tim. 3:5). make sure we know the truth and power of the Gospel and chose to con- Knowing that the world will one day then practice it in our lives. tinue his life as it was. Nothing more pass away prompts us to live soberly, It is by the truth, the Word of is said in the Scriptures if he ever righteously and godly in this present God, that we will be judged.