Imputed Righteousness. The True & The False.

David1701 · May 16, 2026

Jeff Carr said:
The word 'righteousness' as used in the New Testament has several meanings. Sometimes it refers to God's attribute of righteousness, sometimes to His saving activity or justifying grace, sometimes that which is 'imputed', and sometimes it means 'right behavior'. One has to study the context to decide in what sense the word is being used. Any Bible Dictionary or commentary will tell you the same thing, I'm not making it up.
It appears that you are understanding only one sense of the word wherever the word righteousness is used.
Going back to Rm 3:20-24, the word righteousness means, as I said, God's saving activity or justifying grace not imputed righteousness.
I hope I have explained it clearly.

I know that many words (including righteousness) have a semantic range (and have known that for a very long time); again, that is not the issue here.

Rom. 3:20-24 (E.M.T.V.)
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
20 Therefore by works of the law no flesh shall be justified in His sight, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law has been revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and upon all those that believe. For there is no distinction;
23 for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God,
24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

The contrast introduced in verse 21 is between the unrighteousness of sinful man, by works of the law (if we were to obey it fully, we would have legal righteousness, but the preceding verses prove that sinful man does nothing of the sort) and the God kind of righteousness (his inherent nature). That righteousness is imputed to us through faith in Jesus Christ. That is what being justified means - it means that we are declared to be righteous, as if we were inherently so, not dependent upon our works.

I've checked over 50 English translations, and, apart from a few dubious paraphrases, all the translations read "righteousness", in verse 21. To replace "righteousness" with "saving activity" or "justifying grace" simply does not fit the context (although the individual sentences would still make sense), since the whole passage contrasts sinful man's unrighteousness, as revealed by the law, with God's righteousness (his nature and character) and that we are counted to have that righteousness through faith in Jesus Christ.

fhansen · May 16, 2026

David1701 said:
That righteousness is imputed to us through faith in Jesus Christ. That is what being justified means - it means that we are declared to be righteous, as if we were inherently so, not dependent upon our works.

Historically Christianity taught that, at justification, man is forgiven, washed, cleansed, made a new creation with a new heart and spirit. The righteousness spoken of in Rom 3:21 and elsewhere is real righteousness, given, not soley declared. And from there the believer must continue to embrace and walk in that righteousness, now with the Spirit, remaining in Christ where good fruit is produced.

David1701 · May 16, 2026

fhansen said:
Historically Christianity taught that, at justification, man is forgiven, washed, cleansed, made a new creation with a new heart and spirit. The righteousness spoken of in Rom 3:21 and elsewhere is real righteousness, given, not soley declared. And from there the believer must continue to embrace and walk in that righteousness, now with the Spirit, remaining in Christ where good fruit is produced.

I've already made clear that Christians have righteousness imputed to them, and imparted to them.

fhansen · May 16, 2026

David1701 said:
I've already made clear that Christians have righteousness imputed to them, and imparted to them.

Alright, sorry if I missed or overlooked it. And this means that man's justification relies on more than a declared state of justice, but on justice/righteousness actually residing in Him now, as God, Himself, resides in him now, with good fruit and holiness the result of that relationship and without which we won't be seeing Him.

David1701 · May 16, 2026

fhansen said:
Alright, sorry if I missed or overlooked it. And this means that man's justification relies on more than a declared state of justice, but on justice/righteousness actually residing in Him now, as God, Himself, resides in him now, with good fruit and holiness the result of that realtikonship and without which we won't be seeing Him.

Justification is by faith, not works. We are saved by grace through faith, and we are kept by grace through faith; however, that salvation results in good works.

fhansen · May 18, 2026

David1701 said:
Justification is by faith, not works. We are saved by grace through faith, and we are kept by grace through faith; however, that salvation results in good works.

And without those good works we won't be seeing God. The will of man is never removed from this eqaution, even as God must intiate everything to bring us to Himself-and to keep us there. Faith must be understood as the actualization of reconciliation between man and God; it's our "yes" to Him as opposed to Adam's "no" and that yes places us squarely into a right state, the state of justice/righteousness defined by union with God which, itself, is how man is meant to exist.

To the extent that we live in that relationship, that connection to the Vine, we will produce good fruit; to the extent at we don't produce good fruit, we've already left that vital life-giving relationship. The two go hand in hand- and God will never force anyone to remain in Him.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." Rom 8:12-14

David1701 · May 18, 2026

fhansen said:
And without those good works we won't be seeing God. The will of man is never removed from this eqaution, even as God must intiate everything to bring us to Himself-and to keep us there. Faith must be understood as the actualization of reconciliation between man and God; it's our "yes" to Him as opposed to Adam's "no" and that yes places us squarely into a right state, the state of justice/righteousness defined by union with God which, itself, is how man is meant to exist.

To the extent that we live in that relationship, that connection to the Vine, we will produce good fruit; to the extent at we don't produce good fruit, we've already left that vital life-giving relationship. The two go hand in hand- and God will never force anyone to remain in Him.

"Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God." Rom 8:12-14

Children of God are shown to be such, by the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that they produce.

Those who have not been born again are shown to be unsaved, by the evidence of the fruit of the flesh that they produce.

Salvation is of the Lord, not man's will or works. We are kept, not by our own faithfulness, but by the power of God, through the faith that he gives, unto salvation.

If one thinks that he is kept saved by being sufficiently faithful, or by good works, or by his own will, then he is not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ; and salvation is only through faith in Him, not anything from ourselves.

fhansen · May 18, 2026

David1701 said:
Children of God are shown to be such, by the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that they produce.

Those who have not been born again are shown to be unsaved, by the evidence of the fruit of the flesh that they produce.

Salvation is of the Lord, not man's will or works. We are kept, not by our own faithfulness, but by the power of God, through the faith that he gives, unto salvation.

If one thinks that he is kept saved by being sufficiently faithful, or by good works, or by his own will, then he is not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ; and salvation is only through faith in Him, not anything from ourselves.

Ok?? So it doesn't depend on one's faithfulness...but on one's trust?

Aussie52 · May 18, 2026

fhansen said:
Ok?? So it doesn't depend on one's faithfulness...but on one's trust?

I would think they were the same thing, wouldn't you?

fhansen · May 18, 2026

Jeff Carr said:
I would think they were the same thing, wouldn't you?

I would think so, but the poster seems to have separated them in the post I replied to.

Aussie52 · May 19, 2026

David1701 said:
Children of God are shown to be such, by the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that they produce.

Those who have not been born again are shown to be unsaved, by the evidence of the fruit of the flesh that they produce.

Salvation is of the Lord, not man's will or works. We are kept, not by our own faithfulness, but by the power of God, through the faith that he gives, unto salvation.

If one thinks that he is kept saved by being sufficiently faithful, or by good works, or by his own will, then he is not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ; and salvation is only through faith in Him, not anything from ourselves.

You are right. We are kept by the power of God. But there is a condition, through faith! The Amplified Bible translates faith as, to trust in, to rely upon, to cling to. That is not something God does without our consent or will. God does not do the believing for us. True faith includes faithfulness.
Saving faith is not the act of a moment but rather, an attitude of a lifetime.

Aussie52 · May 19, 2026

David1701 said:
Children of God are shown to be such, by the evidence of the fruit of the Holy Spirit that they produce.

Those who have not been born again are shown to be unsaved, by the evidence of the fruit of the flesh that they produce.

Salvation is of the Lord, not man's will or works. We are kept, not by our own faithfulness, but by the power of God, through the faith that he gives, unto salvation.

If one thinks that he is kept saved by being sufficiently faithful, or by good works, or by his own will, then he is not trusting the Lord Jesus Christ; and salvation is only through faith in Him, not anything from ourselves.

In re-reading your post I get the impression that you believe in Monergism. That the sinner plays no part in its conversion. Am I right?

I take a more Synergist view. God comes to the sinner in prevenient grace and frees the will so the sinner can respond to the Gospel call with an acceptance or a rejection to the offer. This is not a works /salvation view however, because it is by God's grace one is able to respond, but that grace is not irresistible or coercive but persuasive. The freed will of the sinner cooperates with the Divine action of God leading to conversion and regeneration.
Salvation is indeed of the Lord, but that does not mean the sinner is excluded from the process.
Blessings.

David1701 · May 19, 2026

fhansen said:
Ok?? So it doesn't depend on one's faithfulness...but on one's trust?

No, salvation is of the Lord, not my faithfulness, works, will, trust, or anything else from me. If we trust in our trust that is just as much an idol as trusting in a statue.

As the Bible clearly states, repentance and faith are gifts from God; and we are kept, by the power of God, through that faith, unto salvation.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link; so, if anything in salvation depended upon us (sinful man), then we would all end up in hell.

Look away to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

David1701 · May 19, 2026

Jeff Carr said:
You are right. We are kept by the power of God. But there is a condition, through faith!

The phrase "through faith", refers to the instrumental means through which God keeps us; it is not a condition that we must, somehow, bring about ourselves.

The Amplified Bible translates faith as, to trust in, to rely upon, to cling to. That is not something God does without our consent or will. God does not do the believing for us. True faith includes faithfulness.
Saving faith is not the act of a moment but rather, an attitude of a lifetime.

Yes, this is all true. God makes a person born again, him having heard the gospel; this new heart/spirit willingly repents and believes in Jesus Christ (because that is according to the new nature that God has given him - c.f. Ez. 36:26,27).

God gives us a new heart that has faith in Jesus Christ, he does not believe for us; just as a surgeon gives someone a new heart, and that new heart pumps the blood round his body (the surgeon does not do the pumping for him).

Yes, the faith through which God saves us lasts a lifetime (an eternity, in fact). Hallelujah!

David1701 · May 19, 2026

Jeff Carr said:
In re-reading your post I get the impression that you believe in Monergism. That the sinner plays no part in its conversion. Am I right?

Yes, I believe in Monergism, because it is what the Bible teaches.

No, I do not believe that the sinner plays no part in his conversion. God works in us, to will and to do of his good pleasure, thus involving us (like a hand in a glove - the glove plays a part all right, because the hand moves it).

I take a more Synergist view. God comes to the sinner in prevenient grace and frees the will so the sinner can respond to the Gospel call with an acceptance or a rejection to the offer.

I'm well acquainted with Arminian "prevenient grace". The trouble is that the Bible is not - it's nowhere to be found. Universal prevenient grace would, if it existed, mean that the acknowledgment of original sin was lip-service only, since the p.g. would turn the helpless sinner into a Pelagian.

The Synergist, if he is honest, will realise that, if synergism were true, then the saved sinner could boast about his salvation, since he responded well to the gospel message, whilst the other sinner beside him (who did not get saved) did not. Here is the Synergist's prayer (I know they don't actually pray like this ... usually):

"Oh Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men, since I used my freed will to respond to the gospel in faith, while those reprobates over there did not.".

Who makes you to differ from another, and what do you have that you did not receive? If you received it (e.g. repentance and faith), then why do you boast as if you had not received it?

This is not a works /salvation view however, because it is by God's grace one is able to respond, but that grace is not irresistible or coercive but persuasive. The freed will of the sinner cooperates with the Divine action of God leading to conversion and regeneration.
Salvation is indeed of the Lord, but that does not mean the sinner is excluded from the process.
Blessings.

See above for some of the serious problems with this view.

fhansen · May 19, 2026

David1701 said:
No, salvation is of the Lord, not my faithfulness, works, will, trust, or anything else from me. If we trust in our trust that is just as much an idol as trusting in a statue.

As the Bible clearly states, repentance and faith are gifts from God; and we are kept, by the power of God, through that faith, unto salvation.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link; so, if anything in salvation depended upon us (sinful man), then we would all end up in hell.

Look away to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith.

And what I would say is that just as faith, along with hope and love, are gifts of grace, they are also human options, choices, daily choices, to embrace and act upon those gifts. While we can and should can look away to Jesus, we can also turn back away.

David1701 · May 19, 2026

fhansen said:
And what I would say is that just as faith, along with hope and love, are gifts of grace, they are also human options, choices, daily choices, to embrace and act upon those gifts. While we can and should can look away to Jesus, we can also turn back away.

Those who turn back to the world show thereby that they were never saved. They went out from us, because they were not of us.

Salvation is not of man's will or choice; it is of God who shows mercy to whom he will, and whom he will he hardens.

Rom. 9:14-16 (KJV)
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

fhansen · May 19, 2026

David1701 said:
Yes, I believe in Monergism, because it is what the Bible teaches.

No, I do not believe that the sinner plays no part in his conversion. God works in us, to will and to do of his good pleasure, thus involving us (like a hand in a glove - the glove plays a part all right, because the hand moves it).

I'm well acquainted with Arminian "prevenient grace". The trouble is that the Bible is not - it's nowhere to be found. Universal prevenient grace would, if it existed, mean that the acknowledgment of original sin was lip-service only, since the p.g. would turn the helpless sinner into a Pelagian.

The Synergist, if he is honest, will realise that, if synergism were true, then the saved sinner could boast about his salvation, since he responded well to the gospel message, whilst the other sinner beside him (who did not get saved) did not. Here is the Synergist's prayer (I know they don't actually pray like this ... usually):

"Oh Lord, I thank you that I am not like other men, since I used my freed will to respond to the gospel in faith, while those reprobates over there did not.".

Who makes you to differ from another, and what do you have that you did not receive? If you received it (e.g. repentance and faith), then why do you boast as if you had not received it?

See above for some of the serious problems with this view.

The synergist acknowledges that all men can turn to God and need to do so- and to strive to remain in Him. That's humility. There's no boasting in doing what everyone should do anyway. God presents the gift; we only need to say "yes" instead of "no" (and he helps us even with that), and contiune in that yes throughout our lives to the best we can.

fhansen · May 19, 2026

David1701 said:
Those who turn back to the world show thereby that they were never saved. They went out from us, because they were not of us.

Yes, and God, alone, knows with perfect certainty who are His, and who are not. We'll know with that kind of certainty at the end. No one can predict their own perseverance, IOW, whether they'll turn out to be good soil at or by the end of the day. In the meanwhile good fruit is the best evidence.

David1701 · May 19, 2026

fhansen said:
The synergist acknowledges that all men can turn to God and need to do so- and to strive to remain in Him. That's humility. There's no boasting in doing what everyone should do anyway. God presents the gift; we only need to say "yes" instead of "no" (and he helps us even with that), and contiune in that yes throughout our lives to the best we can.

If someone does what he is supposed to do, and someone else does not, the difference between them not being an act of God, but the will of the one who obeys, then, obviously, that one could boast that he is better than the disobedient one.

Synergism is based on pride, although it does its best to hide the fact.

Imputed Righteousness. The True & The False.

God is good!

Oldbie

God is good!

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God is good!

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God is good!

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Wesleyan-Arminian.

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Wesleyan-Arminian.

Wesleyan-Arminian.

God is good!

God is good!

God is good!

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God is good!

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God is good!

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