By Dr. Ronnie Wolfe
Romans 4:6 – “... God imputeth righteousness without works.”
I. The Source Of Righteousness
The first word in the clause above is “God.” We learn from this that God is the author of righteousness; he is the source. Only God has true righteousness. God knows that people on earth need righteousness, but the word of God teaches us that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). It teaches us that “. . . they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8). In order to be righteous and to please God, we must obtain righteousness, but this righteousness must be perfect righteousness. Only God has this righteousness
Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
II. The Securing Of Righteousness
Our text verse now continues with “God imputeth . . . .” This means that the way that God gives us righteousness is by imputation. The word “imputation” means “to credit for.” One commentator says that the Greek word means “to take inventory.” When God takes inventory on a lost person, he sees no righteousness at all, because none of us has any righteousness. But God imputes righteousness to believers in Christ, thus giving full inventory of the righteousness required by God for salvation and for an eternal inheritance.
Notice especially . . .
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
III. The Style Of Righteousness
God imputes (credits to believers) righteousness “without works.” Any righteousness that we have is imputed by grace through faith, so we must understand that it is imputed without works. Our righteousness is not sufficient for our salvation, so God must “impute” righteousness to us.
Our works (our righteousness) is of no value to God, so God must impute it to us. This is done “without works.” God requires nothing in return for imputed righteousness–no works. Our works cannot be mixed with grace, says Romans 11, else grace is no more grace.
Notice: Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
The first word in the clause above is “God.” We learn from this that God is the author of righteousness; he is the source. Only God has true righteousness. God knows that people on earth need righteousness, but the word of God teaches us that “There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10). It teaches us that “. . . they that are in the flesh cannot please God.” (Romans 8:8). In order to be righteous and to please God, we must obtain righteousness, but this righteousness must be perfect righteousness. Only God has this righteousness
Romans 1:17 “For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.”
II. The Securing Of Righteousness
Our text verse now continues with “God imputeth . . . .” This means that the way that God gives us righteousness is by imputation. The word “imputation” means “to credit for.” One commentator says that the Greek word means “to take inventory.” When God takes inventory on a lost person, he sees no righteousness at all, because none of us has any righteousness. But God imputes righteousness to believers in Christ, thus giving full inventory of the righteousness required by God for salvation and for an eternal inheritance.
Notice especially . . .
2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
III. The Style Of Righteousness
God imputes (credits to believers) righteousness “without works.” Any righteousness that we have is imputed by grace through faith, so we must understand that it is imputed without works. Our righteousness is not sufficient for our salvation, so God must “impute” righteousness to us.
Our works (our righteousness) is of no value to God, so God must impute it to us. This is done “without works.” God requires nothing in return for imputed righteousness–no works. Our works cannot be mixed with grace, says Romans 11, else grace is no more grace.
Notice: Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”
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