DAVID DECLARES IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS Devotion 19 of 28 When God finds faith in a person, how does He react? What is His response? O, here is a message that must be heard and comprehended! Here is a word that every poor sinner must hear: "his faith is counted for righteousness!" Other versions also confirm the strength of this statement. "His faith is reckoned as righteousness" (NASB), "His faith is credited as righteousness" (NIV), "His faith is put to his account as righteousness" (BBE), "But people are declared righteous because of their faith" (NLT). The Amplified Bible reads, "His faith is credited to him as righteousness – the standing acceptable to God." – Tomorrow:
"But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin." (Romans 4:5-8, NKJV)
The person who believes is not thoroughly righteous. He still struggles with the "old man," and experiences the downward pull of the flesh. This is a nature that must be ‘crucified" (Gal 5:24), "mortified," or "put to death" (Rom 8:13; Col 3:5). The "old man," which is integral to our mortal bodies, "is corrupt according to deceitful lusts," and must thus be "put off" (Eph 4:24). He must be "put off" in every sense of dominance, together "with his deeds" (Col 3:9). Let no person possessing such a nature boast of being righteous of themselves. The principle, or law, of sin remains in their bodies (Rom 7:23), and the flesh serves it without fail (Rom 7:25). Although we have been liberated from it dominance (Rom 8:2), yet we must struggle against sinful proclivities. That condition alone confirms we are not righteous in ourselves.
The believer who is "in the world" (1 Pet 5:9) remains in an earthen vessel that cannot transport into the world to come. That body is called a "vile body" (Phil 3:21), "the body of this death" (Rom 7:24), and "flesh and blood" which "cannot inherit the kingdom of God" (1 Cor 50:50). Those who imagine they are sinless by accomplishment must consider they still have a sinful nature ("the flesh"), and a body that must be "put off" before they can enter into the immediate presence of the Lord.
Yet, God receives the one who "believes in Him" just as though there were no flaw in him at all. How is this possible?
First, the declared objective of Jesus is to present to Himself "a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph 5:27). Second, God is fully able to "present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy" (Jude 24).
But what of the interim? What about here and now? Must we live in doubt of our acceptance? Indeed not! Until the "redemption of the purchased possession" (Eph 1:14), which is our body, our faith IS our righteousness. Our text is very specific on this point: "His faith is counted for (as) righteousness." That is, God accepts "faith" as the fulfilling of the Law, and the meeting of His requirements. To put it another way, "faith" is the channel through which His own righteousness is imparted to us. It is like a covering "robe" that makes us beautiful in His sight (Isa 61:10).
The legalist, one who imagines righteousness comes through works, cannot receive this saying. It is too lofty for him, extending far beyond the reach of his finely tuned, yet stilted, mind. But for the person who knows what they are by nature, this is a glad sound! It moves such a one to capitalize on believing, knowing that thoughts, words, and deeds, are gloriously transformed by faith.
Believing is not a mere "step" in a salvation procedure. It is not something you do once, then move along to better and higher things. Believing is the heart of spiritual life. It is the breath of the church, which is the body of Christ.
The acceptance of this proclamation has done more to increase my personal confidence and assurance than any other thing. It has enhanced the beauty and worth of the Gospel. It has brought the greatness of salvation more within my reach. It has confirmed the inferiority of this world, and the superiority of the one to come. Thank God for this affirmation! It is something that is available to every person in Christ – and it is the truth.
PRAYER POINT: Father, I am dissatisfied with the inclinations to sin that I find in my natural self. Yet, I rejoice that You have chosen to view my faith instead of the propensities that I hate. In the name of Jesus, I praise You for receiving my because I believe in Him.