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The Daily Word of Righteousness
Grace; Heaven; Change; the Kingdom, #2
For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3,4—NIV)
The Apostle Paul stressed the imputing (ascribing) of the righteousness of the Law of Moses to every individual who would look up from the scroll of the Law and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ. Such ascribed righteousness, acting apart from an actual change in the believer, seems to be the mainstay of the Christian Church throughout its history, with some exceptions.
But if you will think about it, legally imputed righteousness does not fulfill the declarations of the Prophets. The Prophets spoke of actual righteousness, actual holiness, actual love, peace, and joy. The Prophets spoke of the restoration of that which was lost through the sin of Adam and Eve.
Change
For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:29—NIV)
The above verse is speaking of the believers in Christ. God has known us from the beginning of the world. God has predestined us for something. What is it?
God has not predestined us to go to Heaven.
God has predestined us to be changed into the image of Jesus Christ.
Now, by no stretch of the imagination can change into the image of Jesus Christ be construed as ascribed righteousness. While ascribed righteousness may serve as a covering while we are being changed into the moral image of Christ, there is no way in which we can interpret the above verse as meaning we are going to be saved and go to Heaven by imputed righteousness.
Imputed righteousness is righteousness apart from change into the image of Christ. If we have been predestined to be changed into the image of Christ, then we are not saying we have been predestined to be righteous by imputation.
It would be impossible to estimate the damage that has been done to the Christian churches by the unbalanced presentation of imputed righteousness.
Recently a manifestly wicked politician who attends church and declares himself a Christian was heard to define God's grace as "unmerited favor." He was showing how he, in spite of his reputation for immorality, will go to Heaven to be with the saints of all ages because he is saved by "grace."
I think he attends a Baptist church. If so, I trust his pastor will remind this national leader that by no means is he a cross-carrying disciple of the Lord Jesus. He is not a Christian. He is a disgrace to the name of Christ.
If the pastor does not do this then he himself is a disgrace and a false prophet.
The Baptists are as good as anybody. But all of us Christians must come to understand by defining grace as "unmerited favor" we are destroying God's Church.
To be continued.