I want to lay some groundwork
before I get to my subject this morning. This is not my text,
but we read in 2 Corinthians 5.21, he hath made him to be
sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in him. All those who proclaim God's
word planting or watering. It is God that gives the increase.
We are instructed by God in his word to try the spirits whether
they be of God or not. We are taught in scripture that
it is a noble thing to search the scriptures when someone tells
you something or preaches something to you. As the Bereans did, When
they had heard Paul the Apostle preach to them, they searched
the scriptures daily to see if those things that Paul spoke,
if they were true. This is not only what all of
God's pastor teachers should expect, but any of us that might
speak to others as we go about our daily lives. I try when I'm
up here speaking to say what God says in his word, but I am
a man and I do have opinions. If I'm not saying what God says,
it's just my opinion, whether I admit to it or not, or whether
I know it or not. But if I'm saying what God says,
it is not opinion, but truth. What God says is always truth.
God does not have opinions. He is truth itself. If we think
we never do or say wrong, there might be a problem there. Scripture
says that who God loves he chastens This is not my subject this morning
either But I do want to look at this or to mention this Hebrews
12 8 says this but if you be without chastisement Whereof
all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons and Now,
with that being said, I know this is a familiar passage to
everyone here, and probably to a lot of other people. And that
is the passage I started with in 2 Corinthians 5.21. This says
that Jesus Christ, our Lord, was made sin. We have heard a
few men preach that if something has been imputed, it is because
there is something real behind it. I think this is not only
true, but truth. Nothing will ever be imputed
that is not real to begin with when it comes to God's word.
If I have a bank account and I go to the bank and tell them
to put $500 to my account, they're going to ask me for a few things.
They'll probably say something like, do you have a deposit slip
and some cash or a check? I will have to have something
real in my hands before they will ever mark it on my account. If someone knows of a bank that
works any differently, let me know. This is not a health and
wealth gospel, but I'm not against health and wealth. Jay, if there's
anything in Kentucky that works like that, let me know. My point is this. When I hand
them the deposit slip with my check or monies, then they take
that check or monies and keep it and then mark it on my account.
Without this imputation on the books that I have this money,
this imputing to me that this money is in my account gives
me no expectation of spending or using any of those monies
for my needs. If the books say I have zero,
then when I go to try and spend money, it is going to stop me
or at least make me go in the negative. So I hope you understand
what I'm getting at with this imputation as it relates to this
analogy. I might have the money, but if
they do not impute that money to me on my account, I don't
have it. That is why when we do not see
our money imputed into our account, we take our receipt to the bank
and we tell them, you did not put the money in the account.
If there was any actually money, any money's there. Now just a
note, I have not found anywhere in scripture where it says Christ
was imputed our sin. But it does say right here specifically
that he was made sin. There might be passages where
men say it implies that Christ was imputed our sins. I'm not
going to argue that today, it's not my subject today. But nowhere
in his word does it say that Christ was imputed our sin, at
least not outright. Right here, along with other
passages, I believe he was actually made sin and bore our sins in
his own body on the tree. People react if being made sin
is worse than being imputed sin. This is my point. It certainly
is a wondrous thing to behold that our Lord would take to himself
our sins in his own body. But just some things I want you
to note, and again, this is not my message this morning, I'm
just trying to lay some groundwork. We have scripture that says,
he will return yet without sin. Hebrews 9.28 says, so Christ
was once offered to bear the sins of many, and unto them that
look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto
salvation. Some men have taught that before
something is imputed, there has to be something real behind it.
I think it is this way for everything. Now I realize there might be
some who do not believe Christ was made sin, although that is
what scripture actually says. But in no way would Christ be
imputed our sin if he was not made sin for real. You want to
argue with that, then you'll have to argue with God. He had
men write this down, He was pleased to have it written down just
as it says here, Christ was made sin. But nowhere does it ever
say he was imputed our sin. I'm not saying this to be mean
or to cause trouble for anybody or myself. It just doesn't say
that, and if they say it says it, they're wrong. I want to
ask a question. Is there anything that has been
made something that is real that was never imputed? Yes, the first part of Romans
5 and 19 reads this way. For as by one man's disobedience,
many were made sinners. But as you can see from this
passage that many were made sinners, we know that death passed on
all men, for that all have sinned. We can see here that many were
made sinners. Is there any doubt that we were
made sinners? This is what we really actually
are. God says we were made sinners
just as God said Christ was made sin. But the extraordinary thing
here, as I see it, is this. In Romans 4 and verse 8, it says
this. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord will not impute sin. Now my only point here is to
try and show you that the imputation seems to be the final stamp of
indicating, scripturally speaking, that God's put something to someone's
account, because there is in fact something real behind it.
But it says here that many were made sinners, but it also says
that some men are never imputed sin. Is that not amazing to you? Although I've earned that and
given the deposit slip with my sin attached, God never imputes
that to me. It just amazed me when this hit
me. Christ being imputed our sin takes on another meaning
when you think about this truth. All I'm saying is it never says
Christ was imputed our sin in God's word outright. The indication
to me from what the scripture actually teaches is that imputation
is the very thing that locks things into place, you might
say. That is just some food for thought,
something for you to think about concerning imputation. I know
maybe you might have thought I was going to preach on Christ
made sin, and I have a little bit I guess, but is there anything
else in scripture where we see that something has been made
something or imparted which is also then imputed? This is my
text this morning and my subject, impartation and imputation. And if you would, stay with me
or turn with me to Romans 4. Romans 4. And I want to start off with
the imputation because that's what's mentioned first here in
the passages that I'm going to read, Romans 4 and 5. Imputation
is never first, though, and our passage indicates that to us.
We'll see it. Okay, so Romans 4, verses 13
through 25. For the promise that he should
be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed
through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. For if they which are of the
law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none
effect. Because the law worketh wrath, for where no law is, there
is no transgression. Therefore it is of faith that
it might be by grace to the end the promise might be sure to
all the seed Not to that only which is of the law, but to that
also which is of the faith of Abraham Who is the father of
us all? As it is written, I have made
thee a father of many nations before him whom he believed,
even God, who quickeneth the dead and calleth those things
which be not as though they were. who against hope believed in
hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according
to that which was spoken, so shall thy seed be. And being
not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when
he was about 100 years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb.
He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith, giving glory to God. and being fully persuaded
that what he had promised he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed
to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his
sake alone that it was imputed to him, but for us also to whom
it shall be imputed if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our
Lord from the dead, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised
again for our justification. We read here where Abraham believed
God and it was imputed unto him for righteousness. Believing
God is absolutely vital. If you never believe God you
will die in your sins. John 8 24 says I said therefore
unto you that ye shall die in your sins for if you believe
not that I am he ye shall die in your sins. If you are never
brought to believe that Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh,
that Jesus Christ is that Messiah spoken of as coming to be the
substitute for his people, if you are never brought to see
that Jesus Christ fulfilled or satisfied God's law on behalf
of you, then you will die in your sins. So believing God is
absolutely vital because when this happens, if God brings it
to pass, he then puts that on your account. That is what we
read here. He imputes this to your account.
What does he impute to you? Righteousness. God commands all
to bow down to Jesus Christ, but God does not give the ability
to believe to every son of Adam. God enables his people to believe,
but God does not believe for us. We believe because of the
faith given us by God. But listen, we do not believe
to get faith. We have to have faith to believe. Faith is that which is of Jesus
Christ. It is his faith, and because
it is his faith, then that means he is the source of that faith.
Then because he perfected that faith or finished that faith,
then he is also the object of that faith. We believe because
we have been given that faith that is needed to believe God.
Faith tells me that Christ did, does, and will do all the Father's
will. Always. I can count on him. Meaning this. When I'm given
faith and I hear the gospel of Jesus Christ, that faith given
to me and by the power of his spirit then testifying to me
that these things are of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ and him
crucified, then I will believe. If what I'm hearing is not Jesus
Christ, then it does not do that. Faith believes God. All believers
believe the same thing. I heard Walter say this one time,
I'm wondering if it was one of those grenades, because it kind
of stunned me for about three weeks. Trying to figure out what
he meant, all believers believe the same thing. Yeah, if you
believe something that's not in God's word, it's not truth,
it's not belief, it's unbelief. But faith believes Jesus Christ.
In Romans 1, 16 and 17, we read this. For I am not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth, to the Jew first and also to the
Greek. For therein is the righteousness
of God revealed from faith to faith. As it is written, the
just shall live by faith. If you do not have faith, you
will not believe the gospel. You do not hear the gospel to
get faith. You believe the gospel because
you have faith. Hebrews 4 verses 1 and 2, it
says, let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us
of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short
of it. For unto us was the gospel preached as well as unto them. But the word preached did not
profit them. not being mixed with faith in
them that hurt. This faith, when given, enables
a child of God to believe God. And when that happens, according
to this scripture we have just read, God imputes that righteousness
to us. Let's go on to Romans 5, because
the thought doesn't stop there in Romans 4. But let's read Romans
5, verses 1 through 5. Therefore, being justified by
faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not
only so, but we glory in tribulations also, knowing that tribulation
worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. And hope maketh not ashamed,
because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy
Ghost, which is given unto us. So then it goes on to say, we
see in verse one, therefore, So because of what I've just
previously said when we was talking about faith, because we have
been justified by faith, we now no longer have wrath toward God,
but we have peace with God. When we believe God, that does
not give God peace with us. He has had peace with us before
the foundation of the world. In Christ, else we wouldn't have
been consumed. But rather, we now have peace
with God. Faith is given so that we can
believe, and that is for our benefit, not God's. He does not
need anything from us. It goes on to say that we glory
in tribulations. It also goes on to say that tribulations
were patience, experience, hope. And that hope, make them not
ashamed, as God's love is shed abroad in our heart. Just one question though, what
heart would that be? Let me go on, now let's read
in verse six. Four, when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. This verse here will lead me
to my next point, impartation of righteousness. Now if you'll
notice here in Romans 5 in verse 6, you first have this word for. Remember I said imputation was
second? Well, this is where we see this
is so. Paul is now stepping back and telling us why the previous
things he has said are so. For when we were yet without
strength in due time, Christ died for the ungodly. This was
in the past. This was before I believed. Now
let's just go on down to verse 11. This is Paul continuing the
same thought for the sake of time. I'm not going through all
those verses. I'm going to get where I want to go. But you can
check it for yourselves that this is before, this is after.
He's explaining how all this takes place. But in Romans 5
and verse 11, we read, and not only so, but we also joy in God
through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received
the atonement, that is restoration to divine favor. The next word
in the next verse begins, wherefore. In other words, how have we received
the atonement? Paul is now going to start into
some comparisons, if you will, to let us know how this has been
done. So let's read Romans 5, 12 through 18. Wherefore, as
by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and
so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. For
until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed
when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from
Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression. Who is the figure of him that
was to come? But not as the offense, so also
is the free gift. For if through the offense of
one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Therefore as by the offense of
one judgment came upon all all men to condemnation Even so by
the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men and
to justification of life So here we are in down to verse 19 and
this is where I wanted to go and So it first says, as we read
earlier, for as by one man's disobedience, many were made
sinners. We were made sinners. That seems
really easy to answer when it comes to us, doesn't it? If you
do not think you're a real bona fide sinner, then you're blind.
Do you think you're just an imputed sinner? They were made sinners. So what is the comparison? I
know comparison may not be the best word to use there, but Paul
goes on to say, he says, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. By Christ's obedience, many will
be made righteous. What do you mean, preacher? Do
you mean they will be imputed righteousness? No, that's not
what I mean. That's not what this means. I
mean many will be imparted or made righteousness. They will
be given something that is as righteous as God. Is it really
a stress to say that God Almighty makes us righteous? Are we really
made by God to actually be righteous? I certainly do not feel like
I'm righteous. I do feel self-righteous a lot
of the times. But God says that many will be
made righteous. These are not my words. This
is what God says here in this passage. What does being made
righteous look like? Can I show that from scripture?
Yes, I can. Christ actually tells us in his
own words, and we've seen this passage a few weeks back. Luke
8 and verse 15, Luke 8 and verse 15, if you wanna turn with me
there. Luke 8 and verse 15 But that on the good ground are
they which in an honest and good heart Having heard the word keep
it and bring forth fruit with patience Christ says here that
they in an honest and good heart are This honest and good heart
is a heart which is righteous intrinsically. This word used
for good here means intrinsically good. I did not put this word
in this passage. God did. This very same word
is used in Matthew. Christ used this word himself.
It was he that was speaking here. Matthew 19 and verse 17 says
this, and we've heard this before. And he said unto him, why callest
thou me good? There is none good but one, that
is God. But if thou wilt enter into life,
keep the commandments. God is the one that gives an
honest and good heart, a righteous heart. Many shall be made righteous. This is not an imputed righteousness. This is a real righteousness.
The same as that righteous lot, as God calls him. This is a heart
that brings forth perfect fruit. Or you can say it this way, fruit
to perfection. What does this mean? This means
they will believe God when that seed is sown in their righteous
heart. We will then believe God, and
he will impute that righteousness to us by the faith that we have. This new heart being a place
where the Holy Spirit can dwell. What does Christ also tell us
in Luke 5 and verse 37 and 38? It says, and no man putteth new
wine into old bottles, else the new wine will burst the bottles
and be spilled, and the bottles shall perish. But new wine must
be put into new bottles, and both are preserved. New wine
is indicative of the Holy Spirit. Old bottles is the old man, new
bottles is the new man, made righteous. The Spirit of God is not going
to dwell in the old man, but that new man, else the man will
perish. We also read in Ezekiel that
God will put a new heart within us. He will take out the stony
or dead heart and give us a heart of flesh, or a living heart.
This is what God tells us he will do. He makes me righteous,
which gives me the ability to believe. He then sends someone
to me with the gospel, and in hearing that gospel, I believe.
God then imputes that righteousness to me on my account. All of this must take place and
all of this will take place if you are one of God's. He has
decreed it to be so. He has made it so by his death
on that tree. This is what this passage in
Romans is telling us. If someone wants to say that
the preaching of the gospel does all this, then they can take
it up with Christ. These are his words, not mine.
For the seed sown goes into the righteous heart. Scripture also
says that without faith, it is impossible to please God. Hebrews
11 and verse 6, it says, but without faith, it is impossible
to please Him. For he that comes to God must
believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of them that
diligently seek Him. Me being dead in trespasses and
in sins, I cannot believe. I am not capable of it. God has
to give life, and Jesus Christ's explanation of that is a new
heart is given. This seed falls into this ground.
The seed then takes root in this heart of flesh, and then a plant
springs up, and having deep roots, it begins to bring forth fruit
to perfection. Any other ground will not be
capable of bringing forth this fruit. All of this is vital. All of this is needed. All of
this will take place because it is what God has been pleased
to do. Now I realize it feels funny
to say God has made me righteous. But it is a creation of God and
nothing of myself. Scripture calls His people who
have been called righteous. He calls them righteous. Does
it not? That righteous man lot. Ephesians 4 and 24 says this.
and that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in
righteousness and true holiness. God does not create the Holy
Spirit. This is the new man and new heart.
The Holy Spirit is God. So God is not going to create
the Holy Spirit. This is a new righteous man being
created. We are told not to take away
from God's word, and we are told not to add to God's word. We
are also told that in Isaiah 2810, for precept must be upon
precept, precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line,
here a little, there a little. What does this tell me? It tells
me that I take God's word as a whole for what it says. I do
not skip over words, and no word is unimportant, as small as it
might be. I do not add to his word, no
matter how insignificant it might seem. I compare scripture with
scripture, and give the sense thereof. laying everything on
top of one another, measuring everything by Scripture itself
and not my opinion, and get some of the details here and some
of the details there from Scripture. One Scripture does not negate
or do away with another one. It may give some more detail,
but Scripture never negates itself. Can I be wrong at any time? Can
I preach something and be wrong about something? Can I or anyone,
even someone that does not preach, but just studies God's word,
be wrong with a thought that I have about God's word? Absolutely. In fact, if I were you, I would
count on it being so. We are but men and we have the
flesh. That is why we should always
check the scriptures daily to see if these things are so. So
how does all of it fit when you're talking about impartation of
righteousness and imputation of righteousness, especially
as it concerns the preaching of the gospel? God in his own
time, when he is pleased, comes and gives life to a dead alien
sinner. And you can think of it this way. This is just an
analogy I can give, and I know this is an analogy I'm making
up. You can poke holes in this analogy,
if you will, if you take it too far. But when a man and woman
come together, the egg and sperm come together and life is created,
and we call this conception. This is my analogy. This is God
Almighty giving us a new heart, an honest and good heart, a righteous
heart making us righteous. There is life there, but no one
can see it, no one knows about it. This is regeneration. Then when the appointed time
comes, that child who has life will come forth and we call this
birth. This is when God sends his message
to an individual and that life is manifested in that individual
coming forth in belief of the truth. We are begat by his gospel. This is conversion. Scripture joins these two separate
and distinct things together so that we know there will not
be one without the other. Do I have scripture to back that
up? I do, and it's familiar to all of us. 2 Thessalonians 2
verses 13 and 14. But we are bound to give thanks
always to God for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord, because
God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification
of the spirit, conception, and belief of the truth, birth. Where
unto he called you by our gospel to the obtaining of the glory
of our Lord Jesus Christ? When do each of these take place?
The only answer I can give is when God is pleased for it to
happen. I don't know for sure. The one we have no involvement
in whatsoever, we are passive in it, The other we do have involvement
in. I know myself when I believe
God, or I might conceal when someone else believes God and
confesses Christ, but I cannot even say this for sure. There
are some other grounds that seem to be good ground to start with,
but not too long after they fall away. You cannot separate these
two things. They are so interconnected. You
cannot have one without the other. It just does not happen. Because
God has chosen us to salvation through these two things. If
you have a problem with that, then you have a problem with
God. So although we are made sinners, his people are never
imputed sin. Why? Christ was made sin for
us. He will return one day without
sin. Why? Psalm 103 and 12 says this,
as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed
our transgressions from us. Our sins are gone, nowhere ever
to be seen again anywhere. But by his being made sin, by
his being made sin, we likewise are made the righteousness of
Christ in him. Are we imparted righteousness
or imputed righteousness? Yes, Joe. God imparts righteousness
in us, giving us the ability to believe. He then sends us
the gospel, and by the faith given by His Spirit, we believe,
and God imputes that righteousness to us, putting it on our account. 2 Timothy 1.10 says this, But
it is now made manifest by the appearing of our Savior, Jesus
Christ, who hath abolished death and hath brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. The gospel brings the life given
to me by God to light. That is what that says. Because
of what Christ accomplished, this is the result. God Almighty
in His wise design purposed to make us the righteousness of
God in Christ. He does this in time, giving
us a new righteous heart. Thereby having this righteous
heart, we do believe in Him and the record God gave of His Son,
and He marks that to our account. Him telling us in His word that
we must believe or die in our sins. For His people, He gives
us the ability, the eyes to see, the ears to hear, the heart to
perceive, and we believe. God then finalized that to us
and he does this until the end. He imputes that righteousness
to our account, so it's there and we can use it. All because
of what our Lord and Savior did on that tree. Do you believe
God? Amen. Thank you, dear Lord God,
for allowing us to be here. Be with those that are not here,
dear Lord, and comfort them. And we hope that they have been
able to hear God's Word proclaimed here. But comfort them in whatever
way you can, dear Lord. Get them better so they can come
here and be with us, if it's your will, dear Lord. Be with
Walter as he stands here and speak, to speak to us the glories
of Christ, because everything is because of you, dear Lord. All these things we ask in Christ's
name, amen.