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 offences, and was raised again for our justification

Romans 4:23 -25

“Because he lives” has become a popular modern tune expressing the Christian hope on the grounds of the resurrection.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow,
Because He lives, all fear is gone;
Because I know He holds the future,
And life is worth the living,
Just because He lives!

Does this tell the whole story of the resurrection though? AND does this sum up the full importance of its power in our lives.

NO – it doesn’t, a fact alluded to in the opening verse, which comes closest to recognising the real message of the resurrection of our Lord:

God sent His son, they called Him, Jesus;
He came to love, heal and forgive;
He lived and died to buy my pardon,
An empty grave is there to prove my Savior lives!

We need to be forgiven before we can face the future! The reason why we can face tomorrow, the reason why the newborn baby can face uncertain days and the reason why life is always worth living is because of our justification which flows from the resurrection of Christ.

Sometimes we tend to think of the resurrection purely in terms of hope beyond death. We need to think bigger. The reason why death is defeated is because the resurrection supplies justification. It is the fact that we will stand before a righteous God without our guilt, which the real ground of our hope. This is the real outcome of the resurrection.

At the close of Romans 4 the Apostle Paul draws a very important and vital connection between Resurrection, Imputation and Justification.

These are essential Gospel words. They are terms which can only be understood in the light of Gospel, not in any other area of life. Only the Christian understands the truth of these words.

Furthermore – these are words which modernist theology would love to erode and undermine. Modernists will argue against the fact of the resurrection. They will claim that imputation is a myth and justification is a nonsense. These words are at the heart of the battle between truth and error. The evangelical message turns upon these hinges. Without these terms there is no Gospel.

THE RESURRECTION – AN HISTORIC FACT

THREE FACTS

There are a three facts about the resurrection which are vital.

1: It is historic. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not a parable; it is a fact of history.

2: It is real. Jesus Christ was dead, there was a burial and he rose from the tomb on the third day.

3: It is a physical and bodily resurrection. The resurrection was not just a spiritual event – it was a bodily event. Jesus Christ had a real human body that lived and breathed after he died. The women fell down at His feet, Thomas was invited to touch His wounds and the disciples ate with Him on the shores of Galilee. Furthermore Christ was truly dead. The crucifixion was a form of execution which no-one could survive. The blood loss and the speed with which the soldiers hastened the demise of the victims because of the onset of Passover argues for Christ’s death. Jesus had clearly and evidently died. Therefore the event on the third day was a resurrection.

IMPOSSIBILITIES

The argument is made by the skeptic that resurrections don’t happen. Death is the grim reality for each one of us, it is not only certain but irreversible. Therefore nature argues that it was impossible for Jesus Christ to rise again.

The Scriptures, however, turn this statement around. As a result of Christ’s deity and perfect humanity it was impossible for death to be victorious over Him.

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

Acts 2:24

DEATH HAD NO CLAIM OVER JESUS

Death had no claim over Jesus Christ because of his innocence and purity. We deserve death because of our sin; we must experience its curse. But Christ is different. He willingly surrendered Himself to death for us but death did not take Him.

Furthermore, and most remarkably of all – death did not cause Christ’s body to decay:

Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

Acts 2:27

Death, therefore did not bind Jesus, nor could it. He could take life again at a moment of God’s own choosing. At no time was death victorious; therefore on the third day He arose triumphantly as one who had already died in triumph.

RESURRECTION & IMPUTATION

LOGICAL

When writing to the Romans Paul was at pains to unite imputation with resurrection. The verb “to impute” is the Greek word from which we obtain the word logic. This is an accounting term.

Paul uses it to describe the righteousness of Christ which is imputed or transferred to the account of the Christian.

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.

Romans 4:20-22

To be accepted by the righteous God we must possess a perfect righteousness.

THE TRANSFER

Therefore imputation is the transfer of Christ’s righteousness to us. The word, however, has a double meaning. Christ’s righteousness becomes ours because our guilt was also transferred to Him:

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.

2nd Corinthians 5:21

THE SCAPEGOAT

The scapegoat, which was sent out into the wilderness on the Day of Atonement to die, having received the sins of Israel placed upon his head, is the classic Old Testament picture of the imputation that our Lord received on the cross:

And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:21-22

OUR MEDIATOR

Christ laid down His life in death to take the consequences of our sin, having already felt the wrath of the law during the three hours of darkness.

Therefore Christ took our sin as a man, as our mediator, in order that we might have His righteousness. This is what Martin Luther called the great exchange.

THE PERFECT MAN

The righteousness we receive is that which the Lord presented as a man during the thirty-three years of sinless living, keeping the law in its perfection. As the perfect man He presented a holy life, taking the guilt of our sin. This makes Him the only Saviour.

For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;

Hebrews 7:26

Imputation is one of the precious Gospel words, a word only made relevant by the Gospel.

INFUSION OR IMPUTATION?

It is this word which makes Roman Catholicism’s view of the Gospel so utterly wrong. Rome talks about the infusion of Justification rather than the imputation of it. To Rome this infusion is granted at baptism but it is a grace the devout must maintain through obedience to the sacraments, especially penance. If the devout commits a mortal sin, however, this infusion can be lost forever. This is a message which offers no assurance and no real hope.

The true biblical understanding of the Gospel, as defined by the Protestant reformers, understands imputation as a legal transfer of righteousness from one to the other. Christ, in the sight of the law became sin for us, in order that we in the sight of the law might become righteous. This imputation being a legal transaction in God’s courts cannot be revoked and therefore cannot be lost. It is irreversible.

The resurrection of the perfect Saviour makes this imputation certain. As death could not bind Christ, so sin’s power is broken and we can receive His righteousness. As His work was done perfectly, therefore the imputation to us is also perfect. A perfect Saviour and a perfect salvation!

RESURRECTION & JUSTIFICATION

THE BASIS OF JUSTIFICATION

Resurrection leads to imputation which in turn becomes the basis of our justification. Christ was raised for our justification.

THE RIGHTEOUS GOD

Those imputed with Christ’s righteousness are justified in the courts of heaven. Therefore we are prepared to meet the righteous God. This why the Gospel ultimately is the Gospel of God’s righteousness:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 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.

Romans 1:16-17

IDENTIFIED WITH CHRIST

As those who are identified with Christ we are justified. He was identified with us in death so that we might might become one with Him in resurrection. God views us as He views His Son and He views His Son as He views us:

 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:5-9

THE ROBE

We are those who once wore the filthy rags of sin but are now made beautiful by the robe of salvation, which is the robe of His righteousness:

I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Isaiah 61:10

FAITH ALONE!

It is vital, however, that faith is emphasised as the only vehicle whereby this justification is received. Abraham’s faith was counted for righteousness, Luther was empowered by Paul’s words that the just shall live by faith and Paul taught that grace is received by faith. Faith expresses our abject and total misery, We can do nothing except lean on Christ. We have nothing to bring – our hope is in Christ alone.

THE ONLY MESSAGE

In a world of defeat and pain, a corrupt world and one in which we are polluted with all manner of depravities – the resurrection of Christ shines as a beacon of light, the only source of hope. This is our assurance and confidence, it is also the only message for our families and friends, our community, our nation and our world.

JESUS LIVES AND JESUS SAVES!

JESUS LOVER OF MY SOUL BY CHARLES WESLEY

Jesus, lover of my soul,
let me to thy bosom fly,
while the nearer waters roll,
while the tempest still is high;
hide me, O my Savior, hide,
till the storm of life is past;
safe into the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none;
hangs my helpless soul on thee;
leave, ah! leave me not alone,
still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed,
all my help from thee I bring;
cover my defenseless head
with the shadow of thy wing.

Plenteous grace with thee is found,
grace to cover all my sin;
let the healing streams abound;
make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art;
freely let me take of thee;
spring thou up within my heart,
rise to all eternity.