Why the “Imputed Righteousness of Christ” Doesn’t Work? Part 2.

Why the “Imputed Righteousness of Christ” Doesn’t Work? Part 2.


One of the most common claims in evangelical theology is that believers are saved by the imputed righteousness of Christ—that Jesus' perfect obedience is credited to our account, so God sees us as if we had lived Jesus’ life. This idea is especially popular in Reformed circles and is tied deeply to a view of justification by faith alone grounded in forensic/legal substitution. But does this idea hold up under the scrutiny of Scripture—especially when we recognize that Jesus is not God, but rather the human Messiah appointed by God?


The Assumption Behind the Doctrine: Jesus is God


The doctrine of Christ’s imputed righteousness depends heavily on the assumption that Jesus is divine in nature. The logic goes something like this:


Jesus is God.


God is perfectly righteous.


Jesus, being God in the flesh, lived a perfect life.


That perfect life is credited (imputed) to believers.


Therefore, when God sees you, He sees the righteousness of Christ.



But here's the problem: Jesus is not God.


He is the Son of God, the promised human Messiah, the one anointed by God, obedient to God, and ultimately vindicated by God through resurrection. The righteousness that saves us is not the personal moral record of a divine being—it is the righteousness of God the Father expressed through His covenant faithfulness.


The Bible Speaks of God's Righteousness, Not Christ’s Imputed Righteousness


Paul is crystal clear in Romans and Galatians: we are justified by the righteousness of God, not by transferring someone else’s perfect moral record to us.


 “But now, apart from the Law, the righteousness of God has been manifested...” (Romans 3:21)


 “...that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26)


“Not having a righteousness of my own... but that which comes through the faithfulness of Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith.” (Philippians 3:9, subjective genitive reading)


Paul never says, “the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us.” Instead, he says that God declares people righteous because of faith in (or the faithfulness of) Christ, and that this declaration is based on God’s own covenant faithfulness to fulfill His promises.


Jesus' Role Was Faithful Obedience, Not Transfer of Righteousness


Jesus didn’t come to accumulate moral merit points and transfer them like a bank transaction. He came to live faithfully as the true Israelite, the obedient Son, and to offer Himself in obedient death as the representative of God’s people. His faithfulness unto death (Rom. 5:18–19; Phil. 2:8) is the means by which God has enacted a new covenant and opened the way for justification.


Our justification is not a legal fiction where God pretends we lived Jesus’ life. It is a real declaration that we are part of His covenant family because we share in the faith of Abraham and the faithfulness of the Messiah.


A Human Messiah Can't “Impute” His Righteousness


If Jesus is not God (and He’s not), then He cannot share His personal righteousness with others as though it were transferable property. That concept assumes divine attributes—omniscience, omnipresence, and the ability to relate to all believers simultaneously in a legal-universal sense.


But Jesus is a man—glorified, exalted, and ruling at God’s right hand, yes—but still a man (1 Timothy 2:5). His obedience was for us, but not legally transferred to us. Instead, God counts us as righteous because of His own mercy and because of our faith in the one He appointed.


God the Father's Righteousness Is the Foundation


This is the consistent message of Scripture: it is God's righteousness, His own covenant loyalty, His mercy, and His justice that are the basis for our salvation.


Psalm 98:2 – “The Lord has made known His righteousness.”


Isaiah 46:13 – “I bring near My righteousness.”


Romans 1:17 – “For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed…”



The gospel reveals God’s righteousness—not Christ’s moral perfection credited to us.


Conclusion


We are not justified by receiving a righteousness deposit from Jesus. We are justified because God is righteous, and He has acted righteously in sending His faithful servant, Jesus, to rescue, restore, and reign.

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