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The Protestant/Reformed doctrines of imputed (to be considered/declared righteous) and imparted righteousness (to be sanctified by the power of the Spirit) and the Catholic doctrine of infused righteousness, all believe that the righteousness is credited to or belongs to the sinner themselves.
Neither of these views are correct because they forget that Christ alone is righteous, and that a sinner is no more or less righteous after salvation than they were before salvation.
The Bible says we have no righteousness of our own (Phil 3:9), whether imputed, imparted, or infused.
The Bible also says that Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30).
There is a big difference between Christ being our righteousness and us receiving righteousness or being considered to be righteous.
Christ being our righteousness has everything to do with our union with Christ through faith and not something we are credited with or gain ourselves.
It means that our righteousness ceases to exist, we have no righteousness of our own, and Christ becomes our righteousness.
The imputed, imparted and infused righteousness doctrines have led to much debate - things which were never really argued among the apostles or the early church, probably because they believed in none of these high theological doctrines - quite simply, Christ alone was their righteousness.
I believe if Paul was alive today and someone asked him "is our righteousness imputed, imparted or infused?", Paul would answer neither, and say "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal 2:20). When we died with Christ (as symbolized by baptism), our own righteousness died with Him. When raised with Christ, it is not our righteousness and His righteousness existing together - our righteousness dies and Christ is our righteousness. God does not credit any righteousness to ourselves, as is erroneously taught by the imputed righteousness doctrine, neither does He infuse righteousness into our being as erroneously taught by Catholics. It is simply a matter of Christ being our righteousness. Christ's righteousness is His alone, and He cannot credit it or give it to any other person. Matt 6:33 says we are to seek His righteousness, not our own. Like a covering robe of righteousness, Christ our righteousness "covers" us so that God only "sees" the "covering" of Christ.
To aid our understanding, an Old Testament shadow is the blood of the Passover lamb (Christ) put on the houses so that those inside the house would be kept safe from God's judgement as the angel of death passed over (Exodus 12:23, 1 Peter 1:19). The inhabitants of the house were no more righteous after the blood was put on the house, as before the blood was put on the house (there was no impartation or infusion of righteousness). Neither did God say to the house-dwellers "I now consider you righteous because the blood of the Passover lamb is on your house" (there was no imputation of righteousness).
Neither of these views are correct because they forget that Christ alone is righteous, and that a sinner is no more or less righteous after salvation than they were before salvation.
The Bible says we have no righteousness of our own (Phil 3:9), whether imputed, imparted, or infused.
The Bible also says that Christ is our righteousness (1 Cor 1:30).
There is a big difference between Christ being our righteousness and us receiving righteousness or being considered to be righteous.
Christ being our righteousness has everything to do with our union with Christ through faith and not something we are credited with or gain ourselves.
It means that our righteousness ceases to exist, we have no righteousness of our own, and Christ becomes our righteousness.
The imputed, imparted and infused righteousness doctrines have led to much debate - things which were never really argued among the apostles or the early church, probably because they believed in none of these high theological doctrines - quite simply, Christ alone was their righteousness.
I believe if Paul was alive today and someone asked him "is our righteousness imputed, imparted or infused?", Paul would answer neither, and say "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me." (Gal 2:20). When we died with Christ (as symbolized by baptism), our own righteousness died with Him. When raised with Christ, it is not our righteousness and His righteousness existing together - our righteousness dies and Christ is our righteousness. God does not credit any righteousness to ourselves, as is erroneously taught by the imputed righteousness doctrine, neither does He infuse righteousness into our being as erroneously taught by Catholics. It is simply a matter of Christ being our righteousness. Christ's righteousness is His alone, and He cannot credit it or give it to any other person. Matt 6:33 says we are to seek His righteousness, not our own. Like a covering robe of righteousness, Christ our righteousness "covers" us so that God only "sees" the "covering" of Christ.
To aid our understanding, an Old Testament shadow is the blood of the Passover lamb (Christ) put on the houses so that those inside the house would be kept safe from God's judgement as the angel of death passed over (Exodus 12:23, 1 Peter 1:19). The inhabitants of the house were no more righteous after the blood was put on the house, as before the blood was put on the house (there was no impartation or infusion of righteousness). Neither did God say to the house-dwellers "I now consider you righteous because the blood of the Passover lamb is on your house" (there was no imputation of righteousness).
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