 The title of our sermon this morning is Christ Our Righteousness. Christ Our Righteousness. Primary text is Romans chapter 5 verses 12 through 21. We'll work through a couple of texts as we approach this subject. But we are making good progress now through our study of the essentials. For those of you visiting with us, we have in our church endeavored to undertake a series on the fundamentals of the faith. Each sermon dedicated to introducing foundational biblical doctrines that we believe to be essential, important, fundamental to the spiritual health and growth of the Christian. Over the last several weeks, having introduced many of those subjects associated with our redemption accomplished in the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ, recent weeks have afforded us the blessing, the privilege of considering our redemption applied now by the Spirit, or the blessings and the benefits of Christ's work, that are applied to the believer in salvation by the Spirit of God. Now for many of you, as we've been walking through this series, this has been stirring you up by way of reminder. This is a good reminder of theology that we've talked about over the years. I've talked with several of you who have been blessed by that. I've praised the Lord for that. It's blessed me to have this good reminder after spending a full sermon, a full hour each week on each of these subjects. It's helped to solidify that in your thinking, to keep these things fresh and clear in our mind. And I pray it's not just filling your mind, but also warming your heart and filling your heart as well. These are beautiful truths that we hold dear. But some of you are new to our church, relatively new to our church, and this may be the first time that you've heard many terms like this before, the first time that you've been introduced to these concepts. If you're like me, I grew up in churches where these things were never discussed. I can count on less than one finger the number of times I think in my Christian life, so-called, that I ever heard the word imputation. And so what I want to do with that is to encourage you to say, hang in there. You will learn these things. We just keep throwing them out to you over the years. The more that you hear them, the more that we talk about them. And listen, we've got a long time to do that if the Lord tarries. The more that we talk about them, the more that you will learn, the more that it'll sink in, right? We're throwing spaghetti against the cabinet and see if it sticks. The more that we toss up there, the more sticks. We're just gonna keep throwing spaghetti. You will get it. That word imputation. Sounds dry. Sounds difficult. What in the world would I need to know about imputation? I'm not working on a nuclear reactor here. Why would we talk about imputation? I'm not doing rocket surgery. Where did that word come from? What benefit could I possibly derive from spending my time, spending an hour on Sunday morning? What benefit could I possibly derive from talking about, thinking about, spending time on imputation? Well, the answer to that question is great benefit. Immeasurable benefit. Incalculable benefit. Inevaluable benefit. There are many things in this life which are a waste of your time. Many things. Many things in this life that we can be ignorant about or indifferent towards. Imputation is not one of them. Imputation is at the very heart of the gospel. Don't be scared off by the terminology. These are terms we need to know. Terms we need to understand. Terms we need to study and meditate on. Good sound biblical theology should thrill your heart. And if you're a genuine believer and dwelt by the spirit, your spirit says amen with his spirit and it will thrill your heart. You will come to these truths and revel in them. That good sound biblical theology will fuel your gratitude to God for the salvation to which you've been delivered. It will fuel your love and devotion and hope and joy and worship and praise. Applied by the spirit, that good sound biblical theology should cause us to cling to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith, in hope, in joy, in love, in worship. So fasten your seatbelt. Got a piece of paper, a pen. Be ready to take some notes. And this morning I want to begin our discussion of the doctrine of imputation with a statement. And I want you to fill in the blank for me as I give you the statement. Here it is. Our salvation is through works. Were you expecting that? Our salvation is through works. Now if you grew up watching the Cosmies as I did, or instantly in your mind you're thinking, what you talking about Willis? Ultimately, some of you are way too young to even know what I'm talking about. So ultimately there is only one way, listen to me, there's only one way in which a sinner can be made right with a holy God. Ultimately there is only one way in which we can be saved and dwell in the presence of a holy God. And that is through works. It's not a question, it's not a question of whether or not we're saved through works. The question is, whose works are we saved through? Do you see? Your works? No, another's works. Yes. Paul clearly says Ephesians chapter two verse eight, for by grace you have been saved through faith and that the salvation by grace through faith is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works lest anyone should boast. So it's obviously not on our own works through which we are saved. But listen, that glorious provision of redemptive grace by which we have been saved is poured out through faith in one who has secured that grace through his own perfect works. Do you see? So you won't go to heaven on the basis of your own works, but if you go to heaven, you will only go based upon the work of another, namely the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now to begin our consideration of this subject, turn with me to Romans chapter one. Romans chapter one, and we wanna unpack that for you this morning in our consideration of the subject of imputation. Romans chapter one, and look beginning there with me at verse 16. Although the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ was a stumbling block to Jews, although the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ was foolishness to the rest of the world, this is the gospel through which the Lord Jesus Christ saves sinners. Sinful, wretched, hell-deserving, hell-bound sinners can be saved from sin, glory, right? Saved from the wrath of God, given eternal life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that beautiful truth, Paul wasn't ashamed to preach it. Paul rejoiced to preach it. Paul considered it a privilege to preach the gospel. We should as well. So Paul wasn't ashamed, he says in verse 16. I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek. For in it, in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Now some people would say that one of the reasons that people don't share the gospel, that genuine Christians today don't share the gospel is because of a fear of man, and that's true. There is a fear of man associated with preaching the gospel, and we are charged with overcoming that fear of man and preaching the gospel faithfully. I don't necessarily think that that's the primary problem in a church like ours. I think the problem in a church like ours, often with us who are not as faithful as we'd like to be with preaching the gospel, the primary problem is that it's a lack of faith in the efficacy of that preaching to secure the intended result. What I mean by that is this, there was somebody standing out there on the front sidewalk, and I told you in a room like this, listen, God has given me a word. That person standing out on the sidewalk is going to respond positively to the gospel, turn in faith to Christ and be saved. Whoever wants to go out there and preach the gospel to him, have at it. There'd be a mad rush out the door to go out and write. It's like, I wanna be a part of that. I wanna see the Lord save sinners. I wanna preach the gospel. I wanna see fruit. I wanna see the Lord use that and save sinners. I wanna see people come to faith in Christ. But we tend not to believe that when we preach the gospel to sinners that God is going to work in power through the gospel that we preach to bring about the results that he has intended. I think it's sometimes faithlessness in the power or the efficacy of God working through his word in the preaching of the gospel. And listen, brothers and sisters, Paul acknowledges, verse 16, that the gospel is the power of God unto salvation. You and I need to do the same. When you preach the gospel, it is the power of God unto salvation. So count it a privilege. Count it a blessing to preach. You be concerned about faithfulness in preaching you that God be concerned about the results, right? His word does not return avoid. It accomplishes the purpose for which it goes out. We just need to be faithful in the preaching of it. Paul's not ashamed of the gospel of Christ for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first also for the Greek because verse 17, in it, in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith as it is written, the just shall live by faith. Verse 18, for or because the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in their unrighteousness because what may be known of God is manifest in them for God has shown it to them. Now notice in our text, Paul sets in contrast two great revelations. One, the righteousness of God is revealed in verse 17. Two, the wrath of God is revealed in 18. Do you see that? The righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel which is the power of God to salvation. And two, we know that the wrath of God is revealed and the wrath of God is revealed through the law. It's through the commandment that sin becomes exceedingly sinful. Through the commandment or through the law is the knowledge of sin. I want you to notice that little word for at the beginning of verse 18, the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith for or because the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness of men. Do you see the connection between the two? The righteousness of God is revealed because the wrath of God has been revealed against all unrighteousness of men. In other words, his righteousness is the answer to our unrighteousness. God reveals his righteousness in the gospel because we are under the wrath of God lacking any righteousness of our own due to our sin. That's the connection between the two. Two great revelations. If anyone is to be saved, it is because God himself makes provision for our great need. And he does so through his own righteousness revealed in the gospel. Now, as Paul begins to preach the gospel in which the righteousness of God is revealed, he begins that preaching by giving an extended explanation of our unrighteousness. Despite many innumerable modern day examples that might suggest a different approach to perspective evangelists, the apostle Paul begins his preaching of the gospel by spending three straight chapters putting the sinner under the weight of his sin. I would suggest to you that's exactly how we need to approach the gospel. There is a context to the good news and the context of the good news is very bad news. Paul understands that and that's where Paul begins. All of that is with the intention of proving that apart from the gospel, all men without exception are unrighteous and under the wrath of God. Now, Paul finally reaches his conclusion to that effort in a text that we become very familiar with, Romans chapter three, verse 10, look there with me. Romans chapter three, verse 10, Paul says then in conclusion, making his case, as it is written, Jew and Gentile alike, there is none righteous, no, not one. There is not one person born in Adam who can stand as righteous before a holy God. They have no righteousness of their own. There is none righteous, no, not one. Verse 11, there is none who understands. There is none who seeks after God. In other words, his reason or understanding blinded by sin, his desires are perverted. Natural man may have an intellectual knowledge of the Bible, but he doesn't get it. You see, if Michelangelo were to paint a barn, the pigs would still have their face in the slot, right? We've thought about this before. If you walk your dog through the Sistine Chapel, he'll never appreciate the ceiling, right? The natural man may understand intellectually, but he does not get it. You see, verse 12, they have all turned aside, they have together become unprofitable. There is none who does good, no, not one. In other words, the unrighteousness of man is universal. It's universal. Just as unrighteousness is true of every man, without exception, the evidence of their unrighteousness extends to every part of man. Look at verse 13. Using this as an example, Paul says their throat is an open tomb. With their tongues, they practice deceit. The poison of serpents is under their lips, whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness. No, notice the flow of thought, right? Throat, tongue, lips, mouth, representative of his speech. You can do the same for his mind. You can do the same for his affections, for his desires. Right, the extent of his depravity corrupts everything to do with his speech. Throat, tongue, lips, mouth. And as the Lord says, it's out of the abundance of a man's heart that the mouth speaks. So what does that say about his heart? It's toxic, depraved. Now he certainly can't talk the talk. Maybe he can walk the walk. No, look at verse 15. Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and misery are in their ways. Do you see? The way of peace, they have not known. There is no fear of God before their eyes as they go. Verse 19. Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law so that every mouth may be stopped and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge of sin. In other words, by the law is the revelation of our unrighteousness. Now think with me. Man's relationship to God is regulated by God's law. We've talked about this before, but man doesn't begin by relating to God as father. Man relates to God as a lawgiver and judge. Man's relationship to God universally, man's relationship to God is regulated by God's law. And through the law, we are found to be guilty in the sight of God, condemned to death and condemned to death both physically and spiritually, eternally. Eternal objects of God's righteous wrath against sin. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Now think with me of the state in which we were created, in which God created Adam and Eve. We were created to bear the image and likeness of our creator. My, how far we've fallen. As distinguished from all other created beings made according to their kind, God determined that man should have his identity and nature made according to the image of the one who created him. And that is a moral image. God made Adam upright and perfect. He was made to be righteous. He was made to be holy as God is holy. As creatures made in the image of God, we have a moral obligation to our creator to obey all things contained in his revealed will. And we have dropped a ball, violated that directive. We've sinned against him and sinning against him, we've brought ruin and death upon our own soul. And we can see it in our world. You can see it in our own lives. How did we get here? How did we get in such a miserable condition? Look at Romans chapter three, right? How did we get here? How is it that we find ourselves in such a destitute, bankrupt condition, such a devastating and tragic condition? Well, in part we got here through imputation, through imputation. Flip the page and look at Romans chapter five. Now put your thinking caps on with me. Romans chapter five and follow with me the flow of Paul's argument, beginning in verse 12. Therefore, just as through one man, sin entered or invaded the world and death through sin and thus death spread to all men because all sin. Follow along with me now. In verse 12, the one man is Adam, right? Through the one man, Adam, sin entered the world and death through sin. In other words, Adam sinned and then Adam died due to his sin. He certainly died physically. He certainly died physically, but also that very day in the garden, he died spiritually, right? His very nature corrupted by sin. Now Paul says thus death spread to all men. In other words, Adam's sin and its consequences, its effects didn't stop with Adam. Death as a punishment for sin is universal. It's spread to all men because Paul says in verse 12, all sinned. And that's the issue, that last little phrase. Now the question, verse 12 that we have to ask ourselves as we read this text is this. What sin in verse 12, when he says because all sinned, what sin does Paul have in mind there? Is it personal sin? Is it something more general, something more specific? What exactly is it? Whatever the sin that Paul is referring to at the end of verse 12, that sin is the reason that death has spread to all men. Do you follow the argument so far? Okay, that's the reason. That sin is the reason why death has spread to all men. Now the answer to that question that we're asking is found in our text. And what we find in the text is that the universal death of all men is due to the one sin of Adam. Now follow along as we go, okay? We're gonna prove that case to you. Verse 15, look at verse 15. I'm gonna summarize it for you. I wanna draw attention to these statements. Verse 15, for if by the one man's offense, what, many died, many died by the one man's offense. Verse 16, for the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation. Verse 17, for if by the one man's offense, death reigned through the one, do you see? One man's offense, death reigns. Verse 18, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men resulting in condemnation, resulting in death. In verse 19, by one man's disobedience, many, and this is interesting, many were made sinners. What does all that mean? We have to be able to follow Paul's argument here. What does that mean? It means that the sin, when Paul says in verse 12, because all sinned, it means that the sin that Paul is referring to in verse 12 is the same sin that is described as the one man's offense in verse 16, verse 17, verse 18, verse 19. Verse 12 asserts that we all die because we all sin. This is important. Verses 15 through 19 explain that all die because Adam sinned, do you see that? And Paul is saying the same thing in both texts. Paul is saying the same thing in both sections. The sin of the one man, Adam, is also the sin of all men, do you see? The sin of the one man, Adam, is also, also the sin of all men. How is that possible? How is that possible? The reason for this, it's laid out here in the text clearly, the reason for this is called federal headship. It's called representation. God entered into a covenant with Adam as a representative head for the whole human race. So when Adam sinned, all sinned, do you see? He is a representative head for the whole human race. You can see that headship, you can see that representation in the contrast given in our texts between the disobedience of the one man and the righteousness of the other man. It's in this way, in this way, that we are reckoned or accounted as guilty of Adam's sin and suffer the penalty for that sin, not because we personally or actually committed a sin like Adam sin, but because Adam served as our covenant head in our relationship to God. Adam was our representative. Look at verse 13, four, we'll make this more clear as we go, four, until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed, and there's our word. Sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, verse 14, death reigned from Adam to Moses. God gave the law, Paul's assertion here, gave the law to Moses. You see what Paul is saying? Sin was in the world, or until the law, sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there's no law. So what was going on before the law was given then? Right, verse 14, death reigned from Adam until the law was given to Moses. Even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who was a type of him who was to come. In other words, before God had given his positive law to Moses, before we had the 10 commandments, if you will, codified on tablets of stone, sin was still in the world, and death still reigned through sin before the law. So with Paul's argument here, how's that possible? How's that possible? Sin is not credited, sin's not accounted or imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless, they were dying, they died. Death reigned, in other words, because of the imputation of Adam's sin. There is a difference between original sin and actual sin. There's a difference between inherited sin and actual sin. Actual sin occurs when you and I commit transgression of the law. We understand and we know and we sin against God. When I break the law, I become a transgressor of the law. I sin, I am born, you and I are born in a state of original sin. David said, in sin, my mother conceived me, brought me forth in iniquity. He's born in a state of original sin and we bear the weight, we bear the guilt of original sin. But actual sin bears the guilt and weight of my own personal violation against the law of God. You were born by nature a sinner, but there came a point in time with understanding of the law that you sinned against the law of God, that you became guilty and you bear the weight of the guilt of that sin as one who has personally violated his law. Now Paul is saying here, there is a group of people who never sinned willfully, never sinned personally in the way that Adam did in violation of known law and yet they still died. Let me give you an example of that. Think with me now. Why is it that babies die? Why is it that babies die physically? It's tragic when a baby dies. I remember witnessing to a lady at her doorstep and the objection that she raised with me for even considering Christianity is how could a God who is all powerful like that allow babies to die, allow infants to die? It's tragic, it's heartbreaking, right? The babies die, babies die all the time in our country by the hand of those that are charged with protecting them and we're a country full of blood-letting murderers through abortion and babies die and it's tragic. But that baby, think with me, that baby hasn't sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam. They've not sinned the way that Adam sinned in the garden, have they? That baby hasn't sinned in the likeness of you or I. That baby's not sinned the way that we've sinned. So why does physical death reign over infants, over that baby? Actual sin occurs when I break the law of God and I'm accountable for that law-breaking. When I break the law of God, I bear the weight of guilt associated with that violation and I am responsible for my sin against God. But babies aren't responsible for sin in the same way that you and I are, right? They certainly have sinned natures, we can see that. That is evident. Like make a baby mad and you will see that nature blossom in front of your eyes. But they have no understanding of sin. They have no understanding of sin. So between birth and a time when a child becomes accountable or responsible for their sin, how do we account for the death of that child? How is it that death reigns over those children? It's the imputation of Adam's sin. That's the argument that Paul is making in Romans chapter five. It's the imputation of Adam's sin. They are brought forth in iniquity, David says. In sin, their mother conceived them, do you see? This is the doctrine of original sin. Not original meaning first, but original meaning imputed or inherited. This is the doctrine of original sin. When Adam sinned in the garden, Adam and all his posterity, all those born in him became sinners by nature. You aren't a sinner because you sin, you are a sinner therefore you sin, do you see? You are by nature a sinner and you got that nature from your first father, Adam. Inheriting that sin nature from Adam? No person since born in him has been able to live a sinless life and no person can. If you are born in Adam, you are born with a sin nature and you sin. And not only a sin universal, but the death that is the punishment for that sin is universal as well. Why? Why is that? Because Adam's sin and the guilt associated with his sin is reckoned. It is credited, accounted. It is imputed to the whole human race because Adam is our federal head. Adam is our covenant head. Now what happened in the garden when Adam sinned is tragic, it's devastating. And we can read the opening chapters of the book of Genesis and let that just fly over our head, pass through our ears and not really consider the devastating import of Adam's sin on the whole human race. An innumerable mass of people have died and have plunged into eternal hell because of the imputation of Adam's sin and their own sin. Devastating, horrific, tragic. It's one of the reasons why we must preach the gospel. Right? Spurgeon said, let me wrap my arms around their legs before they fall into hell. But why? Why headship? Why would God determine such a thing? Why representation like that? Someone would eject. It sounds unfair. It's unjust. Why would God do that? Why representation? If I was in the garden, I would have done, right? I could have done better. Why headship? Why representation? Because in the wisdom of God, it makes possible representation by another. This manner, this method of justifying guilty sinners in the wisdom of God and the grace of God makes representation by the Lord Jesus Christ possible. Apart from imputation, you have no hope. Apart from imputation, there is no justification. Apart from justification, there is no gospel. Apart from the gospel, there is no life. It makes possible the imputation of someone else's righteousness to us. If we can be represented by Adam, we can be represented by Jesus Christ. If Adam stood for you in the garden, then Jesus Christ can die for you on the cross. Do you see? It makes salvation possible. Look at verse 15. But the free gift is not likely offense. What is the free gift? Follow along. For if by the one man's offense many died, much more the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ abounded to many. Whereas Adam ruined us, Christ renews us. Then we are rendered sinners and condemned in the disobedience of the first Adam. We are justified, declared righteous through the obedience of the last Adam. And look at the end of verse 14. The end of verse 14, Adam is a type of him who was to come. Who is the one who was to come? The one through whom we have life. That's Jesus Christ, right? Adam is the type, but Jesus Christ is the one who fulfilled all righteousness. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the law. Now notice the contrast with me set up by Paul in the text. This is important and glorious. Notice the contrast, verse 15. By the offense of one many died, but by the obedience of one, the gift of grace abounded to many. Do you see? Look at the contrast, verse 16. The offense of one led to condemnation. The obedience of one led to justification. Verse 17, death reigned through the one man's offense. Life reigns through the one man's righteousness. Do you see? Verse 18, through one man's offense came judgment to all. Through one man's righteousness came justification. Verse 19, by one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, but by one man's obedience, many are made righteous. Made righteous through imputation. Do you see? Verse 21, verse 21, sin reigned through death by the one. Grace reigned through righteousness to eternal life by the other. Praise God, right? Praise God. This is where imputation is so important. Listen, these are not just like academic or intellectual vagaries, right? These are not things to be trifled with. How is it that a holy God can justify ungodly sinners? He can't uphold his holiness and just sweep sin under the rug. He doesn't turn a blind eye to your sin and just wink at it as if it's not that big of a deal. He doesn't just poof and make it magically disappear because that's how he's just so forgiving and that's how God does it. No, he reveals the gospel in the perfect life and substitutionary death of his only begotten son. He gives everything to secure our redemption, including the life of the second person of the Trinity incarnate. He doesn't sweep sin under the rug. He pours out undiluted wrath that you deserve and he pours that out upon his son, the beloved one. And he does that in your place. And how does he do it? By imputing your sin to him and by imputing his glorious, perfect righteousness to you and to me when we don't deserve it. This is critical, do you see? To the content of our faith, to an understanding of our faith. We should revel with joy at the magnificence, the genius, the wisdom, the glory of Almighty God who has conceived such a wondrous and beautiful way of justifying wicked sinner and yet he himself remaining just in the process. It's staggering in its wisdom, isn't it? Glorious. Look at verse 16 and the gift. What is the gift? We've heard that before, haven't we? What is the gift? The gift, look at verse 17, is the gift of righteousness. It's the gift of righteousness. Have we given that gift through imputation? We're reckoned it, we're accounted it, we're credited it. It's given to us as a gift, how? Through faith, through the instrumentality of faith. Verse 16, the gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned because the judgment which came from one offense resulted in condemnation. But the free gift, the free gift of that righteousness, which came from many offenses. In other words, the mass of sinful humanity has sinned against the holy God. God desires in love, right? Because of the great love with which he loved us, God decreed, determined to send his only begotten Son into the world to save sinners. That there might be a redeemed humanity to worship the Son for all eternity, to glorify the Father for his grace, right? To the praise of the glory of his grace forever. God determined to that because of innumerable offenses committed by his chosen people, he sent the Son which resulted in verse 16, justification. Verse 17, for if by the one man's offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace. And there it is, that gift of righteousness will reign in life through the one Jesus Christ. Therefore, as through one man's offense, judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation. Even so, through one man's righteous act, that singular act, summarizing his entire life, his perfect life, his substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, his perfect obedience, both passive and active, through that one act, the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. And for as by one man's disobedience, verse 19, many were made sinners, so also by the one man's obedience, many will be made, there it is again, made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace abounded much more, so that as sin reigned in death, even so, grace might reign through righteousness, through that free gift, to eternal life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Someone might still object, right? That's unfair! It's unfair! Why would I be subject to representation by Adam? If I were in the garden, I would have obeyed! Listen, if you reject representation by Adam in the garden, then by default, you reject representation by Jesus Christ on the cross. And listen, you are on your own. Good luck with that. Right? Let's see how you do. Set your egg timer. Let's see how long you last. It had to be through representation. Otherwise, we have no hope. It had to be through imputation. Otherwise, we would be lost eternally. Otherwise, no one would be saved. Paul labors the point in Romans chapter 5. And listen, go back and listen again. Sit down with Romans 5. Work through the text, right? Apprehend these things. It's only because Adam first represented you in the garden that Jesus Christ could represent you at the cross. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verse 22 4 as in Adam all die even so in Christ all shall be made alive. Praise God. It was in his representation for guilty, condemned sinners that Jesus Christ lived a perfect, sinless life. It was in the place of hopeless, hell-bound sinners that Jesus Christ obeyed every jot and tittle of the law of God. And it was in the place of wrath-deserving, hell-deserving sinners that Jesus Christ hung upon the tree under the curse and died there bearing the undiluted wrath of God that those sinners had justly earned themselves. His perfect life, His wrath-satisfying sacrifice, His substitutionary sacrifice was accomplished as the covenant head for His people under the new covenant, right? That He purchased in His own blood for all those who had put their faith and trust in Him for His, not their own, but His righteousness. He came and succeeded where the first Adam failed. Do you see that in Romans 5? He came and succeeded where the first Adam failed. He perfectly fulfilled the covenant of works that God had entered into in the garden with Adam. Adam sinned against God and broke that covenant. Jesus Christ comes and perfectly fulfills it, obeying all the law. And that's not, that's, listen, that's why it's not just or not only the death of Christ that redeems us, but it is the perfect life of Christ which also redeems us. He secures a righteousness that you and I could not secure on our own and all of that through imputation. This is so. Our God who is holy may deal with our sin in a way that upholds His justice and at the same time justify those who are ungodly so that He may be just the justifier of those who have faith in Christ, right? Well, how could God possibly be considered just when He delivered up His only begotten Son to suffer such terrible injustice at the hands of sinners? That sounds like cosmic child abuse to me. Have you ever heard that objection before? Again, again, the doctrine of imputation, the doctrine of imputation. Here's Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21. Listen, He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. What is that? That's the doctrine of imputation. The imputation of our sin to the Lord Jesus Christ as He hung on the cross. He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. How? Imputation. The imputation of the Lord's righteousness, His perfect life, to us. The imputation of original sin. The imputation of our sin to Christ. The imputation of Christ's righteousness to us. Without imputation, there is no hope. Without imputation, there is no justification. Without justification, there is no gospel. Without gospel, you and I are forever tormented in hell. Justly for our sin. Our confession of faith describes the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us in this way. Listen to London Baptist Confession of Faith chapter 11 of justification in article 1. Listen. Not by infusing righteousness into them, in other words, not by changing them inwardly so that by their own righteousness they're pleasing to God. That's the Catholic error. But by pardoning their sins, forgiveness, and by accounting and accepting their persons as righteous. Well, how does He do that? He also freely justifies not by infusing their persons as righteous. Well, how does He do that? Not for anything wrought in them, not for anything done by them, but for Christ's sake alone He does this. Not by imputing faith itself. He doesn't believe for you. Not by imputing the act of believing or any other evangelical obedience to them as their righteousness, but by imputing, by reckoning, accounting, Christ's active obedience under the whole law and passive obedience in His death for their whole and soul righteousness by faith. Which faith they have, not of themselves, it is the gift of God. Absolutely stunning and amazing this salvation that the Lord has determined. You and I will die soon enough. Some of us sooner than others. The Bible says that it is appointed for men to die once and then the judgment. God is going to judge you according to your works. Listen to me. God is going to judge you according to your works. Think about your works for a moment. You have been unrighteous. You have been ungodly. You have broken the law of God. You have sinned against your creator, the holy one of Israel. The one who is thrice holy. The one who is just and righteous in all his ways. The one who dwells in unapproachable light. You have sinned against him in unrighteousness. In ungodliness. Which now you continue to suppress in your ungodliness, in your unrighteousness. And God is going to judge you according to your works. What you have done in the flesh good or bad. What do you think God is going to find there when he judges you according to your works? John, the apostle John says in Revelation chapter 20 verse 12. He says, I saw the dead small and great standing before God and the books were opened. And another book was open which is the book of life and the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. When God judges you according to your works, the things you have done, will he find you righteous or unrighteous? With what righteousness will you stand before God? You may think to yourself, I've done more good than bad. I'm a pretty good person. By whose standard? Not by God's standard. God's standard is clear. You have no righteousness of your own. You've broken the law of God. Isaiah 64 6, you were like an unclean thing. You were like an unclean thing in the sight of God. All your righteousnesses are like filthy rags. God says you will fade as a leaf. Your iniquities like wind will take you away. The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all your ungodliness, against all unrighteousness. Not only is your righteousness not enough to escape the fires of hell, your righteousness actually deserves the fires of hell. Your only hope, the only hope that you have as you sit here this morning. Listen to me, if you've never turned from your sin, if you're not living, heart, soul, mind and strength for the Lord Jesus Christ right now. If you're not living for him by faith, listen to me, your only hope when you stand before him has nothing to do with your own righteousness you have none. Your only hope is that you stand before him clothed in the righteousness of another. Your only hope is that the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ counts for you. Your only hope. And listen, there are innumerable ways that you can go out of this world today. It's nothing easy. Right? The only thing Edward says, the only thing, the only thing that sustains you even now, the only reason you've not passed into death since the beginning of this sermon is merely and only the good pleasure of God in whose hands you are held and by whose hands you are sustained, there's no other reason but the good pleasure of God that you've not already died. You can't make it on the basis of your own works. You can't make it on the basis of your own righteousness. So if you are to make it, if you are to go to heaven when you die, the only way is through Jesus Christ. You must make heaven only by trusting in Christ for his perfect righteousness counted to you. And he does that grace upon grace. He does that when you believe him, when you take him at word, when you embrace what he has done as your own. The Lord Jesus Christ is mine and I am his and he did that for me. He hung there upon Calvary's tree bearing the sin that I committed for me upon the cross as God poured out his wrath, that was wrath that was reserved for me and the Lord Jesus Christ has taken my sin and he died there, suffered there in my place so that I might live as an eternal testimony of his grace. All that through imputation. Paul said this in Philippians 3 verse 7, listen. What things were gained to me Paul says, these I have counted loss for Christ. What would a prophet a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? It profits him nothing. Paul says what things I thought were gained to me, I counted them all rubbish. I count all things lost for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord who has suffered the loss of all things count them as rubbish that I may gain Christ and be found in him not having my own righteousness which is from the law but that which is through faith in Christ a perfect righteousness the righteousness which is from God by faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings being conformed to his death if by any means I may gain to the resurrection from the dead. Romans chapter 3 verse 21 after Paul makes his case for the universal unrighteousness of all men Paul comes to the gospel in Romans chapter 3 verse 21 listen but now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed being witnessed by the law and the prophets how did the law and the prophets witness that righteousness? It's as if the law and the prophets stood by and watched as Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed every jot and tittle they become a witness to the righteousness of Jesus Christ even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all who work really hard for it no who believe who believe for there is no difference all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is Christ Jesus whom God set forth as a propitiation by his blood as a wrath satisfying sacrifice through faith in order to demonstrate his righteousness because in his forbearance in his patience God has passed over the sins that were previously committed in order to demonstrate at the present time his righteousness so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who is faith in Jesus it's amazing absolutely amazing I was listening to R.C. Sproul earlier in the week on this subject and he told the story of the death of G. Gresham Machen G. Gresham Machen was the founder of Westminster Seminary the founder of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church brilliant man and when Machen was fairly young he was 55 years old at the time Machen was asked to preach at a conference in North Dakota during the winter really cold up there and Machen was weak physically had a weak constitution his health was sort of failing and his colleagues at the seminary advised Machen not to go they were concerned about him but Machen wanted to honor his speaking engagements the commitments that he had made and so Machen got on the train and he went to North Dakota in the winter when he was there shortly after he arrived Machen developed a pleurisy in the cold weather and very shortly after that was hospitalized with pneumonia and very shortly after that died in the hospital on the day that he died he sent a telegram to his good friend and his colleague John Murray John Murray has written a really helpful book called the imputation of Adam's sin he's written on this subject but he sent a telegram to John Murray and Machen wrote this short telegrams are expensive right Machen wrote grateful for the perfect active obedience of Christ no hope without it wrote that on the day that he died so as Machen lay there dying in his hospital bed Machen was gripped with hope and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for and imputed righteousness through faith without it Machen said there is no hope the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ is ours through believing in him believing upon him casting ourselves upon him trusting ourselves to him by putting faith in him it's a wondrous thought that we could be counted righteous doesn't mean that we are like we personally earned it but we could be counted righteous as he is righteous and that by the wisdom the justice the mercy the grace of Almighty God without imputation there is no justification without justification there is no gospel without the gospel there is simply no hope all praise honor and glory to the one who is our righteousness amen let's pray take just a few moments I want you to pray silently and go before the Lord now and consider the state of your soul and plead with the Lord if you haven't already for his perfect righteousness if you are the beneficiary of such a glorious salvation by faith in Christ then praise him for it when you're done praying I'll pray for us and we'll be dismissed let's pray Father in Heaven all praise honor, glory power, might dominion, majesty be to the one who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb forever and ever and ever we pray you are glorious God awesome in majesty we thank you and worship you and praise you for this stunning unimagined in the heart of man salvation you have determined and decreed in your wisdom for your glory and we are grateful to you Lord to be beneficiaries of it help us Lord to embrace to these things by faith to meditate on them to let them soak from our mind into the soil of our hearts producing their devotion and love and hope and joy and worship and praise for all that you have done help us to live for you more devotedly to serve you more fervently to love you more earnestly and to love our neighbor as ourselves for your glory God you are worthy of our praise worthy of our very lives worthy heart soul mind and strength of all that we are very grateful to you Lord for the salvation please for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ save sinners and Lord for the sake of his bride for the sake of our bridegroom please Lord conform us into his image wash us conform us build us up present us to him without spotter blemish or wrinkle or any such thing that we might be before him holy and blame us in love thank you for this glorious truth may we worship and praise you for it in Jesus name Amen