"To His Credit"

"Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile." (Psalm 32: 2 KJV)

"What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. How was it then reckoned? when he was in circumcision, or in uncircumcision? Not in circumcision, but in uncircumcision....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 offences, and was raised again for our justification." (Romans 4: 1-10, 22-25 KJV)

"Impute" is from the Greek word "logizomai" and means, according to Strong - "to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over," and "metaphorically to pass to one's account, to impute."

Thus the word "impute" or "reckon" or "account" is what we might call "accounting" terms. In the KJV Strong gives these ways the Greek word is variously translated - "think, impute, reckon, count, account, suppose, reason , number," and a few other miscellaneous ways.

In common language also these accounting terms are used. People are heard to say "to his credit..." Good things about people and their characters are called their "assets." We may say of a person, for instance, that "he stoled, but to his credit he did it to feed his family."

Debits and credits represent two sides to a spreadsheet. To place an entry on either side is to make an account of them. We do this literally and metaphorically every day. When people charge things with credit cards, the sale is being "reckoned" and "accounted" and "imputed." Sometimes a person's purchase is made from the account of another person. A credit for one is then a debit for another.

Sin represents a "debit" on a man's account. How can he have this debit removed and a "credit" put in its place? How can one who is accounted a debtor be accounted rich? How can one who is accounted sinful be accounted righteous? How can we change our spiritual "balance sheet" before God and his law?

"At my first answer no man stood with me, but all [men] forsook me: [I pray God] that it may not be laid to their charge." (II Timothy 4: 16 AV)

The phrase "laid to their charge" is from the single Greek word translated elsewhere as "impute." Paul is praying that this act will "not be imputed" or "laid to the charge" (debit) of these who had forsaken him. He is asking that they be forgiven, that God, to speak in the vernacular, does not "hold it against" them.

"If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back—not to mention that you owe me your very self." (Philemon 1: 18, 19 NIV)

Again, notice how the idea of "imputation" is in this verse also. Notice how "imputation" and "reckoning" involve a judging something either a debit or a credit on a person's "balance sheet." "Put that on my account," says Paul. "Impute it to me," and not to him.

A man who is lost in sin, condemned and unforgiven, is a man who has a load of debt on his soul's account, in regards to what he owes to God and his law for those sins. Some imagine that salvation from the guilt and condemnation of the law may be had by having enough "good works" to be placed on the "right side" of the balance sheet (will be allowed as a "credit" to him), to "outweigh" the "left side" of the balance sheet, the place of all his "debits" to the law. But, this is a fatal mistake. Nothing "good" that a man does can "atone" for his sins or cancel out his spiritual debits. No good deed can atone for evil deeds.

The only way for one to be saved, to get his "balance sheet" right before the law, and before God, is for his "debits" all to be legally "canceled" and the righteousness and credits of another be placed to his account. This is what happens when a sinner is saved and reconciled to God, when he is forgiven of sin. All the "debits" of his sins are vicariously placed to the "account" of Jesus, so that they become his debts to pay. Likewise, all the credits of the righteousness of Christ is credited to the believer, to his account, "to his credit," and so is "reckoned" as righteous.

"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." (Romans 5: 12-14 KJV)

Lord God, by sovereign decision, accounted all men sinners when Adam sinned. God made the sin of Adam to be more than simply Adam's personal sin, but made it the sin of the entire race. Thus, all men are born into the world under condemnation, and subject to death and evils. God "placed" the sin of Adam to my account, to your account, to every man's own account. Each man adds to this side of his spiritual ledger as he commits personal sin.

Christ assumes the spiritual indebtedness of sinners, and clears his debts to the law. Sinners are saved by looking to the righteousness of Christ, trusting that his goodness will be "to his credit," and thus be "accounted" righteous before the law, and before God.

"Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6: 11 AV)

"For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time [are] not worthy [to be compared] with the glory which shall be revealed in us." (Romans 8: 18 AV)

"Add it up," in other words! Do a "cost-benefits analysis"! Then see how things "measure up"!

Friend, to have the righteousness of Jesus to be reckoned to be YOUR righteouness is the only way for you to be saved and forgiven. Do not trust in your own righteousness, but in the righteousness of Jesus alone, as did David the Psalmist, as did Abraham, and as has every sinner who has been "set right" in his spiritual accounts. Simply believe in Jesus and trust in his righteousness alone, and it will be "put to YOUR account," and will be "to YOUR credit."

"Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." (Romans 10: 1-4 NIV)