The Glorious Doctrine of Double Imputation

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. "-2 Corinthians 5:21 (ESV)

Though there is an anti-doctrinal movement sweeping the evangelical church today, such has not always been the case in church history. Historical Protestantism was berthed by a belief in the centrality of the Word of God. Naturally, along with this came a strong appreciation of doctrine, since that is what Scripture contains (see 2 Timothy 3:16). While evangelicals today would make statements like "Don't give me doctrine, just give me Jesus" or "No creed but Christ, no book but the Bible" (a statement which, in essence, is meaningless) because they believe doctrine to be antithetical to practical living, in actuality there is no antagonism between doctrine and practice. We must avoid such a false dichotomy if we are to ever experience the kind of Christian growth that the Lord desires for us. In Pauline theology, all Christian doctrine is wedded to its practical application. In Paul's mind, if you don't practice sound doctrine, you don't truly know it. Rather than neglect the study of Biblical truth, evangelicals ought to endeavor all the more to know it experientially. One such doctrine that has been oft-neglected is the doctrine of justification by faith alone and with it, its twin doctrine of double imputation. Fortunately, the man who sparked the Reformation, Martin Luther, believed doctrine held practical value and he compared the knowledge of the truth of justification by faith alone with "walking in paradise." But perhaps he most concisely summarized the significance of this truth when he said, "Justification is the article on which the Church stands or falls." In an age when the gospel has lost all specificity, this is a doctrine that must be recovered.

The term imputation refers to the act of charging an individual with something that is foreign to him. Double Imputation is the doctrine that the sins of the elect were imputed, accounted, or credited to Christ, while the righteousness of Christ was imputed, accounted, or credited to the elect. What marvelous, peace-giving truth this is! To know that a lifetime of sin and a lifetime of righteousness are traded instantanteously. This is what Luther called the "Great Exchange". And this is part and parcel of the doctrine of justification by faith, because we receive the righteousness of Christ when we are united to him by faith. Faith is not any part of that righteousness but is simply the appropriating organ by which the righteousness is brought to us. The righteousness is solely the perfect obedience of Christ in keeping the Mosaic Covenant and in his efficacious death on the cross. It is because of his perfect obedience and substitutionary death that we are acquitted by God the Father as judge. But how could this happen? Christ was not guilty. How could the sinless be crucified? It was because, as Paul says, "he made him to be sin who knew no sin (2 Cor.5:21a)." Christ was credited with all of the elect's sin so that the wrath of God was satisfied to fall on him. All of our sin was expiated so that is why Paul could say to begin Romans 8, "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." What could be better news to one with a weak conscience and grappling for assurance! Faith unites you to Christ and credits you with a lifetime of perfect obedience to the Father and imputes your lifetime of sinfulness to the perfect Son of God. Your sin has been punished on the cross so there is no more place for the wrath of God to come upon you. Your faith has united you to Christ, not any meritorious work done on your part! How could it be any meritorious work? For Christ himself has performed the one work that is worthy in the sight of the Father! Here, the believer's heart should sing unbidden. It is when one tastes the doctrine of the imputation of the righteousness of Christ that he truly knows what Paul meant when he said, "Having been justified by faith, we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Rmns 5:1)." Soli deo gloria!