Two Kinds of Righteousness

There is a form of righteousness found in the writings of the Apostle Paul that does not appear in any of the other covenants God has made with man. It is referred to as imputed righteousness (ascribed righteousness). The concept is that the Lord Jesus Christ kept the Law of Moses perfectly and then died as though He were a sinner. On this basis, God is willing to impute or ascribe to any individual who will receive Christ the same righteousness that would be true if the believer had kept the Law of Moses perfectly.

However, there is a proviso, as mentioned in the eighth chapter of the Book of Romans. The perfect righteousness of the Law of Moses will be ascribed to us provided we turn aside from our sinful desires and follow the Spirit of God. Because we humans have such a struggle with our sinful nature we have forgotten the proviso. The Christian salvation now is preached as though the new covenant consists almost exclusively of imputed, ascribed righteousness. No more deadly misunderstanding of the new covenant would be possible.

The result of the adoption of imputed righteousness as though it is the only righteousness of the new covenant has destroyed the testimony of the Christian Church. We have a religion to which a person can subscribe and receive forgiveness of sins. But the power of Divinely-inspired morality is largely absent from our midst. In fact, Evangelicals vigorously resist the thought that true salvation always results in moral transformation. So now we have a Kingdom of God Kingdom of God which is no kingdom at all. It is a house of cards. We humans always will be miserable sinners. But God keeps on imputing righteousness to us because we profess faith in Christ. What a disaster!

Primary Scriptures

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:16)

But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, (Romans 3:21,22)

In order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:4)

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. (II Corinthians 3:18)