Imputation

The Meaning of Being Forgiven
The Doctrine of Imputation
Romans 4:6-8
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1. The Sin of David
a. The Circumstances of the sin—2 Sam 11
b. The Public Revelation of the sin—2 Sam 12:1-12
(1) The Parable of the man and the sheep—12:1-5
(2) Thou art the man!—12:6-9
c. God’s Forgiveness of David—12:13-14
d. The Consequences of David’s sin
(1) Near—the death of the child
(2) Far—the devastation of his house

2. The Blessing of Being Righteous-- 4: 6

a. We need righteousness, and our righteousness does not count
(3) If you are Lost, you need Righteousness— Mat 5:20
(4) We cannot provide our own righteousness, because we are bankrupt.
(5) This righteousness is God’s righteousness, put to our account

b. Accounted as righteous as Christ— “…unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works…”
(1) unto whom God --When all the world is down on you for your past or present sins, God forgives His people immediately. And God will teach you not to sin in that way again.
(2) unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works ..” Again, God imputes Righteousness to our accounts, without works, or apart from works.

2. The Blessing of Being Forgiven—Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.

a. Well might David understand—2 Sam 12:13-14
(1) The Bathsheba Incident
(2) David had been under conviction for his sin—Ps 32:1-5
(3) David confessed his sin to God, and was told he had already been forgiven! Why? Because God will not impute sin to the legal account of a believer
(4) However, David did have to suffer chastisement in this life, consisting of the natural results of his great misdeeds.

b. Iniquities—transgressions of the Law, Sins—wickedness in general, all forgiven, covered, and a coat of righteousness added—Micah 7:19, Isa 43:25, Psa 103:12, Isa 61:10, Jer 31:34
c. No One may challenge this verdict--Rom 8:33 "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."

3. The Blessedness of a Closed Account--The Real Issue in Eternal Security— 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.

a. The real question we examine here is this: "Is it possible for a person who has been truly saved to lose their salvation?"
b. The resounding Biblical answer is: "NO!"

(1) Salvation is of the LORD
(2) What the LORD does is perfect and permanent
(3) The TRULY saved cannot be lost

(i) The problem is, that this real question is lost in a fog of doctrinal misunderstandings, misrepresentations, and and deviations from the subject, and both "sides" of this debate are guilty.
(ii) We must avoid giving false security.
(iii) Much of what has been written, preached, and taught in favor of Perserverance (Eternal Security) is dangerous, because it is incomplete, and can lead to a false sense of security.
(iv) This false sense of security, combined with what is often in our day a very shallow and incomplete presentation of the gospel, leads to apostasy on a grand scale by those who ere never truly saved.
(v) These false believers don't have salvation, but they have made a profession of faith, and probably have identified with a local congregation--Their life has no fruit and no root, but they trod along, resting on a false foundation.
(vi) There really is such a thing as a false doctrine of eternal security. There really is such a thing as "carnal security" or "hell insurance

c. The Nature of Salvation
(1) Salvation is 100 percent a work of God--we are unable, because of our bondage to sin and rebellion, to do anything meriting God's favor.
(2) God saves sinners--we do not save ourselves--He conceived the plan, He sent His Son to accomplish the plan--He did 100% of the work.
(3) Salvation is a permanent change of state—John 5:24, John 6:47

(4) As a part of the gift of Salvation, we become adopted children of God (Gal 3:26-4:7). This forever changes our RELATIONSHIP to God

(5) When we sin, God deals with us as a Father to a child (Heb 12:4-8), not as a judge to a criminal.

(6) God's Grace and actions are the determining factors in our salvation, even to include His working in our lives to develop a lifestyle consistent with salvation. (Eph 2:8-10, Phil. 2:12-13)
(7) The evidences of salvation--growth, fruit, and perseverance
(8) Perserverance Is Through the Power of God—1 Pet 1:3-5

d. But having said all of that, THE key which unlocks the doctrine of eternal security is verse 8 of our text—
(1) Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
(2) This is a parallel thought to Rom 8:33 "Who shall bring a charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies."
(3) God will NOT impute sin to the account of one whom God has justified—and who is going to override that decision?
(4) When God justifies a man, He closes the account—
(5) It is impossible to believe in the Biblical doctrine of justification by faith unless you also believe in eternal security.