Summary

Word of Truth Word on the Week 14th September 2024.
Sometimes you hear a word which you haven’t heard for a long time. It brings back memories of when it was first heard, who it was who spoke it and the understanding it gave in the mind of the hearer!
It arose in a sermon, preached by Kevin this week, in a church in Philadelphia. He was in the middle of a series on Genesis and, when referencing ‘original sin’ spoke of the imputation of Adam and Eve’s sin to the race. To impute is more than simply attributing. It can suggest something which brings discredit by way of accusation or blame.
We were living in Leeds, in the UK when I first heard the word ‘imputation’ used. It was Christmastime when Harold Watson, came from his church in the Yorkshire Dales to spend the Holiday season with our church people. He was an old man then and yet there was power in his words which carried the Gospel in miniature. This is how he put it.

Adam’s sin is imputed to the race,
The sins of the race are imputed to Jesus Christ,
Christ’s righteousness is imputed to the believer
Faith is the hand that accepts the gift,
By faith we are incorporated in Christ
So that in God’s sight we are as He is.

Let us unpack this summary of Salvation.

Line 1 Adam’s sin affects all people including you and me (1 Corinthians 15 verse 22).

Lines 2 and 3 speak of double imputation. The sins of the human race are laid upon Christ on the cross (Isaiah 53 verses 4 to 6). Christ’s righteousness is attributed to the believer (2 Corinthians 5 verse 22).

Line 4 deals with God’s gift of faith which links us to Him (Hebrews 11 verse 6)

Line 5 the presence of Christ is with His people (John 14 verse 23).

Line 6 when Jesus appears we shall be like him for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3 verse 2).

So much truth encapsulated in few words! Meditate upon it. And rejoice!