Imputation
Historic orthodoxy
God counts, or credits, one person's standing to another, so that our sin was counted to Christ and His righteousness is counted to those who believe.
Also called: imputed righteousness, alien righteousness, Christ's righteousness imputed, imputation of Christ's righteousness
What it means
"To impute" means to count or credit to someone's account. Scripture uses this language often: Abraham's faith was "credited to him as righteousness," and David speaks of the blessing of the one to whom the Lord does not count sin. In the gospel, there is a double exchange. Our sins were counted to Christ, and He bore their penalty. His perfect obedience is counted to us, and we are accepted as righteous.
The Reformers called this an "alien righteousness," meaning a righteousness that comes from outside us. It is not our own goodness, even goodness produced by grace. That is why it is perfect and why it cannot be lost by our failures. Believers do grow in holiness, but that growth is sanctification, which follows justification and never becomes its basis.
The same principle explains how Adam's sin is counted to the human race. As we were condemned in one representative, so we are made righteous in another.
In Scripture
Our sin was counted to Christ so that God's righteousness might be counted to us.
Blessed is the one to whom God credits righteousness apart from works and does not count sin.
Righteousness was credited to Abraham, and will be credited to us who believe.
Through one Man's obedience the many will be made righteous.
The believer is found in Christ with a righteousness that comes from God.
Christ has become for us righteousness, holiness, and redemption.
Where it comes up
Confessions: WCF 11.1; LBCF 1689 11.1; Heidelberg Catechism Q&A 60
Related terms
Justification by faith aloneHistoric orthodoxy
God declares sinners righteous in His sight not because of anything they do, but only because of Christ's righteousness, received through faith alone.
Original sinHistoric orthodoxy
Because of Adam's first sin, every person is born both guilty before God and corrupt in nature.
New Perspective on PaulFlagged as a concern
A school of New Testament study that reads Paul's teaching on justification mainly as about who belongs to God's people, often denying that Christ's righteousness is imputed to believers.
Penal substitutionary atonementHistoric orthodoxy
On the cross, Christ took the place of sinners and bore the penalty their sins deserved, satisfying God's justice so that He could forgive them.