Diving In Covenant 4 The Abrahamic Covenant – imputed righteousness

Posted on November 29, 2023 By The author

Why the need for righteousness?

Righteousness is God’s own nature – everything He does is righteous – this is the standard! And this is the fundamental question every religion, and ultimately every person, has to answer:

How can a man be justified (made right) with God? Job 25:4

And enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psa. 143:2

Call it conscience, call it God – everyone seems to have a knowledge of what is right and what is wrong, and they seem to know that they tend towards the wrong. It may get educated out of them or seared by constant evil (either done by them or done by others), but the battle between right and wrong keeps resurfacing in epics and myths and poetry and books and films. And when it does, a hero appears on the scene to redeem the situation and restore order.

All religions (and none) try to answer the question
Animist and idol-worshipping religions trying to pacify the gods
Eastern religions with the pursuit of karma
The Greeks with their philosophy

Plato ‘The Republic’

The argument of the Republic is the search after Justice [and goodness DS], the nature of which is first hinted at by Cephalus, the just and blameless old man– then discussed on the basis of proverbial morality then caricatured then partially explained by Socrates–reduced to an abstraction, and having become invisible in the individual reappears at length in the ideal State which is constructed by Socrates.

We are thus led on to the conception of a higher State, in which “no man calls anything his own,” and in which there is neither “marrying nor giving in marriage,” and “kings are philosophers” and “philosophers are kings;” and there is another and higher education, intellectual as well as moral and religious, of science as well as of art, and not of youth only but of the whole of life. Such a State is hardly to be realized in this world and would quickly degenerate.
Plato ‘The Republic’ (Kindle edition – Introduction)

which led ultimately to Marxist communism

And they all suffer from the same problem – they are trying to solve the problem with the cause of the problem!
Only the Bible has the answer and it comes from outside our space/time continuum – from the Eternal Creator, who passionately desires to solve the problem!

A Way God Wants to Partner With You (You Might Not Think Much About) Bible Project https://youtu.be/6v4jKkFj3TI extract:

God wants to partner with mankind but there’s a problem – we don’t want to do it His way!

God creates this good world full of all of this potential. And then God appoints these unique creatures, humans, as his partners in bringing more and more goodness out of all that potential.

Jon: But the humans don’t want to partner with God. They rebel and try to create a world on their own terms.

Tim: And so this broken partnership is the Bible’s explanation for why we’re stuck in a world of corruption and injustice and the tragedy of death.

Jon: It’s not like there’s just one or two humans who have bailed on this relationship.

In the story of the Bible, everyone has abandoned the partnership with God.

Tim: So, what God does is select a smaller group of people out of the many. And he makes a new partnership with them called a covenant. And in a covenant, God makes promises and then in exchange asks his partner to fulfil certain commitments. And the purpose of all of this is to somehow use this covenant relationship to renew his partnership with everybody else.

He does it by entering into covenants first with individuals, then with the nation of Israel and King David

They then go through the Noahic, Abrahamic, Sinaitic and Davidic covenants, and pass over how mankind and Israel failed under each one!

Judaism had lost the plot by the first century

Judaism lost the plot somewhere along the line, probably post-Exile – perfected in the Pharisees law-keeping to the extreme while ignoring the weightier matters of the law – justice and mercy (Matt. 23:23). The former Pharisee Paul sums it up in Rom. 3:20 “Therefore no one will be justified in His sight by works of the law. For the law merely brings awareness of sin.” And Gal. 2:16 “know that a man is not justified by works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.”

But finally Jesus comes and inaugurates the New Covenant.

So that “Through Him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses.” (Acts 13:39)

The Bible Project video finishes by commenting on “what is perhaps the most surprising claim of all made about this man. That Jesus is no mere human, but rather God become human. And God did this in order to be that faithful covenant partner that we are all made to be, but have failed to be.”

So this brings us back to Gen. 15:6 which is the first mention of righteousness in the Bible, and it’s reckoned (or imputed) to one man based on his acceptance of God at His Word.

Gen. 15:6 Abram believed the LORD, and it was credited (imputed, reckoned) to him as righteousness.

And leaves us with several questions to answer!

What does imputed or reckoned mean?
What was actually imputed to Abraham? (and to us by extension in the New Covenant)
How is it imputed?
What is the outcome ?

1. What does imputed or reckoned mean?

What does imputed (or reckoned) mean?

Heb. Chashab (H2803) to plait or weave, to regard or think (as in attributing value)

Gr. Logizomai (G3049) to take an inventory, that is, estimate, conclude, esteem (Rom. 4:3-8)

Especially since the Reformation and Luther’s discovery that the righteousness of God was not a stick to beat him with but actually a gracious gift of God to him, the ‘Church’ has argued as to whether this righteousness becomes ours intrinsically or whether it is just a ‘cloak’ to cover our sins (which is actually an OT concept – at-one-ment) so is actually fictional not actual, i.e. does imputed mean it is imparted to us as the Reformers believed?

The Catholic position is that it is infused into us by the process of the sacraments and the continual offering of the sacrifice of the mass. This process is a life-long experience and is completed in Purgatory, before we are considered suitable for Heaven.

The Reformers, starting with Luther, said “NO” – it’s not our works, it’s by faith, and is imputed to us by impartation. On receipt of this righteousness we are completely made righteous and suitable for Heaven immediately. They didn’t deny that there is a process involved, but it’s called sanctification, which brings the outward experience into line with the inward reality.

What was actually imputed to Abraham? (and to us by extension in the New Covenant)

2. What was actually imputed to Abraham? (and to us by extension in the New Covenant)

Gen. 15:6 is the first mention in the Bible of ‘righteousness’ Heb. ts’dakah (Strongs H6666). Its next appearance is in Gen. 18:19 where God says that Abraham will ‘do righteousness and justice’ Heb. mishpat (Strong’s H4941).

What Righteousness was imputed?

Modern (i.e. Rabbinic) Judaism has made the word mean charitable acts (see Footnote 1), which is certainly part of the meaning (e.g. Psa. 112:9), but not the only meaning. It also includes:

Honesty (Gen. 30:33)
Uprightness of heart (1 Kin. 3:6)
Upright living, walking in the way of the Lord (Gen. 18:19)
To treat the poor well and with fairness (Deut. 24:13)
To execute justice and right judgement (1 Chron. 18:14; Isa. 56:1 with mishpat)

(see Footnote 2 for further instances)

3. How is it imputed?

Righteousness imputed – OT

In the OT, the verb ‘to justify’ is to ‘declare righteous’ rather than ‘make righteous’ (Leon Morris in “The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross” p. 259). After discussing the various Hebrew and Greek words for righteous, he goes on to say (p.260):

“The righteous are those acquitted at the bar of God’s justice, and righteousness is the standing of those so acquitted.”

He says that in the Old Testament “questions of right and wrong were habitually regarded from a legal point of view as matters to be settled by a judge, and that this point of view is emphasised in the in the words derived from tsdq.”

In ts’dekah, the emphasis does seem to be on being seen to be right by other people, especially in a legal setting, and acting rightly towards others – actions vindicating faith.

But that is rooted in being right towards, and in the sight of, God. Ts’dekah and mishpat (H4941 verdict, justice) come together 46 times in the OT – starting with Gen. 18:19, often paralleled as in Psa. 36:6.

Looking at the tsdq word group in Strong’s:

H6662 ts’adaq From H6663; just: – just, lawful, righteous (man).
H6663 ts’addiq to be (causatively make) right (in a moral or forensic sense)
H6664 ts’deq From H6663; the right, natural, moral or legal; also abstractly, equity (Jer. 23:6 Jahweh Ts’deq)
H6666 ts’dekah From H6663; rightness (abstractly), subjectively rectitude, objectively justice, morally virtue or figuratively prosperity

Septuagint translates the Heb. ts’dekah with the Greek dikaiosune. Strong’s defines this as: “From G1342; equity (of character or act); specifically (Christian) justification: – righteousness.”

Note: dikaiosune is also used extensively to translate hesed – from ONMB Glossary:

Hesed is a Hebrew word that defies translation. Hesed is love, mercy, favor, grace, forgiveness, kindness, gentleness, patience, and more rolled into one. It is used many times in Scripture.

Hesed carries the idea of gracious acts and lovingkindness based on Covenant. The use of dikaiosune by the Sept. scribes suggests that the emphasis was already shifting towards acts of charity and away from the idea of justice.

Righteousness imputed – NT

Looking at the Greek word group, we find:

G1166 δεικνύω A prolonged form of an obsolete primary of the same meaning; to show (literally or figuratively): – shew. Total KJV occurrences: 31
G1349 δίκη Probably from G1166; right (as self evident), that is, justice (the principle, a decision, or its execution): – judgment, punish, vengeance. Total KJV occurrences: 4
Dikaios g1342 From G1349; equitable (in character or act); by implication innocent, holy (absolutely or relatively); just – those accepted by God (Morris p.271)
Dikaioo g1344 to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent:
Dikaiosune g1343 From G1342; equity (of character or act);

– in a broad sense: state of him who is as he ought to be, righteousness, the condition acceptable to God – integrity, virtue, purity of life, rightness, correctness of thinking feeling, and acting (NAS Greek dictionary)

So again, as with the Hebrew words, the emphasis of righteousness seems to be on rightness being displayed, but in the NT, this results from being accepted by God.

4. What is the outcome ?

Righteousness imputed – summary

In view of our faith, that is believing God and taking Him at His word (Gen. 15:5 and NT x-refs.),

He makes us acceptable to Himself, through the work of Christ on the Cross, positionally,
and by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit, operationally (Eph. 1:13-14).
And that is reflected in the character and actions of those thus justified.

Titus 2:11-14 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright (that is, righteous dikaios G1346), and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”

Titus 3:5-8 “He saved us, not by the deeds (works Gr. ergon) of righteousness (dikaiosune G1343) we had done, but according to His mercy, through the washing of new birth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. This is the Spirit He poured out on us abundantly (Gal. 3:14) through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that, having been justified (dikaioo G1344) by His grace, we would become heirs with the hope of eternal life… And I want you to emphasize these things, so that those who have believed God will take care to devote themselves to good deeds.”

The righteous actions of those who are declared righteous, vindicates God, and themselves, is being ‘declared righteous’:

Was not Abraham our father justified (vindicated) by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”—and he was called a friend of God. (Jas 2:21-23)

Righteousness imputed, imparted or infused?

The bottom line re “imputed, imparted or infused”, is that the terminology probably doesn’t matter too much. We are considered ‘right’ by God which is both a declaration and a process. The key element is that it is on the basis of faith, not by works, the accumulation of merit or religious service.

Morris (The Apostolic Preaching of the Cross) quotes Denney (The Christian Doctrine of Reconciliation” 1918) [emphasis mine]:

The distinction of imputed and infused righteousness is unreal. The man who believes in Christ as the propitiation – who stakes his whole being on sin-bearing love as the last reality in the universe – is not fictitiously regarded right with God; he actually is right with God, and God treats him as such. He is in the right attitude to God the Redeemer, the attitude which has the promise and potency of all rightness or righteousness in it.

We went on to discuss the Abrahamic covenant, its significance in God’s redemptive plans, and its foundational role in the Bible story. The discussion also touched on the idea of imputation, the importance of displaying righteousness, and the concept of faith and righteousness as presented in the Bible.

Summary of discussion

Abrahamic Covenant and Redemptive Plans
David led a discussion on the Abrahamic covenant, its significance in God’s redemptive plans, and its foundational role in the Bible story. He traced Abraham’s lineage, his journey from idol worship to monotheism, and the covenant’s impact on God’s redemptive purposes. Key verses from Galatians and Romans were referenced to support these points.

Religion, Justice, and Literature
David discussed the concept of righteousness from a religious perspective, emphasizing that it is fundamental to God’s nature. David also touched on the innate sense of justice in human nature, suggesting that this may be a reflection of God’s nature. He drew parallels between this sense of justice and the recurring themes of right versus wrong in literature and film, as well as in religious and philosophical teachings. David mentioned the pursuit of karma in Eastern religions and the concept of Nirvana, a place of tranquility and justice. He also discussed the works of Plato, particularly ‘The Republic’, and how Plato’s ideas have influenced subsequent philosophical thought.

Bible’s Solution to Human Rebellion: New Covenant
He emphasized that the Bible offers the solution to this problem. He outlined the concept of God’s partnership with humanity, which was disrupted when humans rebelled. David noted that each covenant ended in failure, particularly pointing out the issue of the Pharisees’ misinterpretation of the law. He concluded by discussing the new covenant initiated by Jesus, emphasizing that this partnership is achieved through faith, not works. He also mentioned the theological concept of “imputed righteousness,” according to which righteousness is credited or reckoned to one based on their faith.

Imputation and Religious Righteousness
David discussed the concept of imputation and its significance to their study of covenant and salvation. He explained that “imputation” is the act of attributing value or worth to something and in religious terms, it pertains to God’s assessment of a person as righteous. David also delved into the historical and theological debates regarding whether this righteousness becomes inherently ours or if it’s merely a covering for our sins. He then contrasted the views of righteousness infusion between Catholics and Protestant Reformers.

Faith, Righteousness, and Sanctification
David elaborated on the concept of faith and righteousness as presented in the Bible. He highlighted Abraham’s journey, who left his comfortable home to follow God’s guidance, demonstrating his belief in God’s word. He further discussed the process of sanctification, where the Holy Spirit transforms believers to be more like Christ. David also differentiated between imputed, imparted, and infused righteousness, asserting that believers are actually righteous in God’s eyes, and that this righteousness is a declaration and a process.

Biblical Verse Interpretation: Reward and Shield
The team engaged in a detailed discussion about the interpretation of a biblical verse, focusing on the phrase “I am your shield, your very great reward.” The team concluded that the reward mentioned in the passage was both spiritual and material, with both emotional and logical implications. The Hebrew version of the text was also discussed, highlighting that the word ‘great’ was derived from the Hebrew word ‘Raba’, meaning ‘multiply’.

Abrahamic Covenant and Multiplication Discussion
The meeting revolved around the Abrahamic covenant, with a particular focus on the concept of multiplication and reward. The participants discussed the idea of multiplication as symbolizing both material wealth and spiritual abundance.

Faith, Righteousness, and Sanctification
They also explored the concept of imputed righteousness given to humans through faith in Jesus Christ, and the process of sanctification where righteousness is infused into believers. David emphasized that righteousness and salvation are not obtained separately from Christ.

Footnote 1 re Modern Judaism’s use of ts’dekah

The definition of the word from the Glossary of the One New Man Bible (ONMB), which seems to lean towards the modern Hebrew/Judaistic use of the word:

Ts’dakah is almost always translated “acts of loving kindness” in this Bible. Most translations have Ts’dakah as “righteousness” but that is really too weak because righteousness means to do what is right, to be just – which God requires. The word Tsedek is a masculine noun meaning righteousness. Ts’dakah is a feminine noun meaning to do more than is required, such as to do more than just the minimum for someone who is hurting; to truly love your neighbor as yourself. The term is also applied to giving beyond the tithe to charities. Therefore Ts’dakah is translated “acts of loving kindness.” Ts’dakah is to be done in love, cheerfully, with no thought of a reward.

In modern Judaism, the word is used to denote charitable giving:

Judaism profoundly changed the direction of philanthropy, a change later consolidated by both Christianity and Islam — the other faiths which rejected the worship of many gods in favour of one. Judaism constituted a radical democratisation of ancient culture, summed up in the first book of the Torah where Adam and Eve, the Everyman and Everywoman, are seen as created in the image of God.

“We often miss how revolutionary this was,” says Rabbi Sacks. “That’s incendiary in a culture where only emperors and other rulers were thought to be made in the image of God. Then Judaism suddenly comes along and says ‘Everyone is in the image of God’. That ultimately leads to a profoundly anti-hierarchical understanding of society.” Moreover it means that “there has to be a moral bond between the people who have more than they need and the people who have less than they need.”

Something else was new. Judaism saw this one God as the epitome of generosity. The stranger, the widow, and the orphan were singled out as being deserving of charity. God was spoken of as the God of the Poor, a phrase never applied to any Greek or Roman god. In this the foundation for Jewish charity lies. In giving alms to the needy, the donor imitates God. That means giving more than food or money; donors are required also to share their compassion and empathy. This is far beyond the understanding in the Graeco-Roman world of the few thinkers, such as the Stoics, who expressed sympathetic feelings towards the poor. Giving was no longer simply about social relationships, it was a human echo of God’s generosity towards humankind. It injected into philanthropy the idea that both those who gave and those who received were bound together in a relationship which was in some ways reciprocal.

Yet the God of the Torah is more than the epitome of generosity. He is a God of justice and righteous judgement. “The Hebrew word tzedakah is untranslatable because it means both charity and justice,” explains Rabbi Sacks. “Those two words repel one another in English because if I give you £100 because I owe you £100, that’s justice. But if I give you £100 because I think you need £100, that’s charity. It’s either one or the other, but not both. Whereas in Hebrew, tzedakah means both justice and charity. There’s no word for just charity in Hebrew. Giving is something you have to do.” Almsgiving is giving to the poor that which is rightly due to them. It is not a matter of charity but of economic and social justice. For the Greeks and Romans, philanthrôpía was always a voluntary activity among the elite; by contrast, tzedakah is a religious obligation which falls, proportionally, on both the rich and those with smaller incomes.
https://www.thejc.com/culture/features/tzedakah-a-concept-that-changed-the-world-1.506918

Footnote 2 re Modern Judaism’s use of ts’dekah

Ts’dekah further references to illustrate its’ wide range of meanings:

Gen 30:33 – demonstrates Jacob’s honesty
Deut. 6:25 – ‘our righteousness’ by obeying all the commandments; LXX. ‘mercy to us’
Deut. 9:4-6 – contrasted with the wickedness of the Canaanites, even though Israel was stiff-necked
Deut. 33:21 – as a lawgiver, or ruler, Gad executed God’s justice
Deut. 24:13 – restoring the pledge before nightfall is your righteousness; intrinsically right to treat the poor well – Psa. 112:9 He gives freely to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever (contrast 2 Sam. 19:28 – Mephibosheth recognises that he has no right – ts’dekah – to sit at the King’s table)
Judges 5:11 those who are delivered relate the righteous acts of the Lord (cf. 1 Sam. 12:7)
1 Sam. 26:23 – David sparing Saul’s life, and went on to rule in ts’dekah and mishpat 2 Sam. 8:15; 22:25 the Lord rewarded him for his ts’dekah, his cleanness (keeping the way of the Lord?); 1 Kin. 3:6 Solomon equates that with uprightness of heart
1 Kin. 8:32 all three aspects are combined:
then hear from heaven and act and judge Your servants, condemning the wicked, bringing his way on his own head, and justifying (ts’adaq H6662) the righteous (ts’addiq H6663), giving him according to his righteousness (ts’dekah H6666)
Deut. 25:1 Judges are to justify (H6663) the righteous (H6662) and condemn the wicked, because that is the character of God Himself

Footnote 3 re Whose righteousness is displayed in the Gospel

Paul says in 2 Cor. 5:17 we are made God’s righteousness in Christ. The question we need to ask is: Is it God’s righteousness given to us (imputed, imparted or infused?), or do we become the vindication of God’s righteousness to the world? As he says in Rom. 3:26 “He did this to demonstrate His righteousness (G1343) at the present time, so as to be just (G1342) and to justify (G1344) the one out of Jesus’ faith.” In this context it may well be that it is God’s righteousness that is being displayed.

But in Phil. 3: 9, Paul’s objective is “that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith”. This righteousness is ‘from God’ as a gift to the recipient, (not an accumulation of merit from keeping the law), so it is the recipient’s righteousness. The display of that may well have to wait for its fullest extent in eternity, but it has ramifications now, as we have seen above.

Covenant, Diving In!, The Abrahamic Covenant