Imputed righteousness means that God places His own righteousness on the believer's account; it is not something a person produces.
In Paul's day, imputed was a bookkeeping term meaning to put to the account, and Les Feldick says Adam was the first to experience it. After Adam's sin, God clothed Adam and Eve in skins and, as Les explains, clothed them spiritually with righteousness. Isaiah 61:10 uses the same picture of being covered with garments of salvation, and Romans 3 says the righteousness of God is upon all who believe.
Genesis 3:21 — God Himself makes coats of skins and clothes Adam and Eve — the first example Les uses of imputed covering.
Isaiah 61:10 — Isaiah rejoices because God has clothed him with garments of salvation and covered him with righteousness — the same covering Les relates to imputation.
Romans 3:22 — Paul says the righteousness of God is unto all and upon all who believe, which is the New Testament statement of imputed righteousness.
Romans 4:5 — Paul speaks of faith counted (imputed) for righteousness — the bookkeeping language Les explains.
In Genesis 3:21, after the fall, "Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them." Isaiah 61:10 declares, "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness." Romans 3:22-23 says, "Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 4:5 adds, "But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."
Les begins with Paul's bookkeeping term. In Romans, imputed means to put to the account. The first man to experience it was Adam — after the fall God shed the blood of sacrificial animals, made coats of skins, and clothed Adam and Eve. Les says this was more than covering their physical nakedness: God was clothing them with righteousness, an imputed covering.
Imputed is a bookkeeping term. Les explains that in Paul's day it was like putting something to an account. When something is imputed, it is credited to someone. In Romans 4, Paul uses the same Greek word for counted — the believer's faith is counted for righteousness. Les says God's righteousness is imputed to us and covering us because we have believed.
Les calls Adam the first man to experience imputed righteousness. After the fall, God shed the blood of sacrificial animals and used the skins to cover their nakedness. The last part of Genesis 3 says "and He clothed them" — Les teaches this is clothing them with righteousness. It was a spiritual garment that hid old Adam and gave him the imputed righteousness of God. Isaiah uses the same clothing picture: "He hath clothed me with the garments of salvation."
Les says once we become believers we are covered with God's righteousness — but not to the world around us. God looks on us and does not see the person by name; He sees Christ in His righteousness. Les says he would never dare stand in God's presence on his own merit.
Using the bookkeeping language of Romans 4, Les pictures an unbeliever with a list of debts that cannot be paid. By belief in the gospel, God cancels that debt, and on the other side of the ledger puts the whole bankroll of heaven to the account. That, Les says, is what salvation does — it cancels the sin debt.
Imputed defined and Adam's example
Les defines imputed as a bookkeeping term, 'putting it to the account,' and says Adam was the first man to experience the imputed righteousness God alone could give.
Imputed covering from Genesis to Isaiah
Les teaches that after the sacrificial animals were killed, God clothed Adam and Eve not just physically but with a spiritual garment of imputed righteousness, and points to Isaiah 61:10.
Bookkeeping term and how imputation works practically
Les repeats that imputed means put to the account, and teaches that God's righteousness covers us because we have believed what Christ did.
Imputed righteousness as the meaning of salvation
Les suggests salvation can be called being imputed righteousness, and connects the animals' skins and the clothing of Adam and Eve to God clothing the believer.
God clothing Adam and Eve with righteousness
Les explains that the final phrase of Genesis 3 — 'and He clothed them' — means righteousness, the same clothing Isaiah and Romans describe.
The three identical pictures of imputed righteousness
Les says the clothing of Adam, Isaiah, and the believer in Romans 3 are all the same — the imputed righteousness of God — and quotes Isaiah 61:10.
God sees Christ's righteousness on the believer
Les teaches that when God looks at a believer, He no longer sees the person by name; He sees Christ in His righteousness.
The accounting picture of cancellation and credit
Les uses Romans 4's counted/imputed language to show God cancels the believer's sin debt and credits the whole bankroll of heaven to the account.
Genesis 3:21: Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.
God's own provision of skins and clothing for Adam and Eve is the first example Les uses of imputed covering.
Isaiah 61:10: I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.
Isaiah's joy over being clothed with garments of salvation and covered with righteousness matches the imputed covering.
Romans 3:22: Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
Paul states the righteousness of God is for all and upon all who believe.
Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
It shows why imputation is needed — all have sinned and fallen short.
Romans 4:5: But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Paul uses the word counted, which Les says is the same as imputed, for faith credited as righteousness.
No. Les teaches that impute is a bookkeeping term — God puts righteousness on the account. In Romans 4 Paul writes that to the one who believes, faith is counted for righteousness.
Les's teaching focuses on a covering. Even though the believer may still have problems, he is covered with God's righteousness and God sees the believer in Christ's righteousness.
Les says Adam was the first to experience imputed righteousness. After their sin, God killed animals for skins and clothed them — which Les interprets as clothing them spiritually with righteousness.
No, according to Les the world cannot see it; it is God who sees the believer covered with Christ's righteousness.
Watch the Teaching: God's Righteousness Explained — Romans 3 Verse by Verse