The last term tobe explained is IMPUTATION. The original verb LOGIZOMAI is well enough translated to impute in the sense of to reckon, to account; but it is never used to signify imputation in the sense of accounting the actions of one person tohave been performed by another.
A man’s sin or righteousness is imputed to him when he is considered as actually the doer of sinful or of righteous acts, in which sense the word repute is more commonly used; and he is consequently reputed a vicious or a holy man. A man’s sin or righteousness is imputed to him in its legal consequences, under a government of rewards and punishments; and then to impute sin or righteousness signifies, in a legal sense, to reckon or account it to account it, to acquit or condemn, and forthwith to punish or exempt from punishment. Thus Shimei entreated David not to "impute iniquity unto" him, that is, not to punish him for his iniquity.
In this sense, too, David speaks of the blessedness of the man "unto whom the Lord imputeth not iniquity," that is, whom he forgives, so that the legal consequences of his sin shall not fall upon him. This non-imputation of sin to a sinner is expressly called the "imputation of righteousness without works." The imputation of righteousness is, then, the non-punishment or pardon of sin; and if this passage be read in its connection, it will also be seen that by the imputing of faith for righteousness, the apostle means precisely the same thing. "To him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justified the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness; even as David, also, described the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man towhom the Lord will not impute sin."
This quotation from David would have been nothing to the apostle’s purpose unless he had understood the forgiveness of sins, the imputation of righteousness, and the non-imputation of sin, to signify the same thing as the accounting of faith for righteousness, with only this difference, that the introduction of the term faith marks the manner in which the forgiveness of sin is obtained. To impute faith for righteousness is nothing more than to be justified by faith; which is also called by St. Paul, "being made righteous," that is, being placed by an act of free forgiveness, through faith in Christ, in the condition of righteous men in this respect, that the penalty of the law does not lie against them, and that they are restored to the Divine favor.
From this brief but, it is hoped, clear explanation of these terms, righteousness, faith, and imputation, it will appear that it is not quite correct in the advocates of the Scripture doctrine of the imputation of faith for righteousness to say that our faith in Christ is accepted in the place of personal obedience to the law; except, indeed, in this loose sense, that our faith in Christ as effectually exempts us from punishment as if we had been personally obedient. The scriptural doctrine is rather that the death of Christ is accepted in the place of our personal punishment on condition of our faith in him; and that when this faith is actually exercised, then comes in, on the part of God, the act of imputing or reckoning righteousness to us; or, what is the same thing, accounting faith for righteousness; that is, pardoning our offenses through faith, and treating us as the objects of his restored favor.
Christian Theology, Samuel Wakefield, 2: 419-420.
