Rubik’s Cube (The Righteousness Of Christ) (Imputation)
And therefore it was imputed to him for righteousness. 23 Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead. Romans 4:22-24
The Basic Bible Truth
At the moment of salvation, God imputes, he credits our account with the righteousness of Christ. We are not suddenly granted sinless perfection. We are rather granted the standing with God that says we are His and He can have a relationship with us because of the perfection of Christ covering our lives. We still sin and are in need of forgiveness, but God is so holy and perfect, were it not for the imputation of the righteousness of Christ into each of our lives at conversion, we would not have even the remotest possibility of having the opportunity to call upon a loving Father as we do.
The Object
A Rubik’s Cube, Modified For An Instant Solve Illusion (You Can Find Video Tutorials Online. Search “Rubik’s Cube Instant Solve”)
As with many magic tricks, once you know the secret, it is so simple it is almost disappointing. I typically talk about what imputation is and how it affects the Christian, all the while I am tossing my Rubik’s cube in the air, “hoping” it will solve itself in the process. It never gets solved, until the last toss at the end of the talk.
The Lesson
I have with me today a Rubik’s Cube. This is a tough little brain game that has been around for a number of years. You see, they come from the factory solved. I can play with one for just a few minutes and it is a jumbled up mess, just like this one. I have never learned the correct way to solve one of these, so I am trying a new idea. I thought maybe if I just toss it up in the air, it might solve itself. So far, no good. I would like to keep trying, though. Can we do two things at once today?
I would like to talk to you today about something very, very special. If this lesson had a title, it would be “The Theological Ramifications of the Imputation of the Righteousness of Christ Upon the Heart of The Regenerated Believer.” Pretty simple, right? Imputation, now that is a pretty big word, so we will take just a moment to define it. The truth of this is of great importance, because the imputation of the righteousness of Christ upon your heart may well be the most important thing that will ever happen to you.
When you become a Christian, it is very simple. All we have to do is admit we are sinners and ask God to save us. But on His side of the equation, it is huge. At creation, on day four, God spoke the entire universe into existence. Billions of galaxies, each filled with billions of stars, and now we are finding out there are planets and moons and who knows what else may be out there. God describes that incredible feat as “finger work”. He did it with His little pinky. But when He describes the work of salvation on His part, He uses phrases like “the strong arm of the Lord worked salvation”. What a difference! God does many things for us at the moment of salvation. Imputation is one of those things.
Let’s look first at what it isn’t. In I john 1:9 God says that if we ask for forgiveness, He will forgive. That is amazing, but that is not what we are talking about here. What we are talking about here is absolutely incredible. This is a Rubik’s Cube, a messed up Rubik’s Cube. I know what the perfect Rubik’s Cube looks like. It’s all red on one side, all blue on another, all green on another, all yellow on another. This is definitely not a perfect Rubik’s Cube. We as Christians are not perfect. We sin. We have sin in our life. And God is so holy and so perfect, He has said that nothing but perfection will be allowed into Heaven. That’s a really big problem for us, were it not for the imputation of the righteousness of Christ into our lives when we invite Jesus into our heart.
When God imputes the righteousness of Christ into our lives, we stand before God justified. Now there’s another big word. Here is an easy way to remember that definition. I am forgiven by God so completely, that I stand before Him “just as if I’d” never sinned. Here’s how that works. Let’s say I am this messed up Rubik’s Cube, not perfect, not even close. When I ask Jesus into my life, God does His miracles. As I toss this cube one more time into the air, and it lands in my hands perfectly solved! I am completely justified by the perfect righteousness of Christ. Amazing, isn’t it?