Monday, 24 February, 2003

We continue with selections from The Justification Reader by Thomas C. Oden.



The New Testament makes frequent use of the bookkeeping analogy: imputing or crediting something to another's account. To "impute" is to account debt or credit to one person as coming from another.

Here the metaphorical arena shifts from the court to the accounting office. What happens in the courtroom has to be registered in the court records.

That is what is meant by imputation: One's debt may be charged to another. Or someone's plus balance may be credited to another.

The analogy of imputations is embedded decisively in all biblical teaching of justifying grace. This is seen in Paul's crucial phrase: "Faith is credited as righteousness" (Romans 4:5). My sins are charged to Christ! Christ's obedience is offered for my account.



I am not an accountant. I don't think I do very well keeping things as organized and up to date as need to be done to do any kind of accounting work well. I do know that if I do not put something in my checking account as I go about writing checks, the bank will notify me of my debt. I'm the only one who puts funds into that account to cover my debts. I cannot count on anyone else to do that. Even when the bank may accidentally drop money into my account, you can bet they will notify me ASAP and it will soon be taken back. For our God there is another kind of accounting that is always "for us." Trusting that our God in Christ is "for us" - no matter what the situation in our life might be - is like having our God credit us with a "full account." For in God's reality, the debt is paid. God is for us even when the ledger shows a great debt...for our God see our lives through the Christ who stand with us covering all our debts. I know the language is odd...but it is to be a word of utter assurance of our worth before God even when we may not 'feel' worth much or are told that we are not "worth" much by others. Already, the bookkeeping is in our favor...eternally.



Connection: I am always relieved when I put money in my checking account. It is an assurance that my bills will be covered. Imagine the power for life that is handed to us each day as we remember our baptism and prayerfully consider how "clear of debt" we are as we take part in the living of this day.



Just and Gracious God, we give you thanks for the love that does not let us go and the mercy that continue to embrace us even as we stumble again....and again. Praise to you for lifting us and giving us new life when we would expect there to be nothing but the way things have been. Amen.