What are imputed and imparted righteousness?

Definition of Righteousness

Righteousness, in its most basic sense, refers to the moral perfection and upright standing required before a holy God. In Scripture, it signifies being in right relationship with God—a status of legal acquittal from sin and the positive alignment of a person’s character and actions with divine holiness. Two primary expressions of this righteousness appear in Christian theology and in key biblical passages: imputed righteousness (the credited righteousness of Christ to believers) and imparted righteousness (the transforming work of God within believers).

Imputed Righteousness

Imputed righteousness describes the believer’s legal standing before God as a result of Christ’s atoning work. It rests on the idea that believers cannot earn perfect righteousness on their own efforts. Instead, God credits (“imputes”) the righteousness of Christ to the believer by faith.

One of the most recognized texts on this concept is Romans 4:3: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Here, Paul references Genesis to show that faith leads to a righteousness given solely by divine grace through belief. Similarly, 2 Corinthians 5:21 underscores the substitutionary aspect of Christ’s work: “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”

This exchange—Christ taking on sin’s penalty while His perfect righteousness is accounted to believers—forms the core of imputed righteousness. Early Christian writings, including letters from church fathers such as Athanasius and Augustine, emphasize the radical nature of this exchange, noting that no human effort can match God’s standard of holiness. Many early manuscript collections, such as the Chester Beatty Papyri (P46), confirm the textual consistency of these Pauline passages.

Key Aspects of Imputed Righteousness

- Legal or Forensic Declaration: Through faith, a believer receives a verdict of “not guilty” before God.

- Complete and Immediate: The believer is fully accepted because of Christ’s atoning sacrifice.

- Grounded in Divine Grace: It is solely by God’s gracious action, not human works, that Christ’s righteousness is credited to believers.

Imparted Righteousness

Imparted righteousness, sometimes referred to as “sanctification,” focuses on the believer’s gradual internal transformation. While imputed righteousness secures the believer’s position before God at the moment of salvation, imparted righteousness involves the Holy Spirit continually working within a person to reflect more of Christ’s character in daily life.

Passages such as Romans 8:13 reinforce this process: “If you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The Spirit’s active role is also evident in Galatians 5:22–23, which points to the “fruit of the Spirit”—qualities like love, joy, and patience that the Holy Spirit works into a believer’s life over time.

Key Aspects of Imparted Righteousness

- Internal Transformation: The Holy Spirit reshapes believers from within, aligning them with God’s will.

- Ongoing Process: Sanctification unfolds across a lifetime through prayer, obedience, and the Spirit’s help.

- Evidence of Belonging to Christ: A changed life demonstrates the reality of the indwelling Spirit.

Distinction and Relationship

Though imputed and imparted righteousness differ, they are inseparably linked. Imputed righteousness establishes the believer’s unshakeable status before God. Imparted righteousness reflects the inward spiritual growth that flows from this new standing. One might say that believers are “declared righteous” and thus begin to “become righteous” in practical living.

Historically and theologically, debates about the exact nuance and sequence of these concepts emerged in the Reformation era (16th century), when scholars like Martin Luther distinguished the legal standing of justification (imputed) from the experiential growth of sanctification (imparted). Modern biblical scholars, relying on older manuscript evidence (e.g., Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus), support these distinctions, pointing to the consistent testimony of both Old and New Testaments.

Biblical Examples and Illustrations

- Abraham (Genesis 15:6): Showcases the imputation principle. Although Abraham lived centuries before the Mosaic Law, his faith in God’s promise was “credited” to him as righteousness.

- The Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11–32): This parable, while not using the terms “imputed” or “imparted,” vividly pictures the father’s acceptance of the repentant son (mirroring gracious imputation) and the son’s restored life under the father’s care (paralleling impartation).

- Paul’s Example (Philippians 3:9–10): Paul rejects personal merit to “be found in Him, not having my own righteousness…but that which comes through faith in Christ,” and then speaks of “the power of His resurrection” working in him.

Practical Implications

1. Assurance of Salvation: Imputed righteousness grants full confidence in God’s acceptance. Knowing that Christ’s perfection is credited to one’s account dispels fear and fosters deep gratitude.

2. Holiness in Daily Life: Imparted righteousness compels believers to grow in love, purity, and devotion. Through prayer, Scripture reading, and reliance on the Holy Spirit, believers increasingly reflect the image of Christ.

3. Motivation for Service: Recognizing the grace of both credited and transforming righteousness encourages sacrificial service. It is not an attempt to earn God’s favor, but a grateful response to His gift.

Philosophical and Behavioral Perspectives

From a behavioral standpoint, the idea that one’s standing before God is secured (imputed righteousness) but also developed over time (imparted righteousness) encourages both humility and hope. Believers remain humble, acknowledging that their standing is not self-produced, while holding hope that God is continuing to mold them into the likeness of Christ.

Philosophically, these complementary doctrines address questions about moral perfection, the nature of guilt, and humanity’s inability to attain holiness. They provide a coherent framework for understanding divine compassion (through Christ’s atonement) and divine justice (the demand for righteousness), resulting in a consistent biblical answer to human ethical failings.

Conclusion

Imputed and imparted righteousness together form a comprehensive biblical teaching about how human beings can stand rightly before God and be transformed in their daily lives. Imputed righteousness resolves the problem of guilt by crediting Christ’s moral perfection; imparted righteousness addresses the ongoing need for spiritual growth and victory over sin. The faithful preservation of these teachings in critical Scriptural manuscripts, corroborated by centuries of theological reflection, underscores their authenticity and vital place in understanding salvation.

They remain a profound comfort and challenge: a comfort in knowing that believers are accepted by God through no merits of their own, and a challenge to pursue, by the Holy Spirit’s power, a life increasingly reflecting the character of the One who has graciously saved them.