Modern Reformed theologians such as RC Sproul, Wayne Grudem and others teach that in order for the believer to be justified, he must be imputed with both the righteous life of Christ (His active obedience) as well as the sacrificial death of Christ (His passive obedience). This teaching, sometimes called “double imputation” or the doctrine of Active Obedience (AO) is not supported by Scripture and more importantly, AO has become a major threat to the Gospel. It is time for a serious evaluation of AO in light of its purported Scriptural support and the wide-ranging effects that it has had on both Reformed thought and wider evangelical teaching. The Bible teaches that God’s plan to redeem mankind centers on Christ’s sacrificial work of atonement: the Cross. It is the imputation of this righteous act alone that places the believer in a justified (righteous, forgiven, reconciled) state before God. There is no indication of or need for the imputation of the active obedience of Christ.
The act of imputation is not really the issue of concern here since it is an idea that is treated in a simple way by the biblical writers. Scripture does not spend a great deal of time analyzing the act itself in great depth. The issue at stake has more to do with the what of imputation rather than the how. Read the remainder of this entry »
