Imputation is central to the gospel. On the cross, Jesus didn’t simply sympathize with sinners— He bore our sin and its penalty. In exchange, God credits Jesus’ perfect righteousness to those who trust in Him.

In this series on the blog, we’re providing sound doctrine for everyday people by providing you with clear and simple definitions that will strengthen your theological foundation. Each article covers 4 categories including: 

1. The Term – We lay out how it’s pronounced.

2. The Definition – We provide the Merriam-Webster definition and an everyday version.

3. The Biblical Connection – We show you where the term connects with Scripture.

4. Used in an Everyday Conversation – We use it in a basic conversation.

Here we go! 

The Term

“Imputation”

im·pu·ta·tion | \ im-pyü- tā-shən \

The Definition

Merriam-Webster: The act of imputing; attribution; especially: the attribution of something (such as fault or responsibility) to a person or cause.

FTG’s Expanded Explanation:

In biblical theology, imputation means crediting something to someone’s account. The Bible teaches three great acts of imputation: Adam’s sin imputed to all humanity (Romans 5:12), our sin imputed to Christ (2 Corinthians 5:21), and Christ’s righteousness imputed to believers (Romans 4:24).

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