Imputed Guilt
By "Imputed Guilt" I'm referring to the popular hypothesis among many
Christians whereby God reckons people guilty of sins they didn't
actually commit.
For example consider Adam. John Gill, a popular Calvinist theologian
writes in his commentary on Romans 5:19 concerning the imputation of
Adam's sin to others, "they are become
guilty, through the imputation of his sin to them; for it is by
the disobedience of another they are made sinners, which must be by the
imputation of that disobedience to them; he sinned, and they sinned in him, when they had as yet no actual existence;
which could be no other way, than by imputation, as he was
reckoned and accounted their head and representative, and they
reckoned and accounted in him, and so have sinned in him. This is
also evident, from the sentence of condemnation and death passing upon
all men for it; and even upon those, who had not actually sinned"
What's wrong with imputation of sin, inherited guilt, guilt by association? Very simply, IT'S UNJUST. The problem is "God is Just" 2Th 1:6, and as such doesn't do such a thing. "fathers shall not be put to death for their
children, nor children put to death for their fathers; each
is to die for his own sin." Deuteronomy 24:16
Secondly is the heretical idea that God pretended that Jesus was guilty
of crimes he didn't actually commit, and pour out his wrath on
him. Again John Gill on 2Cor 5:21 "he was
made sin itself by imputation; the sins of all his people were
transferred unto him, laid upon him, and placed to his
account; he sustained their persons, and bore their sins; and
having them upon him, and being chargeable with, and
answerable for them, he was treated by the justice of God as if he had been not only a sinner, but a mass of sin;"
What's wrong with knowingly condemning an innocent man? Weill duh! IT'S UNJUST. "You, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross." Acts 2:23
Was God one of these wicked men? Apparently these people interpret the
Bible without taking into account God's character. It's like they
worship a different God. The whole reason why Jesus had to die was to
satisfy God's judicial nature. But apparently many Christians, like John
Gill, don't believe that God has a judicial nature.
Christ died as an innocent victim of unjustified suffering at the hands
of wicked men, the Father standing aside and not taking part in his
death. Having suffered unjustly justice demands he be compensated, as is
the case with all unjustified suffering. And that compensation paid for
the sins of the worlds. This as opposed to God pretending Jesus was
guilty of the sins of the world and unjustly pouring out wrath on him.
For more on this see The Theory of
Atonement
The Berean Christian Bible Study
Resources
Jan 30,2022