Imputation
Rom. 4:17 …God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.
This does not refer to a lie, a mistake or creation out of nothing, but to the concept of imputation, counting the naturally unrighteous as if they were righteous.
Rom. 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.
Gen. 15:6 And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.
Gen. 31:15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
Ps. 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Deu. 6:25 And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
Deu. 24:13 In any case thou shalt deliver him the pledge again when the sun goeth down, that he may sleep in his own raiment, and bless thee: and it shall be righteousness unto thee before the LORD thy God.
Lev. 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Psalms 106:31 And that was counted unto him for righteousness unto all generations for evermore.
Isa. 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
Imputation: assignment of value to an object, or responsibility to a person.
An object may not have an appraisable value ordinarily, but for purposes of calculation a value may be imputed to it, as in the taxable value of an employer-provided vehicle, or free medical care. “We came in your car, so I’ll buy dinner.” (Imputing the value of the use of a car as comparable to paying for a meal)
Direct action does not necessarily imply responsibility on the part of the actor, for the actor may be acting involuntarily, or unintentionally, or have justifying cause, or be mentally incompetent. Imputation attaches responsibility to the action. Imputing a crime is to attach responsibility by law, which must consider the act, competency, motive, intent and disqualifiers. Furthermore, responsibility can be attached to a non-actor by establishing an indirect connection to the act, as in accessory crime, or a direct relationship to the actor, such as parent-minor child, owner-driver or principal-agent, as in employer-employee or client-lawyer, which result in imputed guilt or liability.
For the Bible to establish justification by imputation it must establish the direct relationship, which it does by the covenant of faith. Faith in Christ implies a covenant relationship with Christ, whereby Christ takes responsibility for the believer, because of the trust placed in him. Also spiritual birth implies a father-son relationship between God and the regenerated believer.
Biblically, imputation is complicated by reciprocity, whereby responsibilities are traded between actors, as in Christ made sin and we made righteousness (a double imputation). Some infer another Biblical complication as substitution, whereby one object is taken for another, e.g. faith for righteousness, while others consider this to be an informal expression of personal imputation, i.e. because of our faith Christ’s righteousness is imputed unto us.
To establish that Paul’s doctrine is indeed “imputation” consider the outline of the book of Romans
1:16,17 Basic premise, the gospel reveals the righteousness of God by faith
1.18-32 The sinfulness of natural man (before or without law)
2.all The sinfulness of enlightened man (after or under the law)
3.1-20 The exhaustive condemnation of humanity
3.21-31 The recent revelation of God’s righteousness as a gift
4.all The imputation of righteousness resulting in justification
5.1-11 The salvation of the ungodly through Christ
5.12-21 The consistency of God in condemnation and justification
6.1-7.6 The power of imputed righteousness when believed, resulting in holiness
7.7-8.1 The reckoning of death of flesh eliminating condemnation
8.1-15 The spirit of adoption resulting in sanctification
8.16-39 The determination of God resulting in glorification
9-11 Application to elect of both Jew and Gentile
Objections to Imputation (or Federal Headship, or Original Sin):
1. That salvation requires some merit, Trent argued “infusion”
2. That personal righteousness is de-emphasized, holiness argues “impartation”
3. That it is unfair or illogical,
However before dismissing imputation notice:
1. Paul’s argument fits imputation (all other schemes require twisting of the passages)
2. Luther’s discovery was Paul’s argument, which transformed Christianity, resulting in us
3. Imputation works, as Paul argued in Rom. 6, when it is believed it changes lives.
Righteousness of God revealed
Rom. 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
How is the righteousness of God manifested now?
Through the gospel, ch. 1:17
How is the righteousness without the law witnessed by the law and prophets
Rom. 1:2 which (gospel) he had promised afore by his prophets…
How does the gospel manifest the righteousness of God, as opposed to his mercy?
Righteousness as a promise, gift, foundation for salvation (go over inserts)
How can righteousness be a gift?
Only by imputation (imputation being a sophisticated legal precept found even in ancient law)
Paul apparently discovered God’s righteousness offered as a gift
Martin Luther also discovered it the same way (through Psalms and Romans)
Imputation of Guilt (Rom. 5:12-21)
Rom. 5.12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Without context the statement is ambiguous, lending itself to argument. Some say it means: Adam died because he sinned, so everyone else dies because they sin also. However the verse is obviously deeper than that. Notice certain unusual phrases:
1. “Sin” is treated not as an error, action, or decision, but as an active principle, it “entered into the world”
2. Sin entered “by one man.”
3. Death entered into the world also, “by sin,” (as a punishment).
4. Death “passed upon” all men, as something that is passed on.
5. “So” all men die by the same process, by one man. (So they don’t die for their own sin, but for Adam’s.)
6. Which is obvious considering the argument so far, “For that” all have sinned
Notice: If men die because of their own sin:
Adam’s sin did not in fact bring sin into the world, but Eve’s.
Adam’s sin did not in fact bring death into the world, but Cain’s.
Adam’s sin did nothing at all to us. Why bring him up? Who cares what he did?
Why say that death “passed upon all men” instead of “death happens to all men”?
If death passed upon all men, it passed upon Enoch and Elijah, and passed upon you and me.
Why say death passed so on all men, if not thus?
Either death passed upon all men because of one man’s sin, or by each man’s sin individually, but not both.
The whole sentence is contradictory, incomplete, superfluous and meaningless.
Context (esp. v. 18) explains and identifies the meaning, but some things are obvious within the text itself:
1. It is a conclusion, “Wherefore”… a conclusion is to be expected before the end of the thought.
Not the “as” clause, nor the “for” clause (argument), but the “so” clause
2. It is a comparison, just as in vs. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
as this so the other, or as this not so the other
3. It is a syllogism (Major and minor premises with a conclusion—all men are liars, you are a man, so you are a liar -- If A=B and B=C, then A=C)
Major premise: By one man sin entered into the world,
Minor premise: and death by sin; (Antecedent)
Conclusion: And so death passed upon all men, (Consequent)
Argument: For that all have sinned: (Proof)
Compare to modern versions:
NIV 12 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
RSV 12 Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned—
NKJV 12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—
CEV 12 Adam sinned, and that sin brought death into the world. Now everyone has sinned, and so everyone must die. (Contemporary English Version)
Retrace the argument:
Did sin enter into the world by one man?
Is death because of sin (punishment, consequence, side effect)?
Yes, Gen. 2:17, 3:3, 3:19, 3:21, 3:22-24, James 1:15, Rom. 6:21,
Then did death pass upon all men the same way? so - thus? By one man?
It follows, for all die, even some who have not sinned (v. 14 – babies?)
How do we know it was thus (because of Adam’s sin)?
For that all have sinned. (3:9 before proved all under sin, 3:23 all have sinned, both Jew and Gentile)
Point: The fact that all have sinned proves sin entered into the world by one man, and death came by that sin, therefore that is how death passed upon all men. The idea is that all men die because of the sin of one man.
Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Beginning of parenthetical premise:
Point: Adam is the figure of Jesus, establishing the fact of federal headship
Point: We know sin was in the world before the law of Moses, but how, if sin is not imputed without law?
Notice: Rom. 4:15 where no law is there is no transgression
Rom. 2:12 as many as have sinned without law shall perish without law
Rom. 2:14 Gentiles which have not the law … are a law unto themselves
Rom. 2:15 shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience…
Point: Nevertheless death reigned (Gen. 5), even over them that had not sinned as Adam
Either had not sinned at all by transgression of a commandment (babies)
Or had not sinned like Adam, by personal disobedience of a direct command
Either way, death reigned…but not by individual judgment, but by Adam’s sin
Romans 5:15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.
Point, That though Adam is a figure of Christ, there are differences, that Christ is “more” or greater in that:
1. Adam’s sin was imposed directly on his descendants as a penalty, while Christ’s gift is “free”.
2. That life is always superior to death, therefore the gift of grace is greater by nature.
3. Adam’s sin caused death which effectually diminishes his return, while Christ’s gift is life which abounds, or increases. (So assume the grace of God will eventually save more than Adam’s sin will have destroyed.)
Romans 5:16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification. Point: further differences between Adam’s and Christ’s headship:
1. Reiteration that Adam’s part was for condemnation, Christ’s part was for justification.
2. Condemnation was by judgment, while justification was a free gift.
3. The condemnation penalizes one particular sin, while justification atones for many sins.
Romans 5:17 For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Point: summary of differences in analogy between Adam and Jesus:
1. Death diminishes, grace abounds
2. In Adam death is certain, life is more certain in Christ
3. In Adam death reins, in Christ we reign in life
4. Adam’s was one act, Christ’s was a life of righteousness.
5. Adam’s was imposed, Christ’s was a gift
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Point: continued from verse 12, “death passed upon all men” implies judgment
1. Therefore (if death passed to all men by one man’s sin, v. 12), God’s judgment came the same way
2. death may be a natural consequence, but judgment and condemnation only by imputation
3. judgment and justification are applied by the same rule
4. The gift of righteousness is offered to all men
5. Justification is receiving Christ’s righteousness imputed
Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Point: The imputation of Adam’s sin affected our natures, we were “made sinners”.
1. Reckoned sinners by imputation of Adam’s sin, reckoned righteous by imputation of Christ’s righteousness.
2. Made sinners by natural corruption inherited, made righteous by spiritual life inherited (new birth).
Point: The manner we were made sinners is the manner we are made righteous. If God had not imputed Adam’s sin, he could not have imputed Christ’s righteousness.
Inferences:
Adam’s sin is the significant sin, all our sins are of secondary importance
Sin is passed from father to children, not from mother (Eve’s sin, although first, is not listed as important)
Repentance must take into account inward and natural corruption, not as an excuse, but to despair of self
Importance of doctrine of original sin to explain:
Universality of sin, the fact that “all have sinned”
Utter condemnation, no difference between sinners, no hope of improvement
Atonement, how one sacrifice can cover multitude of sins
Impossibility of boasting, only by imputation is boasting truly excluded
Virgin birth, why Adam’s sin is the one that affected posterity, rather than Eve’s
New birth, why the flesh is a total loss
Without Doctrine of Original Sin:
Repentance will be incomplete and superficial. The religious will be hopeful, and self-deceived about progress. Salvation will be considered a reward for effort.
Believers will attempt self-sanctification, and either despair, or focus on outward petty victories, with a false sense of holiness and accomplishment, because of abstinences and rituals.
Conscience generally will be denied or disabled, by confusing natural with good. People will attempt to un-moralize criminal behavior and de-criminalize immoral behavior, and even become intolerant of all moral judgment. Drunkenness will be considered a disease, fornication will be considered “normal” and be “monitored” rather than condemned, homosexuality will be considered “genetic” so as to eliminate judgment about it, etc.
Parents will become confused about the nature of their children and become insecure and indecisive in discipline. Rather than meet disobedience and self-will head on, with stern rebuke and punishment in order to teach and instill self-control, instead they will assume the child’s nature will work itself out, and that reason and patience is the answer. They will confuse diligent physical discipline with child-abuse and violence. Society in general will eventually become intemperate, lazy, self-centered, demanding, complaining and socially degenerate (alcoholism, drug abuse, divorce, fornication, gambling, etc.)
Social services will become confused about their role in society, will assume problem children are the result of poor parenting, and end up coercing and usurping parental responsibilities, even denigrating or even punishing diligent parents, and consoling lazy, sloppy, inconsistent parents, by confusing indecision and weakness with “love.”
Justice systems will confuse the often mutually incompatible goals of punishment, deterrence, rehabilitation and restitution, undermining society’s respect for the very concept of justice.
Pediatric medicine will become confused with pediatric psychiatry, together unable to establish criteria for normal behavior, and will become unable to control “abnormal” children without drugging them. Justice will divorce itself from moral judgment, crimes will be considered symptoms of disease or disorders, such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder (what used to be called unruliness), or Oppositional Defiant Disorder (known before as rebelliousness), and parents will suffer from Anxiety Disorder (for trying to function among perfectly normal but undisciplined children). Refusing to take their “meds” may eventually be seen as the only juvenile crime.
Education systems will implement techniques to educate by natural methods, shunning compulsion, discipline, reprobation and all other negative incentives, and will eventually degenerate into professional baby-sitting services, which given enough time will resemble daytime holding prisons.
Government philosophy by denying human depravity, becomes idealistic, exalting human nature, assuming it to be generally “good”, and emphasizes freedoms rather than responsibilities, “natural” rights rather than earned rights, and equality rather than justice. The new human-centered emphasis (stressing equality and rights) undermines natural authority, parental, marital, and social (age) authority. This change in philosophy of government has already resulted in spiritually and socially dysfunctional systems, including both majoritist and marxist. The marxist in the name of equality and “social justice” tramples individual freedom and openly opposes the concept of spiritual authority, while the majoritist idolizes democracy, imposing majority opinion in everything: family, church, public education (curriculum and text-books), jurisprudence (elected judges swayed by politics and public opinion – judgeship should be earned), medicine (e.g. AMA changing definitions of homosexuality according to public opinion), taxation (vote for me and I’ll tax someone else and send you a check), and even military (don’t ask, don’t tell). These experiments historically have caused unequaled destruction of morality (fascism, communism, western social disintegration), and have culminated in the most devastating wars, unparalleled human cruelty and international chaos (ethnic and cultural genocides, unending civil wars, and gradual disintegration of nations). All government philosophy should be tempered with the recognition of inherent evil in the race, deep and abiding distrust of “the people” and the “will” of the people, and certain basic principles that can never be put to a vote. Idolization of “freedom, rights and equality” will mark the end of civilization as we know it, until the free and equal voluntarily enslave themselves in exchange for peace and safety.
Other Texts
2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
1 Cor. 1:30 But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:
Php. 3: 9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Rom. 9:30-10:4
30 What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith.
31 But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness.
32 Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone;
33 As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
Objections to Original Sin:
Deu. 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.
Eze. 18.20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
Lev. 18:5 Ye shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the LORD.
Luke 1:6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.
Mat. 19: 16 And, behold, one came and said unto him, Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?
17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Luke 10:27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.
28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.
Rom. 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Complex imputation:
Imputing sins Judgment, visiting iniquity (Lev. 17:4 “blood imputed to that man” )
Not imputing sins Forgiveness, remission (2 Cor. 5:19 “not imputing their trespasses”)
Imputing Adam’s one sin to posterity Original Sin (Rom 5.18 “offense of one to condemnation)
Imputing children’s sin to Adam Sin nature (Rom. 5:19 “made sinners”,
Rom. 7:17,20 “no longer I that do it but sin”)
Imputing our sins to Christ on cross Atonement (1 Pe. 2:24 “bare our sins”)
Imputing Christ’s righteousness to us Justification (2 Cor. 5:21 “made righteousness in him”)
Imputing faith as righteousness Salvation by faith (Rom. 4:5 “his faith counted for righteousness”)
(Imputing zeal as righteousness Ps. 106:30,31 executed judgment, counted righteousness)
Forgiveness - not imputing
Psalms 32:1 A Psalm of David, Maschil. Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
Rom. 4:7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered.
8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin.
Micah 7:18 Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy.
Mat. 18:32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me:
33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
34 And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
Forgiveness – not remembering
Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
Col 1:14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:
Heb. 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.
Jer. 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Isaiah 44:22 I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and, as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee.
Jeremiah 33:8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
Jeremiah 50:20 In those days, and in that time, saith the LORD, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found: for I will pardon them whom I reserve.
Micah 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea.
Difference between simple forgiveness, covering or not imputing, which is momentary, and remission, redemption, purging, washing, forgetting, blotting out,
Remit: send back; to restore to an earlier state
Redeem: pay under contract; buy back; gain or regain possession by payment
Ransom: pay under threat
Topical index of relevant references
Inherited punishment:
Exo. 20.5, Deu. 5.9, Exo. 34.7, Num. 14.18, Lev. 20.5, 26.39,40, Jos. 7.24,25, Job 21.19, 27.14, Ps. 37.28, 109.9-14, Isa. 14.20,21, Jer. 11.22, 32.18, Lam. 5.7, Mat. 23.35,36, 27.25, etc.
Inherited or Natural Corruption:
Job 15:14, 25:4, Isa. 64:6, Jer. 13:23, 17:9, Mat. 7:11, John 8:41,44, Rom 7:14,18, 8:7, Eph. 2:3, 4:22, Jam. 3:6, etc.
Babies born sinners:
Gen. 8:21, Ps. 51:5, 58:3, Eccl. 9:3
Federal headship of Adam and Christ:
Rom. 5:12,15,17,19, 1Cor. 15:21,22
Guilt by Association:
Knowing: Gen. 49:6, Ps. 64:2, 101:4,
Touching: Num. 16:26, Isa. 52:11, 2 Cor. 6:17, Rev. 18:4, Ezr. 6:21, Hag. 2:13,14,
Representing: Neh. 1.6, Dan. 9.5,6, 2Chr.32.25,
Accompanying: Ps. 1:1, 26:4,5, 119:115, 139:19, Pro. 1:15, 4:14,15, 22:24, Jer. 15:17,
Partaking: Eph. 5:7,11, 1 Cor. 10:14-21,
Guilty of all: James 2:10
Guilt by Consent:
Rom. 1:32, 2 Jn. 11, 1 Tim. 5:22, Luke 23:51, 2 Chr. 19:2, Sal. 50:18, Jam. 4:4
Guilt by Silence:
Lev. 5:1, Pro. 29:24, Eph. 5:11, Eze. 33
Guilt by Indifference:
Ps. 15:4, 36:4, 139:22, Pro. 24:11-12, 29:27, Jer. 9:3, 1 Sam. 3:13, 2 Pe. 2:8
Imputation of personal sin:
Lev. 5:17, 19:8, 1Sam. 22:15, 2 Sam. 19:19, 1 Ki. 8:32, 2 Chr. 6:23,30, Ps. 32:2, Isa. 3:11, Eze. 33:10, Rom. 4:8,
Imputation of alien sin:
Lev. 10:17, 16:22, 17:4, Num. 18:1, Isa. 53:4,5,6,8,11,12, Eze. 4:4, Mark 15:28, Heb. 9:28, 1 Pe. 2:24, 3:18
Imputation of alien Righteousness:
Gen. 15:6, Deu. 24:13, Ps. 106:31, Rom. 3:22, 4:3,5,6,9,10,11,22,23,24, 1 Cor. 1:30, 2Cor. 5:21, Gal 3:6,8, Jam. 2:23
Righteousness of God:
Ps. 4:1, 14:5, 22:31, 24:5, 31:1, 36:10, 40:10, 48:10, 69:27 71:2,15,16,19,24, 72:1, 85:11,13, 89:16, 94:15, 98.2, 103:17, 118:19,20, 119:40, 132:9, 143:1,(2),11, 145:7, Pro. 8:18, 21:21, Isa. 1:27, 10:22, 41:10, 42:21, 45:8, 45:21-25, 46:12,13, 51:5-8, 54:14,17, 56:1, 59:16,17, 60:17, 61:3,10,11, 62:1,2, Jer. 23:6, 33:16, 51:10, Dan. 9:7,16, Mat. 6:33, Rom. 1:17, 3:21,22,25,26, 5:21, 9:30, 10:3,4, 2Cor. 3:9, 5:21, Php. 3:8,9, 2Pe. 1:1,
Righteousness Before God:
Gen. 7:1, Eccl. 2:26, Luke 1:6, 1 The. 3:13,
OT Salvation by Faith/Trust:
Gen. 15:6, Ps. 31:1, 33:18,21,22, 71:1,2, Isa. 51:5,
Article VI of the Augsburg Confession (1530) speaks of solafideanism: “The same [justification by faith] is also taught by the Fathers: For Ambrose says, ‘It is ordained of God that he who believes in Christ is saved freely receiving.’”
The great earlier Scholastic theologian, Anselm, was also solafideian. He wrote his belief in a tract for the consolation of the dying, quoted by A. H. Strong:
“Question. Dost thou believe that the Lord Jesus died for thee? Answer. I believe it.
Qu. Dost thou thank him for his passion and death? Ans. I do thank him. Qu. Dost thou believe that thou canst not be saved except by his death? Ans. I believe it.” And then Anselm addresses the dying man: “Come then, while life remaineth in thee; in his death alone place thy whole trust; in naught else place any trust; to his death commit thyself wholly; with this alone cover thyself wholly; and if the Lord thy God will to judge thee, say, ‘Lord, between thy judgment and me I present the death of our Lord Jesus Christ; no otherwise can I contend with thee.’ And if he shall say that thou art a sinner, say thou: ‘Lord, I interpose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my sins and thee.’ If he say that thou hast deserved condemnation, say: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between my evil deserts and thee, and his merits I offer for those which I ought to have and have not.’ If he say that he is wroth with thee, say: ‘Lord, I oppose the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thy wrath and me.’ And when thou hast completed this, say again: ‘Lord, I set the death of our Lord Jesus Christ between thee and me.’” See Anselm, Opera (Migne), 1:686, 687. The above quotation gives us reason to believe that the New Testament doctrine of justification by faith was implicitly, if not explicitly, held by many pious souls through all the ages of papal darkness.
http://www.apuritansmind.com/justification/gerstnerjohnjustificationhistory.htm