From Rutherford Hall -- By: Jerry O’Neill

Journal: Reformed Presbyterian Theological Journal
Volume: RPTJ 03:2 (Spring 2017)
Article: From Rutherford Hall
Author: Jerry O’Neill


From Rutherford Hall

Jerry O’Neill

President of the Reformed Presbyterian Theological Seminary

As I write this edition of From Rutherford Hall, my heart is full of praise and thanksgiving to God. We have hosted this week a visiting team from the Commission on Accrediting of the Association of Theological Schools. It has been a marvelous experience to tell the team of the wonderful blessings of God over the years since we were last reaccredited.

Among several other things, the visiting team came to chapel today, and they heard a wonderfully clear and Spirit-filled gospel presentation from Romans 4 by one on our graduating seniors. How great it was to have the ATS team here today to hear such a clear gospel presentation!

Accounting language is used in Romans 4 to discuss the heavenly transaction that goes on when a sinner repents of his sin. Depending on your translation, words like “credit”, “impute”, “count”, or “reckon” are used to describe what scholars call the doctrine of double imputation. The first transaction for those of us who repent of our sin and put our trust in Christ is that our sins are placed on Christ at Calvary. He who knew no sin became sin for us (II Corinthians 5:21). All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned to our own way, but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isaiah 53:6).

Simultaneously, the perfect righteousness of Christ is credited to our account. Christ, the last Adam, did what the first Adam did not do—He lived a life of sinless perfection. And the righteousness of that perfect life is now credited to us through faith in Him. To finish II Corinthians 5:21 referenced above, He who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. When we were hopelessly in debt with no means of repayment, God got us out of debt by placing our sin on His Son. But then, wonder of wonders, He gives to us a bank full of Christ’s righteousness. Amazing grace!

We know that the visiting team was glad to be with us. They told us so over and over again. And we were glad to host them. And personally, I was especially glad that they got to hear the gospel. That is what we need to hear from our pulpits week after week. As you read through this journal, remember where it all begins. It begins before the foundation of the world and is worked out in time and history as God takes away our hopeless indebtedness and replaces it with a bank full of Christ’s righteousness. Praise God for such a great salvation.

For Christ and His Kingdom,

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