Last week, as part of our sermon, we looked at these two words. There are only 2 letters different between them but their meaning couldn’t be more different or significant. The implications of the difference is quite simply ‘Mind Blowing’!

We are talking here about how we receive Christ’s righteousness.

Is His righteousness imparted or imputed to us?

IMPARTED – this is what teachers attempt to do everyday. They try to get some of their knowledge into the children’s heads. This is an inherently slow process and the results are limited. What tends to happen is that a small amount of the teachers knowledge is imparted. Adding to the child’s existing knowledge.

There is a danger that we think Jesus adds some of His righteousness to us in this way.

So we might think to ourselves ‘I’m essentially a sinner with a bit of Christ’s goodness added on’

This is not what the Bible teaches.

IMPUTED – this means I have the total and complete, fully formed, all-in-one-go righteousness of God at the moment I believe in Jesus. If teachers could do this at school the lessons would be very short indeed.

It’s not that I have had a little bit of righteousness added to my sinfulness, rather he has taken my sinfulness away and replaced it with His righteousness, completely and forever.

So I am no longer a sinner but a saint!!

This is grace and it changes everything.

1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, [1] Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a member of the court of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

Acts 13 1-3

Barnabas and Saul carried considerable anointing from God. Try and imagine having them in your church, the son of encouragement and the great apostle. These men would transfrom any community they were part of.

Yet here, this church is willing to send them off on mission.

I DON’T THINK THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN EASY

The questions I have for those Christians in Antioch are; How did you do it? & Why did you do it?

I think the answers must be found in the gospel it’s-self

We are generally very happy to enjoy the benefits of the gospel

• Forgiveness
• Freedom from guilt
• The Holy Spirit
• The promise of eternal life

What is noticeable of these Christians is that they were not only enjoying the benefits of the gospel but they  also allowed the gospel to shape them. In this case they were prepared to send their best.

This is a reflection of the Father’s willingness to send the best of heaven, the Son of His love.

They sent Paul and Barnabas knowing they had received the best from God. This shaping by the gospel is essential as we seek maturity of faith.

Cain & Abel, Abraham & Lott, David & Saul etc…. Here in Acts 7-8 we have another fascinating contrast, Saul and Stephen.

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep.

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death.

Acts 7 v 60 – 8 v 1

Both are young, passionately committed, men seeking to serve the Lord.

They are both marked by different approaches to God. Saul by the law, Stephen by grace. If ever there was an example of law leading to death and grace to life, outside of the cross, here it is.

On the surface these two men should have been friends, both worshiped the same God, both seeking to advance the cause of God. Yet the gulf between them is vast.

Paul tells us about his credentials as a Pharisee

circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for legalistic righteousness, faultless.

Philippians 3 5-6

Jesus saved a particular disgust for the Pharisees. He gives His reasons for this

Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.

Matthew 23 v 13

Saul displayed this kind of religious evil as he stood giving approval to Stephen’s murder. Religion without grace is death, it is just a series of rules actually designed to keep men and women away from God. When the church becomes nothing more than a religious club we should all be fearful.

The Pharisees hated Jesus and his followers because they showed that God’s desire was to dwell with people, ordinary, everyday people. This rendered the livelihoods of the Pharisees meaningless. When the temple curtain was torn in two, demonstrating that God and man could now dwell together, the law became obsolete. It still is.

Stephen was a man full of grace, wisdom and power (Acts 6 v 8). His life and death were a demonstration that the gulf between God and man has been dealt with. He reflected Jesus own example as He faced his accusers, he looked to win them but offered no resistance in is own defense.

My observation is that we each have some of Saul’s attitude and some of Stephen’s in us.

We need to keep watch over our own attitudes and motives the consequences are as dramatic as life and death.