“And David speaks likewise of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: ‘Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.” vs6-8

What does it mean to be imputed with righteousness? This is the most important question in all the world: It is salvation and peace with God; it is how He makes sinners righteous through faith in Jesus Christ.

1 It means that you are forgiven. “Blessed are those whose lawless acts are forgiven.” Sins are there, but they are gone, taken away, and removed. He says, “One will search for Israel’s guilt, but there will be none, and for Judah’s sins, but they will not be found, for I will forgive those I leave as a remnant [Jer 50:20].” It doesn’t mean that you are not guilty, but your guilt is gone. It doesn’t mean that YOU are good, but even though YOU are bad, YOU are accepted. He says, “But to the one who does not work, but believes on Him who declares the ungodly to be righteous, his faith is credited for righteousness [Rom 4:5].”

2 Your sins are covered. “Blessed are those… whose sins are covered.” They are there - we do them every day - but they cannot be seen! To be imputed with righteousness means that God looks upon us, and He doesn’t see us fit to be punished. He sees what His Son has done to put away our sins and deals with us in love.

We must see this to enjoy it, but God sees it, which is the declaration received by faith [Rom 5:1].

3 He will never charge us with sin! “Blessed is the man the Lord will never charge with sin.” He has charged the Son and punished the Lord Jesus. “Payment God cannot twice demand, First at my bleeding Surety’s hand, and then again at mine!” This is the gospel in a nutshell, as Augustus Toplady so aptly put it! Justice cannot punish the same sins twice! Judah said, “Your servant became accountable to my father for the boy, saying, ‘If I do not return him to you, I will always bear the guilt for sinning against you, my father [Gen 44:32].’” The Lord Jesus is the Surety or the One Responsible for the sheep.

These and many other blessings are the blessings of imputed righteousness. It is not as though I’d never sinned; it is better: It is sins forgiven, covered, and never charged to me. Someone Else has paid, and I get the blessing.