1 Corinthians 6 BSB
9Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who submit to or perform homosexual acts, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. 11And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
Note that we are declared righteous from the outset:
Romans 5:1-11 NET
1Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.
9Much more then, because we have now been declared righteous by his blood, we will be saved through him from God’s wrath. 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?
Imputed righteousness is a legal change in your status before God, while imparted righteousness is an internal change in your actual character. Both concepts explain how a person becomes righteous, but they focus on different stages of the Christian life.
The Core Difference
Imputed Righteousness (Justification)
What it is: Christ's perfection is legally credited to your account.
The Mechanic: God looks at you and sees Christ’s sinless record instead of your sins.
The Timing: It happens instantly the moment you believe.
Key Phrase: "Declared righteous" (outside of you).
Imparted Righteousness (Sanctification)
What it is: Christ’s righteous nature is progressively worked into your daily life.
The Mechanic: The Holy Spirit transforms your desires, helping you actually live rightly.
The Timing: It is a lifelong, continuous process of growth.
Key Phrase: "Made righteous" (inside of you).
Theological Perspectives
Different Christian traditions view the relationship between these two concepts in distinct ways:
Reformed / Protestant View: Keeps them strictly distinct but inseparable. Imputation happens first (Justification), which then inevitably causes impartation (Sanctification). You are saved by faith alone, but saving faith is never alone.
Catholic View: Blends them together. Righteousness is infused into a believer through baptism and faith, meaning God justifies a person by actually making them inherently righteous over time through cooperation with grace.
