About Doctrines
Imputation
In the above verse from Romans, Paul where Paul quotes from Genesis 15:6. In doing so, the Apostle uses a Greek word translated as "credited" in the NIV.
That is the word account, logizomai. The word is sometimes translated as impute, credit, count, or reckon.
It is used 41 times in the New Testament, 35 of those by Paul, with 19 of those times coming in Romans. It is a prominent word of Romans chapter 4.
The idea is that something is credited to one's account. In this case, righteousness is credited based upon faith or belief. God's promises to Abraham are stated over 100 times in Scripture. These promises were not the basis of Abraham's belief. God was the basis. Abraham believed God and God credited this belief to Abraham as righteousness.
The same is true for us. When we believe in Jesus Christ, God accounts this as righteousness to our accounts. We are deemed justified by God.