Is there someone in your life that you have a difficult time with? Perhaps both you and that person count each other as enemies. It’s not easy to make peace with someone who’s your enemy, and sometimes it helps to have someone else help out by being a go-between. They step in and try to smooth the way. Sometimes that helps, but sometimes it doesn’t. In our Scripture today from St. Paul’s letter to the Romans, we read about how Jesus brought peace between ourselves and God. He brought not only peace, but so many more blessings that we do not deserve.
As we look into and study this passage of Scripture, we find that because believers are justified by faith in Jesus alone, they now enjoy peace with God. They also have access to grace, a hope of glory, joy and peace in trials, assurance of God’s love, deliverance from His wrath, and reconciliation through Christ’s death and resurrection. Previously, in chapters 3 and 4 of Romans, Paul spoke of the doctrine of justification. Now he speaks about the results of justification and what it means for the believer's present and future.
As we begin in verse 1, the word “therefore” is there for a reason - to connect what he is now saying with what he taught before, that justification is by faith alone, without works. Those who put their trust and faith in Jesus are now declared righteous on the basis of His death on the cross. That act of His sacrifice has brought us peace with God. The enmity between mankind and God has been removed, and the war is over.
Our justification through Jesus now brings us access with God (vs. 2). If I had something to tell the President, King, or Prime Minister, I can’t just walk into his office, and it’s not at all likely I would ever be able to make an appointment to, either. However, if I knew a good friend of theirs, they might be able to get me access to the President or King. Jesus Christ is that Mediator, and when we have a saving relationship with Him, He gives us access to God. We now stand in grace, not in condemnation.
Paul continues by describing the chain of spiritual growth that Christians can experience in their lives (vs 3-4). He tells us that Christians can glory or rejoice in the trials they go through. We can rejoice, not because trials are pleasant, but because of how God can use them if we allow Him to. The tribulation we go through can bring perseverance or endurance. That will strengthen and mold our character, which in turn, helps to grow our hope, all if we allow God to work that in and through us, rather than getting angry and bitter. Trials do not have to weaken our hope, they can strengthen it by proving God’s faithfulness.
A Christian’s hope is not wishful thinking (vs. 5). It’s not like I hope that it won’t snow anymore this winter. It is the confident expectation of future good based on God’s promises. It is anchored in God’s love for us. Our hope and assurance in God’s promises is not rooted in our performance of good works, but in the Holy Spirit’s witness of His love.
As you look over people that you know, are there any that you would literally die for? Perhaps your spouse or your children, but it’s not likely that you would actually give up your life for someone. Certainly not that enemy that we talked about at the beginning of this study! However, that is exactly what God did (vs. 6-8). Jesus didn’t die just for the good and morally worthy people, for as we learn in Scripture, there aren’t any. We are all ungodly, morally corrupt and opposed to God. And yet Jesus died for us. Humans would rarely do anything for the unworthy, but God’s love is demonstrated, it is proved and displayed at the cross. We were and are sinners, yet Jesus died for us!
That is not all of the good news! Since God justified us when we were sinners, how much more will He save us now that we are His children? (vs. 9). The wrath that we are saved from is the future judgment that the unsaved will ultimately face at the Great White Throne judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior will not have to face the wrath of God then. Justification guarantees final salvation.
Jesus’ death on the cross reconciled us to God. It removed all hostility between God and man, and now His resurrection life guarantees our ongoing salvation (vs. 10-11). The living Christ keeps us saved just as surely as the dying Christ saved us, and brings us peace, hope, and joy.
If today you are having a hard time finding things to thank the Lord for, and finding it hard to rejoice in Him, just reread today’s Scripture. We each were once enemies of God, with all that that entails, but for those who have called upon Jesus, we now have peace with Him. We have been justified and assured of our salvation. He loved one each of us to die for us, and who can we say would ever do that for someone who hated them? And then Jesus also has saved us from any and all of God’s wrath! All of this good news in just a small handful of verses today!
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