I must confess that I have slacked off royally in my study of Romans. Honestly, I just got lazy for awhile there. It is amazing how fast and easy it is to slide back into a complacent state instead of an energized and excited state of fellowship with Christ. With that being said, I will press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus!
I didn't have a chance to finish all of Chapter 5, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the first 11 verses. The first half of Chapter 5 has some amazing truths that really give me joy. Paul discusses a lot of wonderful truths and I'm excited to write about them. He also stacks a lot of things in this section and uses words like "more than that" frequently to add to an already amazing truth of God.
Peace with God Through Faith (v1-11)
At the end of Chapter 4, Paul says that the words "counted to him as righteousness" were not only for Abraham's benefit but also for the benefit of all those who believe. He begins Chapter 5 by saying "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I find this first statement very profound. We have peace with God! Alleluia! Why? Because we have been justified by our faith. How? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. When I think of peace, I think of a two way idea. From God's perspective, we are at peace because the penalty of our sin has been atoned for. From our perspective, we are at peace because we no longer have to be worried about whether or not we have done enough to appease God. Peace. We have it. Does it feel like it all the time? It doesn't always for me, but I can rest assured that it isn't God who has changed or the promise of peace that has disappeared. Reminding myself of God's truth is the fastest way I have found to get back in close fellowship with Christ after wavering for any length of time.
In verse 2, Paul says that in addition to peace with God, we have also obtained access into the grace in which we now stand. Again, this is through Jesus Christ and again it is by our faith in Him. The grace that Paul is speaking about is the Gospel. We stand in the Gospel.
What does it look like to stand? In Biblical terms, standing is generally a term of security, assurance, and being anchored. Firm. I believe this is how Paul is using it here in Romans. Take at look at the following verses:
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand. 1 Corinthians 15:1
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Be strong. Be of good courage. Do not waiver. Stand firm. This is what grace allows us to do! I think also of the account of the one who builds his house on the Rock. No matter what the world or evil throws at that house, it remains. It is our responsibility to cling to Christ and God's grace so that we stand firm and tall. We will always stand. Let's live like we believe it!
At the end of verse 2, Paul gives us the first of three reasons in this passage to rejoice. He says "and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." I think Revelation 1:12-16 offers us a great picture of what the glory of God will be like:
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around Hischest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Imagine not only this image, but also the emotions that might possibly go along with seeing the living God on His throne! We can always always rejoice in the glory of God!
Verses 3-5 give us the second reason to rejoice: our sufferings. Paul traces suffering to endurance, endurance to character, and character to hope. Connect the dots and see that suffering leads eventually to hope. And this is not just any hope or wishful thinking. This is the hope that does not put us to shame. It is as guaranteed as if it had already happened.
If hope does not put us to shame, what does it in fact offer? It offers joy. It offers peace. It offers contentment. It offers motivation. It offers Christ. Real hope in the midst of a hopeless situation is what God has offered us freely through His Son. Thanks be to God!
How can Paul (and we) be so sure of this? Because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Stop and consider the magnitude of this truth. God has poured His love into our hearts. For us who are in Christ, we have the same love of God that sent Christ to the Cross. We possess the love of God. How are we manifesting that love in our lives to the world? Matthew 12:34 tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. In our heart, we are abounding in the love of God! We just need to tap into the source and let it overflow. It's there! We have it!
Paul backtracks in verse 6 to describe the love God has for us. While we were still weak, God justified us. Colossians 1:13 tells us that God delivered us from darkness. The Greek word for delivered means rescued. While we were weak doesn't mean that we were just a bit ill-equipped. We needed rescuing!
At the right time, Christ died for us. It was in God's perfect timing. In the exact perfect moment, Christ died for us. Just as God knew us before the foundations of the world, He knew the exact moment that His Son would take on the sin of the world. At the right time, Christ died for us.
Christ died for the ungodly. He died for the murderers. He died for the adulterers. He died for the greedy. He died for the gluttons. He died for me. He died for all of us.
Paul further illustrates this point in verse 7. Who would die for a righteous person? That person is righteous. He doesn't need atonement. He doesn't need help. Why would anyone die for that man? Maybe one would think of dying for a good person. That one who is good might deserve justification. He worked hard and did his best. He's good.
However, that is not who Christ died for. Verse 8 tells us who Christ died for:
but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We weren't righteous. We wouldn't have needed Christ. We weren't even good. We were sinners. We were creatures of wrath. God loved us when we spat in His face and turned our backs on His Word. (Let's remind ourselves that the love of God is poured into our hearts.) I cannot begin to imagine how God could love us. His love truly is indescribable.
Since verse 8 is true and we are justified by the blood of Christ, surely we will be saved all the more from God's wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." How much more shall we be saved now that we are justified if while we were sinners, Christ died for us?! Enjoy the peace that God offers. Don't try and think too hard, because it doesn't make sense. Just rest in Christ and rejoice!
Verse 10 is a similar, yet separate, truth. Christ's death brought justification while we were still sinners. Christ's life brings salvation for all who have been reconciled. This is a clear description of what Paul will continue to elaborate on in Chapter 6: the fact that through the death of Jesus, we are made righteous and through His life we are now new creations.
Paul concludes this section by giving us a third, and the most glorious, reason to rejoice and the focus of our rejoicing. More than all of that wonderful news, we rejoice in God through Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Amen! We rejoice in God. How? Through our mediator, the God-man, Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we have now received reconciliation and our fellowship with God has been restored. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Know Him and know God.
How amazing it is to know Jesus.
I didn't have a chance to finish all of Chapter 5, but I wanted to share some thoughts on the first 11 verses. The first half of Chapter 5 has some amazing truths that really give me joy. Paul discusses a lot of wonderful truths and I'm excited to write about them. He also stacks a lot of things in this section and uses words like "more than that" frequently to add to an already amazing truth of God.
Peace with God Through Faith (v1-11)
At the end of Chapter 4, Paul says that the words "counted to him as righteousness" were not only for Abraham's benefit but also for the benefit of all those who believe. He begins Chapter 5 by saying "Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."
I find this first statement very profound. We have peace with God! Alleluia! Why? Because we have been justified by our faith. How? Through Jesus Christ our Lord. When I think of peace, I think of a two way idea. From God's perspective, we are at peace because the penalty of our sin has been atoned for. From our perspective, we are at peace because we no longer have to be worried about whether or not we have done enough to appease God. Peace. We have it. Does it feel like it all the time? It doesn't always for me, but I can rest assured that it isn't God who has changed or the promise of peace that has disappeared. Reminding myself of God's truth is the fastest way I have found to get back in close fellowship with Christ after wavering for any length of time.
In verse 2, Paul says that in addition to peace with God, we have also obtained access into the grace in which we now stand. Again, this is through Jesus Christ and again it is by our faith in Him. The grace that Paul is speaking about is the Gospel. We stand in the Gospel.
What does it look like to stand? In Biblical terms, standing is generally a term of security, assurance, and being anchored. Firm. I believe this is how Paul is using it here in Romans. Take at look at the following verses:
Now I would remind you, brothers, of the Gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand. 1 Corinthians 15:1
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13
Be strong. Be of good courage. Do not waiver. Stand firm. This is what grace allows us to do! I think also of the account of the one who builds his house on the Rock. No matter what the world or evil throws at that house, it remains. It is our responsibility to cling to Christ and God's grace so that we stand firm and tall. We will always stand. Let's live like we believe it!
At the end of verse 2, Paul gives us the first of three reasons in this passage to rejoice. He says "and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God." I think Revelation 1:12-16 offers us a great picture of what the glory of God will be like:
Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around Hischest. The hairs of His head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, His feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and His voice was like the roar of many waters. In His right hand He held seven stars, from His mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and His face was like the sun shining in full strength.
Imagine not only this image, but also the emotions that might possibly go along with seeing the living God on His throne! We can always always rejoice in the glory of God!
Verses 3-5 give us the second reason to rejoice: our sufferings. Paul traces suffering to endurance, endurance to character, and character to hope. Connect the dots and see that suffering leads eventually to hope. And this is not just any hope or wishful thinking. This is the hope that does not put us to shame. It is as guaranteed as if it had already happened.
If hope does not put us to shame, what does it in fact offer? It offers joy. It offers peace. It offers contentment. It offers motivation. It offers Christ. Real hope in the midst of a hopeless situation is what God has offered us freely through His Son. Thanks be to God!
How can Paul (and we) be so sure of this? Because God's love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Stop and consider the magnitude of this truth. God has poured His love into our hearts. For us who are in Christ, we have the same love of God that sent Christ to the Cross. We possess the love of God. How are we manifesting that love in our lives to the world? Matthew 12:34 tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. In our heart, we are abounding in the love of God! We just need to tap into the source and let it overflow. It's there! We have it!
Paul backtracks in verse 6 to describe the love God has for us. While we were still weak, God justified us. Colossians 1:13 tells us that God delivered us from darkness. The Greek word for delivered means rescued. While we were weak doesn't mean that we were just a bit ill-equipped. We needed rescuing!
At the right time, Christ died for us. It was in God's perfect timing. In the exact perfect moment, Christ died for us. Just as God knew us before the foundations of the world, He knew the exact moment that His Son would take on the sin of the world. At the right time, Christ died for us.
Christ died for the ungodly. He died for the murderers. He died for the adulterers. He died for the greedy. He died for the gluttons. He died for me. He died for all of us.
Paul further illustrates this point in verse 7. Who would die for a righteous person? That person is righteous. He doesn't need atonement. He doesn't need help. Why would anyone die for that man? Maybe one would think of dying for a good person. That one who is good might deserve justification. He worked hard and did his best. He's good.
However, that is not who Christ died for. Verse 8 tells us who Christ died for:
but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
We weren't righteous. We wouldn't have needed Christ. We weren't even good. We were sinners. We were creatures of wrath. God loved us when we spat in His face and turned our backs on His Word. (Let's remind ourselves that the love of God is poured into our hearts.) I cannot begin to imagine how God could love us. His love truly is indescribable.
Since verse 8 is true and we are justified by the blood of Christ, surely we will be saved all the more from God's wrath. 1 Thessalonians 5:9 says "For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." How much more shall we be saved now that we are justified if while we were sinners, Christ died for us?! Enjoy the peace that God offers. Don't try and think too hard, because it doesn't make sense. Just rest in Christ and rejoice!
Verse 10 is a similar, yet separate, truth. Christ's death brought justification while we were still sinners. Christ's life brings salvation for all who have been reconciled. This is a clear description of what Paul will continue to elaborate on in Chapter 6: the fact that through the death of Jesus, we are made righteous and through His life we are now new creations.
Paul concludes this section by giving us a third, and the most glorious, reason to rejoice and the focus of our rejoicing. More than all of that wonderful news, we rejoice in God through Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have now received reconciliation. Amen! We rejoice in God. How? Through our mediator, the God-man, Jesus Christ. It is through Christ that we have now received reconciliation and our fellowship with God has been restored. Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. Know Him and know God.
How amazing it is to know Jesus.
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