READ: ROMANS 5:1-2
Romans 5:1-2 describes the outcome of being justified by faith: peace with God. This portion of Paul’s letter to the Romans begins to unpack some of the ramifications of sinners being declared righteous by God because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In Chapters 1-3, Paul describes the prerequisite for the Gospel, the realization that God’s righteous judgment lays upon all people (both Jew and Gentile) and that under that just judgment, all people stand condemned. In Romans 4, Paul outlines the nature of Justification by faith and uses Abraham as an illustration of the difference between being counted righteous based on what we do and being counted righteous based on who we are trusting. So now at the beginning of chapter 5, Paul states that because we have been justified by faith we have peace with God.
Peace is given priority in these verses as the descriptor for our relationship with God. However, it is important to note that for Paul, peace did not simply mean absence of conflict, but it meant a full and harmonious relationship. Another observation about peace being an outcome of being justified by faith is that it implies that if you are not trusting in Christ for this justification, you are in need of peace. In other words, there is a deficit and an animosity that is present between you and the Creator God Almighty. This is why Paul describes this peace as having access to grace that we stand in. We now relate to God in grace and grace alone. The logic of this passage is one that follows the logic of the entire letter to the Romans thus far. If we are all under condemnation regardless of our ethnicity, good works, or family heritage, then we are in despair. However, the grace of God is that he has given Christ, his Son, as the one who reconciles a people to God. When we then receive justification through faith, and relate to God through the grace of his Son, we have perfect peace with God and rejoice at the glory of God.
What does it look like in everyday life to have peace with God? Romans 5:3-5 describes a life that continues to be shaped by this reality, holding the objective peace with God. When we have peace with God, there is no turmoil that will shake us from his grasp. Instead, God will use all of the suffering that we endure on this earth, and through the grace of Christ working in our lives, we will become more hopeful and secure, become more and more familiar with the love of God that is in Jesus.
QUESTIONS:
How does this passage relate to the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Romans? (See Romans 1:16, 1:18, 2:1, 3:9-18, 4:4-5, 4:16-17).
What does” justified by faith” mean?
What do you think is the emotional tone of this portion of the letter?
What does peace with God look like in everyday life?
How does suffering produce hope? (see Romans 5:3-5). How have you seen this play out in your life?
PRAY:
Pray that we would continue to live according to the truth of our peace with God. Pray that our friends and neighbors who don’t trust Christ would feel the conviction of God’s righteous judgment and would trust Christ for forgiveness of sin and receive peace with God through faith. Pray that we would learn to rejoice/boast in the glory of God over and above ANYTHING else.