Romand 5:1-5

                                                                             Romans 5:1-5

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

 

There are many blessings associated with the relationship we have with God through faith in Christ.  These blessings should describe our lives as believers.  Those who strive to please God through their own works, will never have the pleasure of experiencing these blessings.  Even though we are saved by faith, many times we don’t experience them either because we are not walking in faith.  As our faith is strengthened, these blessings will become more evident in our lives.

  

WE HAVE PEACE WITH GOD: Peace with God is the natural result of being justified by faith.  All men who do not trust Christ are at war against God.  Those who die in that condition we be eternally condemned.  However, for all who believe, we become the children of God and all hostilities between God and man are over.  The peace of God is also available to us but may not be our consistent experience because we live in a fallen world.  However, despite the lack of the peace of God, all believers have peace with God.

 

WE HAVE THE JOY OF GOD: We are able rejoice because we are objects of God’s grace and have direct access to God.  Some people have very restricted access.  World leaders and high-powered executives are not very accessible to the average person.  However, the children of these powerful people have direct access.  We are the children of God and have been given direct access to God by His grace.  This is great news and the source of joy in our lives.

 

WE HAVE HOPE IN GOD: Because of faith in Christ there is hope for the future.  No matter what our circumstances might be, there is no reason to lose hope.  Our eternity is secure, and we can see Him working in our lives.  The sufferings we face are being used to produce patience and character.  These changes in our lives are only foreshadowing the eternal reality that is promised to us in Christ.  Present change in our lives produces hope for the future.

 

WE HAVE THE LOVE OF GOD: The Spirit of God lives in us as a result of faith.  His work is to fill our hearts with love.  God is love and He communicates that attribute to His children.  The family characteristic He call us to is love.  We love God and we love others.  People who do not know Jesus and have rejected His sacrifice for sin will never be able to love like Jesus loves.  We love Him and are able to love one another because He has demonstrated unconditional love to us so many times.

 

APPLICATION: Thank God for all the blessings of our salvation in Jesus.  Use our peace with God to motivate us in our experience of the peace of God.  Take advantage of the access we have the Lord in prayer.  Enjoy the hope that we have even in the midst of suffering and be thankful for the way God faithfully uses suffering to forge character in our lives.  Love God by loving others in the power of the Spirit.

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