By Faith You Have Joy in God

Romans 5:11 gives reason for joy: "And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation." Through Christ we have been reconciled to God. Our relationship with God has been restored to what it was meant to be. For this reason, we "rejoice in God" (v. 11a). Although subjective in nature, our joy assures us that we are eternally bound to Christ.

We rejoice in our salvation and we rejoice in who God is. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, God has given us an abundance of joy. Joy permeates our lives because of Christ in us. God fills us with joy so that we might give it back to Him through worship and through praise.

David declared, "Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together" (Psalm 34:3). Again, the Psalmist wrote, "For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name" (Psalm 33:21). And again, "Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God" (Psalm 43:4).

Romans 5:1-11 speaks of the many results of our justification in Christ. Together they reveal the truth of our eternal security in Christ, the fact that we are eternally bound to the Savior. In that we should rejoice greatly.

There is a little chorus that speaks directly of the joy that is ours in Christ. It goes like this: "What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart! I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, since Jesus came into my heart!" This chorus speaks directly of the great joy that is our's in the Lord. Amen.

By Faith You Are Delivered by God

Romans 5:9 says, "Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." Because we have already "been justified" (v. 9a) by the blood of Christ, through faith in Him we will "be saved from" God's "wrath" (v. 9b) in the day of judgment. On the cross, Jesus took upon Himself our penalty and He suffered the wrath that we deserved to suffer. God's wrath came upon Jesus so that it would not come upon you.

Paul explains, "For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life" (v. 10). If God redeemed us while we were "enemies" of God (v. 10a), while we were at war with God, then certainly He will keep us redeemed!

God "reconciled" us to Himself "through the death of His Son" Jesus Christ (v. 10a). Therefore, having achieved our justification through Christ's death, it only follows that "we shall be saved by His life" (v. 10b). In other words, by His death Christ achieved our justification and by His resurrection life He will secure our salvation.

Not only did Jesus deliver us from sin and judgment, but He also gives us assurance of our salvation. He eliminates any uncertainty or doubt you may have. God has made sure our deliverance from sin and future judgment, so we have no reason to be insecure concerning our future in heaven with Him.

If you know Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, if you have trusted in His shed blood on the cross for your forgiveness and salvation from your sin and its consequences, then you can rest assured of your future in heaven with Him. By faith you are delivered by God. You are eternally bound to the Savior. Amen.

By Faith You Have the Love of God

The greatest manifestation of God's love in all of history is this: "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Rom. 5:6). "In due time" (v. 6b) or "at just the right time" (v. 6a, NIV), "when we were still powerless" (v. 6b, NIV), "Christ died" (v. 6b) for us. We were "ungodly" (v. 6b) and unable to help ourselves. We had no hope of salvation. We couldn't save ourselves. So God did it for us "at just the right time" (v. 6a, NIV).

God's great love is demonstrated in the fact that Christ died for "the ungodly" (v. 6b). By contrast Paul notes in verse 7: "For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die."

The point is this: rarely would a person sacrifice his own life to save the life even of someone seen to be of upright character, though Paul concedes that on a rare occasion perhaps someone would "dare to die" for one thought to be "good" (v. 7b). It is even less likely that anyone would sacrifice himself to save someone who is known to be evil. Yet that is just what Christ did. He died for the "ungodly" (v. 6b), and in that we find our security.

Paul continues: "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (v. 8). This is the main point of verses 6-8. It was for "sinners" that "Christ died" (v. 8b). He died for people who were neither "righteous" (v. 7a) nor "good" (v. 7b). He died for the "ungodly" (v. 6b)—for "sinners" (v. 8b). He died for you and me when we were helpless sinners. God loves you; Christ died for you. That is the bottom line.

"For" (v. 8b) means "on behalf of." Christ died on your behalf. God's love poured out at the cross of Christ, shows again that you are eternally bound to the Savior. Amen.

By Faith You Are Indwelt by God

Romans 5:5 says, "Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." The Greek word translated "poured out" refers to the "inexhaustible abundance of the supply" (Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 10, [Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1976], 57). Our future hope is certain because God's love is "poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit" (v. 5b). God's love flows through us in abundance because the Holy Spirit dwells in us.

The key phrase here is "the Holy Spirit who was given to us" (v. 5b). By God's grace, when we believed in Christ we were not only saved from our sin but God sent His Spirit to indwell us. He lives right inside us and He is the one who empowers us to live godly lives. He makes us more like Jesus every day.

One of the great evidences of salvation is the fact that the Holy Spirit is empowering us to live godly lives. Without Him we couldn't make it. God's Spirit within us gives us the desire to pray and worship and study God's Word. He is the one who develops godliness in us.

As a believer, the Holy Spirit within you pours out God's blessings in your life. His presence guarantees that you are eternally bound to the Savior. Romans 8:14 says, "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God." The Holy Spirit working within you to make you godly is evidence that you belong to God and that you will spend eternity with Him. Amen.

By Faith You Have Assurance from God

You can trust God to complete the good work He began in you! Note Romans 5:3-4: "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope." When hard times come, rest assured that God is there. Because you stand in the grace of God, by faith you can face all sorts of "sufferings" (NIV, ESV) or "tribulations" (KJV, NKJV).

"Tribulations" (v. 3, KJV, NKJV) refers to the idea of "being under pressure." It is the idea of squeezing olives in a press to extract the oil or squeezing grapes to extract the juice. No matter how tough things may be in your life and no matter how much you may be ridiculed for your faith, God is there. Rest in Him, and He will see you through any amount of suffering.

By grace, God brings us through our times of suffering and produces "perseverance" in us, or the ability to endure. By faith, our steadfast endurance builds "character." The Greek word for "character" refers to the idea of "tested value." Job understood this when, in the midst of his troubles, he said, "When He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold" (Job 23:10b).

God will see to it that you are "conformed to the image of His Son" (Rom. 8:29). God will complete the work He began in you by building your character and making you more like Jesus. The end result is obedience to God's Word, which in turn leads you into a godly lifestyle.

"Character" in turn produces "hope" (v. 4). Godly character proves your salvation and gives you assurance of spending eternity with Christ in heaven. Obedience to the Lord proves your salvation. As you become more and more like Jesus, you become more and more certain of that salvation. Godly character, thus, gives you assurance from God that you belong to Him for all eternity. Amen.

By Faith You Have Access to God

Our justification also means we have direct access to God in Christ. Romans 5:2a says, "Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand." "Through whom" (v. 2a) refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have eternal peace with God and through Him we have direct access to God. "Access" (v. 2a) can also mean "approach" or "introduction" (NASB), and only occurs three times in the New Testament. Each time it speaks of the believer's access to God through Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:17-18 declares that Christ "came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father." Those "who were afar off" (v. 17) refers to the  Gentiles, while "those who were near" (v. 17) refers to the Jews. "Both have access... to the Father" (v. 18) through the Holy Spirit.

Ephesians 3:12 adds that in Christ "we have boldness and access with confidence through faith in Him." In other words, by faith through Christ we can approach God directly in prayer with boldness and confidence. Because of this truth, Hebrews 4:16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

"This grace in which we stand" (Rom. 5:2a) refers to the fact that our salvation is forever. "Grace" refers to the free gift God gave us, namely salvation and every spiritual blessing that accompanies it. "Stand" refers to permanence, or standing firm and immovable. By faith we stand firm in the grace of God.

God's grace saved us and God's grace keeps us saved. It is a permanent reality. Standing in the grace of God, means standing in constant forgiveness. That is why Paul said, "For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus" (Phil. 1:6, NASB).

Having been saved by grace and now standing securely in God's grace, you are instructed to "rejoice in hope of the glory of God" (Rom. 5:2b), because your future is secure. You are to be absolutely jubilant, because God in Christ guarantees your "hope" that one day you will partake "of the glory of God" (v. 2b). You will spend eternity with Him and His glory will fill you forever. By faith you are eternally bound to the Savior! Amen.

By Faith You Have Peace with God

Justification brings a wealth of blessings into our lives. God rewards people of faith. God's promises to us are sure. He is faithful and will do everything He promised in His Word.

The first promise He fulfills in us when we trust Christ as our Savior, is peace—peace with God. Note Romans 5:1—"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ."

"Therefore" (v. 1a) connects us back to chapters three and four, where Paul established that, as believers, we are justified by faith. The verb translated "we have" (v. 1b) is in the present tense, indicating something that is already possessed. As a believer, you already possess "peace with God" (v. 1b). It is something you have by virtue of your justification.

Here, "peace" (v. 1b) is not subjective. It is not referring to a simple "feeling" of peace within you. It is objective. It refers to harmony with God.

We were at war with God. We were "enemies" (Rom. 5:10a) of God. We were in rebellion against God, as evidenced by our sin. But God reconciled us to Himself through the cross of Jesus Christ.

"Through our Lord Jesus Christ" (v. 1b) we were "justified by faith" (v. 1a) and the war with God came to an end. His wrath toward us was removed as a result of our justification. We now "have peace with God" (v. 1b)—a peace that will last through all eternity. Amen.