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More Romans commentaries

Romans 2:1-11
God’s Indictment of All Hypocrites

Romans 2:12-16
Not The Possession But The Practice of The Law That Counts

Romans 2:17-24
Religion Will Not Take You to Heaven

Romans 2:25-29
Mere Rituals Will Gain You No Favor in God’s Sight

Romans 3:1-8
God’s Judgment Defended

Romans 3:9-20
No One Is Good

Romans 3:21-31
God’s Way of Accepting People

Romans 4:1-8
Abraham Justified by Faith

Romans 4:9-25
The Promise for All Who Have Faith

Romans 5:1-11
What It Means To Be Acceptable to God

Romans 5:12-21
Death in Adam and Life in Christ

Romans 6:1-11
Death to Sin, Alive to God

Romans 6:12-18
From Slaves of Sin to Slaves of God

Romans 6:19-23
It is Impossible to Be Neutral

Romans 7:1-13
An Example From Marriage

Romans 7:14-25
The Battle With Sin

Romans 8:1-11
Living by The Power of God’s Spirit

Romans 8:12-17
Sonship Through The Spirit

Romans 8:18-27
From Suffering to Glory

Romans 8:28-30
God Works in “All Things” For Our Good

Romans 8:31-34
If God is For Us Who Can be Against Us?

Romans 8:35-37
God’s Everlasting Love

Romans 8:38-39
It is Impossible to Separate Us From Christ

What It Means To Be Acceptable to God

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Romans 5:1–11
» View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway)

Recently I read the biography of Norman Grubb, a missionary in Africa, and the leader of his mission for 30 years. I was struck by what he wrote: “At conversion we learned that we had not done what we should, but then we soon learn that of ourselves we cannot do what we shou … More

Justification

In this passage Paul lists three great blessing of our justification:

  1. Peace with God (v. 1). Justification means that God has made us righteous, which is declaration of peace, made possible by Christ’s death on the cross.
  2. Access to God (v. 2a). The child of a king can enter his father’s presence under any circumstance. The word “access” here means “entrance through the favor of another.” Those of us who have taken the nail pierced hand of the King’s Son have access to His throne
  3. Glorious Hope of being with God (v. 2b). “Peace with God” takes care of the past, as He will no longer hold our sins against us. “Access to God” takes care of the present, as we can come to Him at any time for the help we need. “Hope of the glory of God” takes care of the future, as one day we will share in His glory in heaven.

Paul goes on to show:

  1. How maturity is displayed by us (v. 3). To glory in tribulations is a real sign of maturity.
  2. How maturity is developed in us (verses 3b-5a). As tribulation worketh patience; and patience, experience; hope; and hope maketh us not ashamed.”
  3. How maturity is determined for us (v. 5b). Here we have the first mention of the Holy Spirit in this epistle. God’s purpose of the Holy Spirit is to give us full assurance of our salvation.

God controlled the timing, methods, and results of Jesus death (vv. 6-7). He sent Jeaus to die for us, not because we were good enough, but because he loved us (v. 8). The love that caused Christ to die is the same love that sends the Holy Spirit to live in us and guide us every day (vv. 9-10). Through faith in Christ’s work, we become close to God rather than being enemies and outcasts (v. 11).

Application

I need to take time to thank God for the three blessings of justification listed above.

Romans 5:1-11 (English Standard Version)

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. More than that, 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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person--though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die-- but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

View this passage in NIV (Bible Gateway) »

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