Peace with God
The book of Romans is a letter that Paul wrote to the church at Rome before he had been able to go there and meet the people. He was writing it because he wanted to go there some day, as he was on his way to the uttermost parts of the earth, namely Spain. That was the commission from the Lord before His ascension, that the disciples were to be witnesses to Him in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth. I believe that Paul was explaining his theology to them, because they were a large church, and they might be willing to help him on his missionary journeys. That is why some people call this book, "The Gospel according to Paul." Today, I would like to focus on Romans 5:1, so we can see the true gospel as Paul presented it. Let's just do a little Bible study.
The verse begins with "therefore," which means that what it says is based on what has come before in chapter 4 that tells about Abraham being justified by faith, not by works of the law. With that truth firmly explained, we know that those who know Jesus "have been justified by faith." We were justified when we put our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection to pay for our sins and set us free from Satan's power over us. Justified means that God pronounced that we were just as if we had never sinned in His sight. That means our sins were forgiven, and they no longer came between us and God. It also means that once this happens it lasts forever, and so we have peace with God forever. God has no reason to condemn us, sins Jesus has paid for our sins. We walk with Him, as closely as we will. There is nothing to hold us back, except ourselves. All of this is possible "through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is not by any effort of our own. It is all by grace through faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 6-8.
The verse begins with "therefore," which means that what it says is based on what has come before in chapter 4 that tells about Abraham being justified by faith, not by works of the law. With that truth firmly explained, we know that those who know Jesus "have been justified by faith." We were justified when we put our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death and glorious resurrection to pay for our sins and set us free from Satan's power over us. Justified means that God pronounced that we were just as if we had never sinned in His sight. That means our sins were forgiven, and they no longer came between us and God. It also means that once this happens it lasts forever, and so we have peace with God forever. God has no reason to condemn us, sins Jesus has paid for our sins. We walk with Him, as closely as we will. There is nothing to hold us back, except ourselves. All of this is possible "through our Lord Jesus Christ." It is not by any effort of our own. It is all by grace through faith in Him.
Tomorrow, I intend to read Romans 6-8.