(Article for publication week of 10-3- AD 2012)
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1).
Dear reader, can you say that you have “peace with God”? To be sure there are multitudes who have a false peace. There are many who have had their wounds healed slightly by some false prophet, and they are going on to hell with a false sense of security. They cry “peace, peace”, but there is no peace.
The only way you will ever have peace with God is to be justified by faith. The only way you can have peace with God is through His eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You can only have peace with God on His terms.
Our text opens with a “therefore”. This is a great help in our interpretation of the word. In other words, after Paul has made his arguments, he draws a conclusion. Because of everything he has written to us in the first four chapters of Romans, he comes to this glorious conclusion, that the believer in Christ, and only the believer in Christ has peace with God. In Romans 1:18-3:19 Paul was inspired to show us that all men without exception are under the wrath of God. I shudder to write it! “The wrath of God”! Dear reader do you not see that in your natural state you are an object of God’s holy and just wrath? Do you not see that you deserve that wrath? And if you remain as you are without Christ, the wrath of God will come pouring down on you with the fires of eternal vengeance. OH! I just pray that the Holy Spirit will awaken you to that fact, that you are under God’s wrath. This is how the Apostle starts, and it is the place that all preachers must start, that is to get people lost, for Christ only saves lost people. This is the great need of the hour, for sinners to see their lost and ruined estate.
But then, after he shows us our lost condition, he shows us how God justifies elect sinners. God justifies His people by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Alone. The very righteousness of God is imputed to all who believe in Christ. Since the believer is declared as righteous as God (for he surely is), the believer has peace with God. The sins that made us fit for God’s wrath and condemnation are all taken away by the redeeming work of Christ.
Peace with God! Neighbours that is shouting ground! I am on good terms with God because my sins are taken away, and the righteousness of Christ (which is the righteousness of God, for he is verily God) is imputed to me.
This is true and genuine peace. The believer in Christ may have peace in his soul, though there may be wars and rumours of war all about him. Though this life is attended by many conflicts, the child of God has true peace because he has been saved from his sins and reconciled to God. The only way you will ever have that kind of peace is by believing in Christ for your salvation. May the Lord grant it.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:” (Romans 5:1).
Dear reader, can you say that you have “peace with God”? To be sure there are multitudes who have a false peace. There are many who have had their wounds healed slightly by some false prophet, and they are going on to hell with a false sense of security. They cry “peace, peace”, but there is no peace.
The only way you will ever have peace with God is to be justified by faith. The only way you can have peace with God is through His eternal Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. You can only have peace with God on His terms.
Our text opens with a “therefore”. This is a great help in our interpretation of the word. In other words, after Paul has made his arguments, he draws a conclusion. Because of everything he has written to us in the first four chapters of Romans, he comes to this glorious conclusion, that the believer in Christ, and only the believer in Christ has peace with God. In Romans 1:18-3:19 Paul was inspired to show us that all men without exception are under the wrath of God. I shudder to write it! “The wrath of God”! Dear reader do you not see that in your natural state you are an object of God’s holy and just wrath? Do you not see that you deserve that wrath? And if you remain as you are without Christ, the wrath of God will come pouring down on you with the fires of eternal vengeance. OH! I just pray that the Holy Spirit will awaken you to that fact, that you are under God’s wrath. This is how the Apostle starts, and it is the place that all preachers must start, that is to get people lost, for Christ only saves lost people. This is the great need of the hour, for sinners to see their lost and ruined estate.
But then, after he shows us our lost condition, he shows us how God justifies elect sinners. God justifies His people by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ Alone. The very righteousness of God is imputed to all who believe in Christ. Since the believer is declared as righteous as God (for he surely is), the believer has peace with God. The sins that made us fit for God’s wrath and condemnation are all taken away by the redeeming work of Christ.
Peace with God! Neighbours that is shouting ground! I am on good terms with God because my sins are taken away, and the righteousness of Christ (which is the righteousness of God, for he is verily God) is imputed to me.
This is true and genuine peace. The believer in Christ may have peace in his soul, though there may be wars and rumours of war all about him. Though this life is attended by many conflicts, the child of God has true peace because he has been saved from his sins and reconciled to God. The only way you will ever have that kind of peace is by believing in Christ for your salvation. May the Lord grant it.
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