Peace with God
Daily Reading: (Romans 5:1-2):
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”
Before we received salvation through Christ we were not at peace with God and it was impossible for peace to be with us. Sin had separated us from a holy and righteous God.
Right away the first word in the first verse that we encounter is a therefore- which gives us the clue that Paul is mid-thought. “Therefore” in verse 1 speaks to what Paul was referencing in chapter 4- so our peace with God and our understanding in it- insight is gained as we read chapter four.
Romans 4:3: “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Righteousness or right standing with God was based upon faith for Abraham not law-based living as this is reinforced in verse 13. The point is that peace with God does not come from law-based living. Peace with God is a free gift that comes through faith by God’s grace (Romans 4:13-15a).
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have… (echo) to have and to hold. So no one and nothing can take from us (eirēnē) peace with God (Romans 5:1). Peace with God is different from “peace be with you” in that our relationship with God (salvation) does not change but the peace we receive can waver.
Paul says faith in Jesus led to peace with God and also that you were put in and established firmly in His grace. Our response should be rejoicing or boasting in our family name- that we belong to Jesus (Romans 5:2). We have hope despite what we see, despite what we feel, because we have been justified by faith and we have and hold the very peace of God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).