Peace with God

Proceeding on from Romans 4, where Paul establishes the reality of justification by faith alone, he now moves to the practical subject of understanding what  God’s work of justification accomplishes, and how to “live” a justified life, how that truth is demonstrated in your life.  Clue:  Just like justification itself, God alone maintains our being declared righteous, and provides His Holy Spirit to strengthen and guide us to live that new life in Christ.  The truths Paul covers in chapter 5 are axioms of Christian living that must be understood and applied personally in order to proceed in the Christian life.  The key theme of Peace, resolving the conflict caused by sin between God and man, is actually manifested in two aspects: the Peace with God, accomplished by faith in the finished work of Christ on the Cross; and the Peace of God, administered to us by God’s Holy Spirit in our life, enabling us to live a godly life.

This study will cover Romans 5 in two sections, first dealing with Rom. 5:1-5 and God’s great work of Justification, then in Rom. 5:6-11 we look at the remarkable work of Reconciliation God blesses us with based on our justification.  An earlier study in this series established that Romans is “the essential reader” for the Christian.  I trust you take that to heart!  As we have now started to study Romans 5-8, stay alert that you are cutting into the main vein of gold in the mine.  Be careful to pick up every nugget of this treasure possible as you spend time in God’s word.

Heads up:  This study session is a little more lengthy because of the substantive and strategic truth being covered.  You might benefit by dividing this study into two of 30 minutes or so, looking at one section each time. 

Bible Study Journal

• • • • Start by reading through Romans 5.  Be sure to pick up on these two main divisions of the chapter:
        …Verses 1-11 show the characteristics of God’s work of Justification
        …Verses 12-21 discuss how man inherited sin and how God provided a remedy for sin.
      • Note that Romans 5 begins with “peace”, ends with “righteousness”, and in v.11 the chapter is centered on “reconciliation” – read back through the chapter to see these sections.
      • Pull out your Bible Study journal and write down all the benefits listed in Romans 5 that we have as a result of God declaring us righteous.  Verses 1-5 are a specific listing, but as you read the rest of the chapter you will see even more.  Note that these benefits are stated by the Bible as established facts, so these are statements of actual reality for the Christian.  How many benefits do you find?

Romans 5:1 – Justification:  Being Declared Righteous

• Romans 5:1 – “having been justified” – The wording Paul uses here shows that this action of justification is a one-time occurrence for the individual believer with results that will be in effect for all of eternity.  It can loosely be  compared to what we would expect today of a legally binding guarantee.  This verse is a major point of reference for the book of Romans – Paul puts this “stake in the ground” from which he moves forward in his letter – everything develops from first being “declared righteous”.

• What is this major doctrinal word “justified” and its correllary action “justification”?
  • In simple terms, this refers to a statement of innocence declared by one party for another.
  • From a biblical perspective, this is the status of a sinful person’s penalty for his sin being forgiven based on Christ’s death on the Cross and declared righteous by God.  God the Righteous Judge declares the believer’s sinful guilt to be removed and he is instead granted the righteousness of Christ.
  • Some have used the phrase “just as if I had never sinned” to express how remarkable this term is.  It is very distinct from today’s culture, where we are constantly trying to “justify” (or logically excuse) our actions, meaning that we are trying hide the truth of our actions, get away with something, try to make our wrong actions seem acceptable.
    
  • God’s work of justification of the sinner is accomplished by Him alone as the only worthy Judge – He chooses to “wipe the slate clean” based on Jesus’ death on the Cross.
• Rom. 5:1, “Peace with God” – We were at war with God (we were God’s enemy, see Ephesians 2:14-16; James 4:4) but no more!  If you review Romans 1:18-32, you’ll be reminded of how serious this war is – talk about global conflict!  This Peace is not just a “lovely internal calm”.   It is a guaranteed, lasting truce from the very real war that God is engaged in with sinful man.  According to Romans 5:18, the wrath of God is revealed against all people.  By personally receiving God’s gift of salvation based on the finished work of Christ on the Cross, I am declared righteous by God, redeemed. rescued from my rebellion and at peace with the One True God (see Colossians 1:20-22).
• Note this distinction:
  • Peace “with” God = God’s declaration, at the moment you receive Christ as Savior, that you are no longer enemies, you are reconciled to God (Rom. 5:1, 10)
  • Peace “of” God = God’s comfort, His encouragement and inner peace in the midst of struggles which He provides through His Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17; 16:13).
• Justification:  A big word, with a very large biblical meaning.  To review:  Justification is what happens when you become a Christian:  you come to that point in your life where you believe that Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for your sin (Rom. 5:8-9), place your faith in Him and confess Him as your Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9-10).  You are born again, baptized spiritually into Christ, and God declares you righteous.

Bible Study Journal

• Do people around you have a desire to be at peace with God? What do they do to try to accomplish that?
  • • Are you “peaceful” – do you have a life characterized by peace? How about the people around you?  What about the world you live in?
    • Describe what you think “by faith” (Rom. 5:1) means.
    • Be sure to write some notes in your journal in response to these questions.

The Benefits of Peace

• Romans 5:2, “introduction by faith into… grace…”  In the Old Testament, the priest went into the Temple to minister before God on behalf of the Jewish people – the “regular” people never went into the Temple.  But now, we are privileged to individually stand in our holy God’s presence (compare Hebrews 4:16), going near the throne of grace with confidence.  We are privileged to live under the waterfall of God’s grace being poured out in our lives!
  • Paul tells us we have several benefits of Justification:
    • Peace with God
    • Access into His presence and grace
    • Joyful confidence in tribulation
    • Stedfast faith
    • Godly character
    • Hope anchored in God
    • The Holy Spirit
• We now have “access” or “introduction” into God’s presence – It’s an open door, like when you get a new job, you’re issued an ID badge with some type of encoding used to allow you through certain doors; it has something of a “wow” effect when you first use it, you just walk in! But then you discover that it only opens certain doors (not the Executive Floor) – not so with our access to God!
  • Compare this to access into the Oval Office, the seat of America’s power – some get a visitor badge for a one-time meet & greet, others have a moment-by-moment access to simply walk in as needed for substantive communication. Which access do you have?
  • Standing in grace, we “exult” in the hope we now have in Christ.  Paul uses a different word that suggests a joy that eclipses simple happiness,  like the joy of a family celebration – this strong, emotional joy makes us want to jump up and shout “woohoo”!
• Romans 5:3, “we exult in tribulations”  – This begins a sequence of four “benefits” that develop in our life as God’s grace begins to be poured out in us.  The sequence comes from the hope that He gives us (v.2), and begins with how we respond to difficult times.  Paul assumes that tribulations do occur in believers’ lives, he doesn’t suggest that the Christian life should be free of these experiences.  Tribulation is not necessarily limited to serious persecution, but even includes the regular irritations and pressures of life.
• Romans 5:4– tribulation leads to perseverance, which leads to proven character, which leads to hope.
  • What is a “tribulation”? Check James 1:12-17 – the word can mean afflictions, sufferings, distress.
  • Paul uses this word often to refer to problems, sufferings, evil as the result of living in a fallen world surrounded by unbelievers rushing toward the end times. We will experience “tribulation” as a result of living in a fallen world.
  • Paul wants this to be good news to the Christian – difficulties will happen, but God is going strengthen us and give us hope (a confident hope in the risen Lord, Titus 2:13)
• Romans 5:5,  Our hope in Christ “does not disappoint” us.  This hope is confident, anchored in the promise that Jesus is going to return to take us to heaven to live with Him eternally.  Because of the confidence of His resurrection, that hope will “not disappoint”.  God “pours out” His love on us.  According to Eph. 3:14-19, we’re rooted and grounded in that love.

Bible Study Journal
OK, I’ve” got it – God allows struggles in my life for my good – but, I’m supposed to “exult” in them, click my heels, enjoy them?  Help me here…  In what ways can knowing about this process really work in my life?  Will the hand of God really be active in my life, helping me to face difficulties and trials?  Yes, that is how God strengthens our faith.

• • • Check out Hebrews 12 where the writer gives an extended study of God’s strengthening work during difficulties.
    • How is this hope related to God’s grace, His love poured out in our hearts?
    • How is that love poured out in your life?
    • Here are some other Bible passages on reconciliation.  Take the time to read each and make some notes in your Bible Journal.  — 1 Peter 3:18; Hebrews 9:15; 2 Cor. 5:18-20; 1 John 4:9-10; John 15:13

Hopelessly Lost, Gloriously Found!

In Romans 5:6,  we see that God provided Redemption to us “while we were weak”.  The word for “helpless” in Greek is  asthenon which refers to being sickly, feeble, diseased, with no ability to come up with a solution, laying on the ground exposed to the elements.   Other translations say “weak” or “without strength”.  This is an emphasis on man’s status without faith in Christ – until Christ died, there was no solution, but now there is a solution.  Each of us are desperately and hopelessly lost, drowning in the sea of a sinful life.  When we grab hold of the “life preserver” of Redemption, we are rescued into the secure safety of eternal life in Christ.

Romans 5:8 is one of the key verses we refer to when sharing the Gospel message.  The sinner needs to understand that while we are hopelessly lost in our sin, God still chose to send His Son to die for our sins.

Here are a few further observations on important terms in this passage:

• Rom. 5:6 –
  • In due time-see Galatians 4:4 – not only “in the nick of time”, but at just the right time, the time most perfect for this to occur
  • Christ died for us.  A triple repeat in this passage of this important truth –  5:6, 8,10.
• Rom. 5:7 – For a really nice guy who has done lots of nice things for me… maybe I would take his place; but for a slime ball laying in the gutter? …probably not.  And yet, Christ did just that.
• Rom. 5:8 –
  • God “demonstrates” His love.  Not just a simple “show” or “reveal” – this term is to positively establish, commend, demonstrate, prove, validate.  There is no room for doubt – salvation is real.
  • God’s love- His grasp of and deep concern for our desperate need, His desire to do anything needed to resolve our condition.  1 John 4:9-10
  • For us, Christ stood in front of me and took the shot, completely died instead of me.  The spiritual, eternal death that I was already sentenced and committed to, Christ took Himself.  (John 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 3:18).
• Rom. 5:9
  • Much more -all you see is the headline, but actually there is much more accomplished in our salvation:  we were enemies of God, we are eternal beings and destined for an eternal judgment (God’s just wrath) in hell for our rebellion, and we have been delivered from that death.  But “even better”, we have been “justified”, declared by the only High Judge that we “are righteous” as He is.   Paul liked this little phrase “much more” (like saying “but wait! there’s more…”) – look for three more instances of it just here in Romans 5.
  • We are justified “by His blood”.  Verse 1 says by our faith, that’s referring to how God uses our trust in His work
• The doctrinal term “Atonement” looms large through the whole Bible.  It emphasizes a “payment” to clear a debt.  Here’s the scenario:  Our sin breaks God’s moral law, we are judged, found guilty and sentenced to pay a penalty, a debt (ultimately eternity in hell).  Jesus’ blood shed on the Cross was presented spiritually to God Who received this as full payment of our debt.  At the point that we personally believe and accept this payment for our sin and receive Jesus Christ as our Savior, God then applies the payment “to our account” based on our faith (Romans 6).  Wow!  Big doctrinal truth, summarized in one paragraph.  (You can look up more by searching bible.org for the word “propitiation” – but bring a lunch.)
• The results of Justification in your life are many.  “Much more than…”  God has blessed us beyond what we could imagine or deserve.  Look at the catalog of rich blessings in Romans 5:9-11…
  • saved from wrath
  • reconciled to God
  • saved by Christ’s life as well as His death (we need to think a lot about that)
  • we rejoice in fellowship with God  (an eternal reality)

Since Adam & Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden as a result of their sin, God has sought to recover that fellowship He treasured so deeply with His precious creation.  He has worked as He promised Adam (Gen. 3:15) since that time in many ways, in many peoples’ lives, sovereign over all the affairs of man, all the way to the first coming of the Messiah – Jesus Christ our Savior, born in Bethlehem.  The work of Redemption was completed in Christ, the “once for all” payment for sin was made, and the free gift by God’s grace was now offered to every man and woman.  “Therefore…we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)

Bible Study Journal

• • • In verse 6,8,10, what words describe our condition before salvation?  Would you agree these words adequately describe you – either before you knew Christ as Savior, or now if you haven’t yet received Him?
    • Romans 5:8 is a key verse in sharing the Gospel message with an unsaved friend.   Take a look at the other verses in the “Romans Road” plan of the Gospel:  3:23; 6:23; 10:9-10.  (You need to know these verses so that you can share the Gospel message with an unsaved friend.)
    • Big words, major truth:  Make note in your journal of “propitiation” and “reconciliation”. Note the related verses in this passage, and try to find a few more to note as well.  Look these words up in your Study Bible, or search on a good Bible study resource web site such as preceptaustin.org.  This is a life-long study, so never stop thinking about these great themes!
    • Extra Credit: The “substitutionary death” of Christ for us is one of the most essential doctrinal truths in Scripture.  You would do well to go to www.bible.org, do a search on that term and become familiar with the basis for our salvation.
    • Be sure write your answers to these questions in your Bible Study Journal!