Read: Romans 5:1-11
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 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. 3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 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. 6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 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. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
“Peace with God” means that, until salvation, there is a war going on between God and us. When we disobey God, we not only break his law, but we assume the right or authority to do so—we claim kingship over ourselves and our world. But God claims kingship over the same things. Whenever two parties claim absolute kingly control over something, there is a war.
Our disobedience means that God has a problem with us. It is not just that we are hostile to him. Paul has already told us that God’s wrath is upon us.
For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. (Romans 1:18)
As we saw in Romans 1, God’s anger is not the same as ours. It is not vengeful or vindictive; it is legal. There is a sentence on us, and it cannot just be discarded. The debt cannot be wished away.
But, we can know God loved us because of the death of Jesus. It is a historical fact that “while we were still powerless”—sinners, and in our cases not even born—”Christ died for the ungodly” (v 6). God’s promised King gave up everything—his own life—on behalf of people who had rejected him. Paul is making an argument we should all have clearly in our minds. It goes like this:
- It would take a very loving person to die to save another (v 7a). It’s extremely rare that anyone would die in place of someone who is upright—though if they are also warm and kind and good, then it might happen. But even a very loving person would not die for an evil one. A very good one, possibly, but an evil or wicked one? No.
- So here is the single action which completely proves that God loves us (v 8) . While we were sinners—part of a human race that was rebelling and resisting him—Christ chose, by the will of the Father, to die for us.
Therefore, Paul is saying, you can know objectively and beyond all doubt that God loves you—even if your feelings or the appearance of your life circumstances might be prompting you to wonder.
To understand your salvation is to enjoy it.
- Is your mind deeply satisfied by knowing you are right with God simply by taking him at his word (“justification by faith”)? You’ll rejoice in it by thinking about it, studying it, and talking about it with others.
- Do you look at your past in wonder, thinking, “Me, a Christian, a child of God! Despite my deep flaws? Despite my record? Yet it is absolutely true!”
- When you face criticism, you don’t answer based on your own performance or make excuses for yourself. Instead you will think, “Even if I hadn’t done this thing, God wouldn’t love me any more.”
— Devotional adapted from Tim Keller, “God’s Word For You: Romans”
