Our study of Romans started intense and uncomfortable. Paul boldly proclaimed the wrath of God against all ungodliness and presented an airtight case for mankind’s guilt. This bad news made us eager for some good news, and we were introduced to the gospel of righteousness attained through faith. Now here we are. Romans 5 is a powerful crescendo of the triumph of our faith. Faith that brings us from lost and broken sinners without hope to reconciled, redeemed, and righteous children of the King of Kings!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. – Romans 5:1-2 ESV
If the bad news did its job and the Holy Spirit revealed our need for a Savior, and if we trusted in Jesus to accomplish our righteousness, then the benefits of that decision are present and eternal.
1. We are justified and declared righteous.
In the garden, Adam was our representative, and through him came sin. We were credited with the guilt of that original sin and all mankind is guilty before God. We aren’t sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners! Sin affects every part of our lives, and no matter how hard we try, we can never meet God’s holy standard on our own.
But God! When Adam & Eve blew it, God already had a remedy – a sovereign salvation plan! On the cross, Christ became our representative, and through Him came righteousness. Adam’s sin brought ruin. Christ’s obedience brought justification.
2. We have peace with God. There is no more impending judgment.
God’s judgment of sinners is inevitable. There can be no peace with a holy, righteous God apart from the justification that comes through Christ. In Christ, God took the initiative to make peace with us. Peace with God settles our souls, assures us of forgiveness, and rescues us from wrath. While we were enemies with God, He saved us. Now as friends of God, He will surely keep us!
3. We have access to God. There is no more sin interference.
Adam and Eve experienced unlimited access to God until the contamination of sin interrupted it. When God designed the Tabernacle and later the Temple, He included a massive curtain to separate the people from the Holy of Holies, where His glory would dwell. A barrier that remained until Jesus’ work on the cross was complete.
And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up His spirit. And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks split. – Matthew 27:50-51 ESV
God tore the curtain because, in Christ, sin’s interference is destroyed! Access to God is granted to all who put their faith in Him.
4. We have the grace of God to sustain us.
When we put our faith in Jesus, righteousness is immediate and automatic. Sanctification is the lifelong, grace-empowered process that transforms us into His image. It is by the grace of God through the power of the Holy Spirit that we are made into the image of Christ.
“We live in the presence of a super-abundance of grace that is far greater than the depths of our disobedience.” – R.C. Sproul
5. We have the hope of God that will not disappoint.
Hope is the anchor of our souls. Faith looks back at what Christ has done and hope looks forward to what He will do. Every promise of God is “yes” and “amen” in Jesus. Our faith in Him provides hope for today and hope for eternity.
6. We have been reconciled to God.
There would be no need for reconciliation if we were not at first estranged. Everything about God is in direct opposition to everything about sin. God is the natural enemy of sinners, yet He loved us so much that He took the initiative for our reconciliation. We step into that glorious reconciliation when the work of the Holy Spirit softens our hardened hearts and we surrender by faith into the arms of Jesus Christ.
7. We have been saved from judgment.
God is going to judge sinners. We may not like to hear that, but it is true. The Bible is clear. But Christ bore the full fury of God’s wrath in our place. There is none left for us when we trust in Him.
But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. – Romans 5:8-9 ESV
The triumph of our faith does not mean we won’t face struggles. We still live in a fallen world and a human body, and we became targets of an evil adversary when we surrendered to Jesus. But even in affliction, we can rejoice. Our trials grow us. They develop endurance, produce proven character, and build hope because through it all we know God is in control and He is always good.
“Romans begins with the desperate condition of lost humanity and ends triumphantly with the benefits of being reconciled to God.” – David Jeremiah
Salvation is a done deal, accomplished the moment you believed. The work of Christ is finished! Whatever you may be circumstantially, in Christ you are positionally righteous, redeemed, and reconciled! That is the triumph of your faith!
