scripture reading
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
devotional reading
Ava had not spoken to her family in well over 15 years. What she had done was inexcusable. She knew she was at fault, and she felt guilty for the wrong that she had carried out. Ava let out a cry from the depth of her soul, “Lord, forgive me; I want to go home.” Then she heard a voice, from somewhere deep inside, it said, “I know you’ve hurt them, and I know you’ve lied. I have watched you suffer all of your life. Now that you’ll listen… I’ll tell you that I will love you for you, not for what you have done or what you will become. I will love you for you. I will give you the love that you never knew.” [1]
Justification by Faith | Romans 5:1-2 | Peace is often taken for granted until suddenly it is gone. I have never met anyone who doesn’t enjoy peace in their life. After all, no one wants to live in turmoil and unrest. God’s word plainly states that we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. God’s peace is available to us through faith. Verse 1 informs us that we are justified by faith in Jesus. Romans 3:23-24 tells us a little bit more about justification. It states, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,” Justification is an instantaneous legal act of God in which he thinks of our sins as forgiven and Christ’s righteousness as belonging to us. [2] Nothing can bring more peace in our lives than to know that Christ’s righteousness belongs to us. His righteousness allows us to stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2b)
Unashamed by Love | Romans 5:3-5 | Believers can stand because of God’s righteousness, but it does not mean that believers do not experience difficulty. Without suffering, the project of sanctification would be incomplete. Endurance through suffering develops character – character that has been proven like sterling silver, purified to remove the slag and dross. In this process, the unimportant, the waste, and the alloy are pushed aside so that the real metal is refined, purified, and valuable. Suffering comes, and we develop stability of character that, in turn, strengthens our hope. [3] Romans 5:3-5 clearly states that:
- Tribulation produces patience.
- Patience produces experience.
- Experience produces hope.
- Hope makes us unashamed.
Why, after our tribulation, would we be left unashamed? Well, according to verse 5, “…because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” God’s love, experienced through our tribulation, strengthens our hope, and hope makes us unashamed. God’s love allows us to come out of the tribulation as lovely as refined silver.
Joy by Reconciliation | Romans 5:6-11 | But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8). Other than Jesus, no one would be qualified to love us so extravagantly. While we were sinners, Christ died for us! It took the sacrifice of a blameless man to reconcile sinners to God; thus, Jesus became the god-man. Let’s read Romans 5:10 in its entirety, “For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.” Sinners are reconciled to God by Jesus’ death, and Jesus’ life provides salvation to believers. Wow! What exciting news! Oh what peace, oh what joy!
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation…Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake, he made him be sin who knew no sin so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
2 Corithians 5:17-21
[1] Heller, JJ. “What Love Really Means.” Musixmatch, 22 January 2021, https://www.musixmatch.com/lyrics/JJ-Heller/What-Love-Really-Means
[2] Wayne Grudem, Bible Doctrine, Essential Teachings of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1999), 316.
[3] Charles R. Swindoll, The Swindoll Study Bible (Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishing, 2017), 1383.
discussion questions
When have you experienced the most peace in your life?
How have you been made strong after suffering through tribulation?
Who do you know that needs to hear about the joy of reconciliation?
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