With Dale Ratzlaff
We continue our study in Romans 5:1-2,
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Before we get started on Romans 5, I would like to share with you an experience I had with this chapter when I was teaching at Monterey Bay Academy. Every year I took my Bible Doctrines class through the first eight chapters of Romans. My goal was not so much to teach the facts of Scripture—important as they are—but to help the students understand the gospel and experience the assurance of salvation based upon faith in Christ. I made a policy that if a student needed some extra credit to raise his/her grade one letter they could memorize Romans 5. One girl, who appeared to be living in a state of rebellion, ended up the quarter with a D grade. Terrified with what her parents would say she memorized, Romans 5. After she repeated it to me she said, “This really says something, doesn’t it?” From that point on, for the rest of the year, she earned straight A’s in Bible class. Romans five, as is the whole book, is life-changing.
Commentary
Chapter 5 starts with “Therefore”. We have seen that Paul has laid a firm foundation for justification by faith on both redemption and propitiation, and he has demonstrated that his teaching of the gospel is in harmony with the law. He proved this by the biblical examples of Abraham and David. Further, he has shown that the Jews have no advantage regarding the reception of righteousness or the fulfillment of the promise of righteousness made to Abraham. Both righteousness and promise are “apart from law”. We come now to this life changing passage in Romans 5, one verse at a time.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Having been justified” is aorist passive. We were declared forgiven of all our sins and counted righteous with the very righteousness of God in a moment of time, and it was not our activity that made this happen, but God’s work of grace. Our part is indicated “by faith”. But we should not downplay this part. Faith is belief in what God has declared, but more than this, it is trust in the promise of God, a trust that cuts off all our claims of godly living, a trust that holds fast even when we know our sinful condition because we trust God’s grace alone.
“We have peace with God” indicates a completely new relationship that has been established. It describes a soul that is at rest like a sleeping child in the arms of his mother. But the phrase says more, “though our Lord Jesus Christ.” This peace is not based upon our present goodness or on any goodness we may develop in the future. It is “our peace”, but it is based 100% “on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
Paul is relentless; he will not just say, “We have obtained…” lest we take credit for our standing, but he insists, “through whom also we have obtained…” “Also” alerts us that he is listing another benefit to justification by faith. That benefit is “we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace…”
“Have obtained” is aorist perfect in Greek. This means that we have obtained this blessing once and for all time. And what is it that we have obtained? “Our introduction by faith in this grace in which we stand.” By “introduction” we are to picture the chamber of a king where the king’s friend “introduces” us to the king. As in the world of business, so it is in the realm of God: it is not so much what we know or can do that counts, but it is who we know—someone who has all the connections and can get us a hearing! Here we get a glimpse of our righteous Lord introducing us to His Father in the inner chamber of the Most Holy Place of God’s throne room. The writer of Hebrews states this same truth in these words:
Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need (Heb. 4:16).
Therefore, brethren, since we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful (Heb. 10:19-23).
Paul does not paint a picture of us cowering in the presence of God. Rather, in Christ we have confidence, even boldness, in God’s presence as our Introducer stands by our side. Yes, we stand in grace. Paul makes it clear by using another perfect tense, “we stand”—no falling down now—“we stand once and for all time”. And as we stand in grace we exalt, even boast, in the hope of God’s glory—the day when faith becomes reality. Earlier in Romans Paul made it clear that “we all continue [in this life] to fall short of God’s glory” (3:23). In John 17:24 Jesus prayed:
Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
According to Paul the death of Christ on the cross has once and for all determined that all true Christ followers will indeed see His glory. Truly we can exalt in the hope of the glory of God.
Application
• If we have said “yes” to the gift of God’s grace in Christ, then: In a moment of time by God’s doing we were justified—completely forgiven and declared righteousness.
• We have peace with God, but only and always through Christ.
• We have forever obtained the benefit of Christ’s introduction into the throne room of the Father.
• We can forever stand in God’s grace.
• We now have real, lasting hope that we will see the very glory of God.
Prayer
Help me understand the assurance of the good news that I can stand before your throne without fault because of your gift to me in Christ. May I proclaim your mercy into all the world. In Jesus name.
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