Articles
Peace With God - Romans 5
Peace With God - Romans 5
We have peace with God. We were enemies with God but we are reconciled, thus bringing peace. We were under condemnation and facing the wrath of God, but we were forgiven through the blood of Jesus and thus are at peace. We stood condemned, but now there is now condemnation in Christ (Rom. 8:1). The future could only anticipate wrath, fury, tribulation, and distress (cp. 2:8-9), but now in Christ we have peace. As God's children we have "received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” (8:15). "God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (5:5).
Peace with God doesn't mean absence of worldly problems. Though we have peace with God we yet in this world have suffering (5:3; 8:16-18). As Jesus promised - "in me you have peace. In the world you will have tribulation (John 16:33)". Hence He could say: "MY peace I give unto you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid" (John 14:27). In the midst of tribulation, persecution, and suffering, God's people are at peace with God and with self. We know that our WORLDLY situation is not the indicator of our relationship with God. We face our worldly problems knowing that something far better awaits us. We face the temporary distress with the hope of eternal peace with God.
As we go through life day by day, we know two things. As to our past, we have been justified, sanctified, reconciled, redeemed, and forgiven (read again 3:21-26). Second, we have Jesus as our mediator, high priest, and friend interceding for us with the Father (see 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 8:1). Paul says "we shall be saved by his life". This is not his earthly life, but that life that he NOW lives following his sacrificial death and resurrection to glory: "Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them" (Heb. 7:25).
With all these blessings, we walk according to the Spirit (8:4), we live according to the Spirit (8:5), and we have our mind set upon the Spirit (8:6). We indeed are debtors to put to death the deeds of the body (8:12-13). We are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us (8:37). Knowing this, we love God with all of heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37), for He first loved us.
Hugh DeLong
