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Romans 5:1-5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2) through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (3) And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; (4) and perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:1-5 presents Paul's gospel as a triumph of faith and grace. Righteousness does not come through the Law, or through any other variety of self-effort. Rather, it is a gift from God.
This is the justification that has been made available through the cross.
Verse 1: We were justified by faith. Remember that to be justified means to be guiltless, uncondemned and positively righteous. This is our standing in Christ and is received only by faith. Notice also that our being justified is past tense referring to a past event (the cross). This is because it was achieved through the cross of Christ, a historic event.
The key, of course, is our faith. Our being made righteous did not come about by our own efforts, but through Christ's work on the cross. All we need to do is believe.
Verse 1: We also have peace with God. This refers to a significant change in our relationship with God. Whereas our own sin and rebellion made us enemies of God, there is now an end to all hostility and we are at peace with Him. (See also Romans 8:7 and Colossians 1:19-22). This also was achieved "through our Lord Jesus Christ," in other words, through the cross.
Verse 2: Faith in Christ gives us access into the grace in which we stand. Grace is God's unmerited favour, and it's by faith and faith alone that we stand in all of its benefits. This gives us cause to rejoice because of the hope that we have in Christ.
Hope has been defined as a confident expectation of good. In this case, the good that we can confidently expect is the glory of God. What does that mean? Well, Paul has already said in Romans 2:6-7 that we can expect glory in the next life. That really is something to look forward to.
Verse 3: The Christian should glory in tribulation. As a verb, the word glory is rarely used in modern English. So what does it mean? It simply means to rejoice, to exult. James says something similar in James 1:2-4. See also 1 Peter 1:6-7.
Verse 3: Tribulation produces perseverance, a quality that God highly values. Perseverance means staying power, stickability, the ability to last the distance. God is not aiming to produce weak and spineless sons and daughters who give up under pressure or opposition. He wants us to be strong.
Verse 4: Perseverance produces character. The Greek word for "character" refers to something that has stood the test, something that has been approved by trial. Here then, it would mean integrity that has been tried and passed the test.
Paul is referring to godly character, Christ-likeness that has been tested and proven. See 1 Peter 1:6 where Peter makes a similar connection between perseverance and godly character.
Verse 4: Christ-likeness produces hope, a confident expectation of good. When a person's life is yielded to Christ to the point where God can produce the image of Christ in them, it produces hope. This is a confident expectation, not only of eternal life, but also of reward.
Verse 5: Our hope will never be disappointed because God's promise to us is certain. How can we be sure? Because the promise has been sealed by the Holy Spirit of promise. (See Ephesians 1:13-14.) In other words, God's intention to grant us all the benefits of the cross, including eternal life, is guaranteed by His giving us the Holy Spirit.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is a tangible demonstration of God's love for us.
If the blood of Jesus means that you are now guiltless, how do you deal with the feeling of guilt?
What are the practical consequences of being at peace with God? Should that change the way you feel?
What do you think it means to receive glory in the next life? Do you have a sense of anticipation?
Do you make an effort to rejoice in tough times? What are good reasons why you should?
In what way has God used difficult times to produce Christ's nature in you?
If you like these Expository Bible Studies, don't forget to check out our Topical Bible Studies too.