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Romans 6:4 – Raised to New Life

Posted on March 3, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:4

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

Truth to Learn

Because of Christ’s resurrection we should live differently.

Behind the Words

The words “we were buried with” are from the Greek word sunthaptō, which is made up of sun, meaning “together” and thaptō, meaning “to bury.” In the New Testament this word only appears here and in Colossians 2:12. In both instances it refers to us being buried together with Christ in, or through, baptism.

“Raised” is from egeirō, which literally means “to arouse” or “to cause to rise.” It means to awaken someone from sleep, whether it be restful slumber or death itself.

The word translated “newness” is kainotēs, which is derived from kainos, meaning “new.” Kainotēs refers to a renewal, not simply an experience similar to the past, but a qualitatively different one. Hence, here it refers to a newness of life that has a different quality from the previous life that we had without Christ.

Meaning Explained

For Christians, baptism is a public declaration that a person has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. It is not part of the salvation process; it happens after salvation. This current verse and those that follow describe a mode of baptism referred to as “immersion.” Though this is the mode of baptism that most closely identifies us with the death and resurrection of Christ, it is not the only form of baptism used by Christians today. For the sake of discussion in these verses, however, we will assume that Paul is talking about baptism by immersion.

Baptism involves the baptizer laying the person being baptized backwards into the water until he or she is completely submerged. Paul says that this person was, “buried with him (Christ) through baptism into death.” The person being baptized is then raised back up and allowed to stand. Paul says, “that just as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

What Paul means is that as we were laid back in the water we were identifying ourselves with Christ’s death. We were demonstrating that we died with Christ. When we were raised back up, we were identifying with the resurrection of Christ, entering into a new kind of life, that is, eternal life. And Paul says, since we were raised from the dead, we should now walk in this new kind of life. This new life is to be qualitatively different from our former life. It is not to be characterized by sin because, as he said in verse two, we died to sin.

Application

Let me ask you, my Christian friend, “Does the kind of life you are living now differ significantly from the kind of life you lived before you were saved?” It should!

Are you walking in this new kind of life in a manner that is worthy of Jesus Christ, the One you have identified with?

If you were arrested today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? I certainly hope so!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 6:3 – Baptized to Death

Posted on March 2, 2010 by Will

Romans 6:3

Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Truth to Learn

We don’t have to let sin control us. We can have the victory!

Behind the Words

The word “baptized” is translated from baptidzo. It’s easy to see that the Greek word and the English word are nearly identical. This is what is known as a transliteration. A transliteration is when a word in one language is carried over directly into another language. This Greek word means “to immerse, to place into, to dunk, or to wet completely.” For this reason alone, it is reasonable to believe that immersion is the form of baptism that was followed by the early church.

Meaning Explained

This verse and the following are an amplification of what was said in the previous verse. Paul just told us that we died to sin. What does he mean by that? When we were baptized into Jesus Christ we were baptized into his death.

Some people interpret this as saying that we were “placed into the body of Christ.” The only problem with this is that this verse doesn’t say we were baptized into the body of Christ, rather that we were baptized into Christ.

I believe that Paul is talking about “believers’ baptism,” that act in which we were immersed in water (or sprinkled with water, or had water poured on us). This believers’ baptism does not in any way save us. As Paul has told us in the earlier chapters of this book, we are saved by believing in God’s promise and by God subsequently declaring us righteous; not because we did something (like get baptized) but because we believed his message. Well, if this baptism doesn’t save us, then what does it do? It is a public proclamation of our identification with Jesus Christ. It is a proclamation that we have died to sin, and it no longer rules over us, He does.

By identifying with Jesus through baptism, we identify with both his death and his resurrection. The current verse talks about the first half of this. When we were baptized, we were baptized into (identified with) his death; therefore, with Christ we have died to sin and do not have to let it control us.

There is some comfort to be taken in this passage of scripture. The mere fact that Paul is arguing so strongly regarding sinfulness after salvation is proof in itself that we do not stop sinning when we get saved. If that were the case, Paul would simply tell these Roman Christians (and us) that the presence of sin indicates the lack of salvation. But he does not say that!

You will recall that Paul started this line of reasoning because there were some who claimed that we could sin all we want because it only makes the grace of God appear greater. It is clear from Paul’s argument that we have a choice to live a life characterized by sin or not. We will always sin because we have a sin nature, but we don’t have to let sin run our lives. We can control it through the power of the Holy Spirit. What Paul is teaching us through this section of the book of Romans is how to control our sin nature instead of letting it control us.

Application

We all battle the lusts of our sin nature, which are inflamed by this world system we live in. But, we don’t have to let sin control us. Let us all pray that the Holy Spirit of God will give us victory over our sin nature, and in return let’s give God the glory and praise that He deserves.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:21 – Eternal – Death or Life

Posted on February 24, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:21

so that as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Truth to Learn

Even though we were ruled over by sin in the past, God’s grace will reign over us because of the righteousness that He imputes to us when we submit to Him as our Lord.

Behind the Words

The words “reigned” and “might reign” are translated from basileuō, meaning “to reign” or “to be king” as we saw back in verse fourteen. The verb forms in this verse are very telling. “Reigned” is in the aorist, active, indicative indicating a past action occurring at a point in time. Hence, it could be translated as “began to reign” or “reigned” as we have it in this translation. However, “might reign” is an aorist, active, subjunctive, which implies something that is not necessarily occurring at the moment but that might occur in the future.

“Eternal” is translated from the Greek word aiōnios, which is from aiōn, meaning “an age” or “a long period of time.” Hence, aiōnios means “perpetual, everlasting, or eternal.

The word translated “Lord” is kurios, which comes from the noun kuros, meaning “might or power.” The word kurios means “one who is supreme in authority or power, a master, or an owner.” When we refer to Jesus Christ as our Lord we are saying that he is our owner, the one who has supreme authority over all that we do and that we have submitted our will to His.

Meaning Explained

Paul now ties-up the entire chapter in this one verse. Previously Paul taught us that the Law came in to make the presence of sin much more evident. It was the spotlight that made sin undeniable. And he said that where sin was more apparent, grace was even more so. That is, as the knowledge of sin became greater, the recognition of the immenseness of the grace became even greater. To use a military analogy, the greater and more powerful the enemy, the greater is the reputation of the army that conquers that enemy.

Paul now makes the final comparison. On the one hand, sin has reigned unbeatable in the past, producing death. From 2Thessalonians we know that this death is everlasting:

… and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

But in the final showdown, grace will defeat the enemy. It will reign over death and through righteousness (imputed by that grace) it will produce in us eternal life. This grace which allows righteousness to be imputed to us is only made possible through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Application

Thank you, Heavenly Father for helping me see my sinfulness and for your gracious gift, the blood of your only begotten son that paid for my sins. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the promise of eternal life rather than the eternal punishment that I deserve. Truly, you are worthy of my worship and my praise! You are my Owner, my Master, and my Lord, and I willingly submit my will to yours. Amen.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:18, 19 – Summing it Up

Posted on February 21, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:18, 19

Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

Truth to Learn

We all deserve God’s wrath, but we can be saved from it by believing in the death of Jesus Christ as payment for us.

Behind the Words

This verse starts off with “Therefore” which is a translation of the Greek words ara oun. These two words form what in Greek is called an “inferential conjunction,” implying that the following is a summary of that which preceded it. Hence, these two verses are a summarization of what Paul has already said several different ways in the previous verses.

Meaning Explained

These verses are a summary statement of what Paul has been saying since verse twelve. He has stated this almost repeatedly since then, so we won’t belabor it further.

However, let’s do our own quick summary of Paul’s letter so far to put this all into context. He started out by declaring that God is evident to all men, but because some refused to recognize God for who He is, He gave them up to a depraved mind so as to not only do ungodly things but also to approve of others who do the same thing.

In chapter two he showed that God judges impartially, and to those who do well He will give eternal life, but to those who are self-seeking and unrighteous He will show His wrath. He also began his argument that circumcision of the flesh and obedience to the Law do not produce righteousness.

In chapter three he went on to show that in spite of circumcision, the Jews are no better than Gentiles because, as it has been written, “There is none righteous, no, not one.” We are all sinners deserving of God’s wrath. He continues by saying that the righteousness of God has been revealed, and it is the righteousness that only comes from faith in Jesus Christ.

In chapter four Paul cited Abraham as an example. He showed that Abraham was justified by faith when he believed God’s promise and his faith was credited to him for righteousness. Then, Paul went on to point out that Abraham was declared righteous years before he was circumcised. Obedience came after righteousness-producing faith, not the other way around.

Now in this chapter he points out that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us, the Godly for the ungodly. And he said that we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Why? Because just as the sin of one man (Adam) caused us all to be sinners (and now there is none righteous, no not one), so the righteous act of one man (Jesus) results in righteousness (justification) being available to all men. By Adam’s disobedience all were made sinners and by Jesus’ obedience many (those who believe) will be made righteous.

Application

In spite of all your good intentions and good deeds, God says that you are unrighteous and deserving of His wrath. But, by believing in the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, He will declare you to be righteous. Do you believe?

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:17 – A Reigning Gift

Posted on February 18, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:17

For if by the one man’s offense death reigned through the one, much more those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.)

Truth to Learn

We will reign with Christ because of what He has done for us.

Behind the Words

“Offence” is from the word paraptōma, which we saw a couple verses back meaning “a falling by the wayside.”

“Death” is a word we haven’t looked at yet. It is from the Greek word thanatos, which is based on the verb thaneskō, meaning “to die.” Thanatos is actually an adjective in form but it is a noun in usage. It is used to refer to physical death (the death of our physical bodies) as well as spiritual death (exclusion from the presence and favor of God). The base meaning of this word implies separation. Regarding physical death it is the separation of the soul and spirit from the body. With respect to spiritual death is the separation of the spirit from the presence and favor of God.

The word “receive” is translated from the Greek word lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.” It is expressed here as a participle (who are receiving).

The word translated “abundance” is perisseia, which is based on the verb perisseuō, which we also saw a couple of verses back. Perisseia roughly means “more than enough” or “an overflowing.”

Meaning Explained

Paul now combines and summarizes the previous two verses in a single statement. He starts off with, “For if by one man’s offense death reigned.” This is another first class conditional phrase as we saw two verses back, so we can read it as, “For since by one man’s offense death reigned” But the word, “man’s” is not present in the original, so we can read this as, “For since by one offense death reigned by one (man).” Paul says death has reigned as a result of one offense by one man.

The next phrase starts out with “much more.” In other words, this phrase is of even greater impact than the previous phrase. This phrase, “those who receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness,” is talking about those of us who have been saved by grace through faith.

He now makes a play on words in the midst of this very difficult passage. In the first part of this verse, Paul talked about death reigning over all of mankind as a result of sin. Now he says that we who are saved will reign in life; that is, in heaven we will reign with Christ in a state of eternal life. And that reign of ours, with Christ, will be as a result of one man, Jesus Christ.

Now let’s read this entire verse: “For since by one offense death reigned by one (man), much more those receiving an excess of grace and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by One (man), Jesus Christ.”

Application

Death reigns over us because of what Adam did, and no matter how much good we try to do, we cannot earn our way out of it. Our eternal reign with Christ, however, is God’s overflowing gift to us because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:14 – Sin on the Throne

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:14

Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned according to the likeness of the transgression of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come.

Truth to Learn

Even those who lived before the Law were sinners and suffered death as a result.

Behind the Words

“Reigned” is from basileuō, which is the verb form of the noun basileus, meaning “a king.” Thus we see that basileuō literally means “to be king” or as we have it in this verse, “to reign.”

The word “likeness” is translated from homoiōma, which is derived from the verb homoioō, meaning “to make like.” Hence, homoiōma means “a resemblance” or “a likeness.” This word does not imply any relationship between the two things, only a similarity in appearance or function.

The word translated “transgression” is the Greek word parabasis, meaning “to go beyond, cross over, or overstep.” It is most often used to indicate an overstepping of a legal limit. Hence, it usually means “to violate a law or regulation.”

“Type” is translated from the Greek word tupos, which literally refers to “a die or a stamp that is used to make similar impressions or representations.” Figuratively, it refers to something that has the form or resemblance of something else.

Meaning Explained

Paul is now driving home the fact that we discussed in the previous verse. That is, that death was visited upon all men from Adam all the way up until the Law was delivered by Moses. Therefore, all the people who lived before the Law must have been sinners.

Just to help us all with a little bit of perspective: the time from Adam to Moses is around 2500 years. That’s longer than from the time of Christ until the present. The period of “the Law,” the time from the giving of the Law until the death of Christ, is about 1300 years. So the amount of time between Adam and Moses is roughly 40% of the entire history of mankind.

Paul here says that death reigned over mankind before the Law even though these people didn’t sin in the same manner as Adam. Sin is sin no matter how great or how small, and it doesn’t matter whether a person sinned once or many, many times. Everyone who descended from Adam, even before the Law was delivered, is a sinner and suffers death as a result of their sin.

The closing statement in this verse is a significant transitional statement. It says that Adam was a “type” of the one who is to come (referring to Christ). In other words, Jesus Christ is a type of Adam. Paul gives a description of what he means by this in 1Corinthians15:45-49 where he refers to Christ as the “last Adam.” But here, Paul will compare, or more correctly, contrast, the two men (Adam and Jesus) to show us how the conduct of both Adam and Jesus has a lasting effect on each one of us personally. But he will also show us the distinct difference in the results of their actions.

Application

While it’s true we can all blame Adam for our sinfulness, we can’t blame him for our sins. Because of our sins we face death. However, because of Jesus Christ, we can experience eternal life, even though we will experience physical death.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:12 – Ancestral Sin

Posted on February 11, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:12

Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned—

Truth to Learn

Our sinfulness is a result of our being a descendant of Adam.

Behind the Words

The words “just as” are translated from the Greek word hōsper, which is used to introduce the first member of a comparison. However, Paul never grammatically introduces the second member, although it is clear that he is comparing the sin-producing work of Adam with the atoning work of Christ.

“Entered” is from the Greek eiserchomai, which is composed of eis, meaning “into” or “unto” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” Hence, it means “to come into.” It is expressed in the aorist tense indicating an action that was completed at a point in time in the past.

The word “spread” is dierchomai, which is composed of a form of dia, meaning “through” or “throughout” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” This word is immediately followed by the preposition epi, meaning “upon.” So, we see that Paul is saying “came through upon” or “spread to.”

Meaning Explained

This passage, beginning here and continuing through verse twenty-one, has been described as one of the most difficult parts of the New Testament. Unfortunately the brevity of these daily devotional studies will prevent us from going into the depth necessary to have a full understanding of this passage.

The first thing we see in this verse is that sin entered this world through one man, Adam. Adam was commanded not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Adam disobeyed, thus sinning against God. Up until that time sin had not existed in our physical world.

The second thing we see is that death entered into this world by this sin. Paul will tell us in the next chapter that the result of sin is death. Here he tells us that it was through Adam’s sin that death became a reality to us all. We see by implication that had Adam never sinned, he never would have died. In fact, God warned him about death being the consequence of disobedience when He first commanded Adam not to eat of that tree, “for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” [Genesis 2:17]

The third thing we see in this verse is that from Adam’s sin, death spread to all of us. There is no disputing that all men die. Paul is simply telling us here that this death that Adam suffered as a result of his sin is passed on to all of his descendents. The reason that we all die is because we all sinned.

In this passage Paul does not say whether he is referring to physical death or spiritual death, though his implication is physical death based on the next few verses.

Now, hang in there because there’s more to come in the following verses.

Application

We are sinners because we are descendants from Adam. We can blame Adam for our sinfulness, but we can’t blame Adam for our sins. That’s why we need a Savior.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:11 – Bragging Rights

Posted on February 10, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:11

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Truth to Learn

We have the right to rejoice and brag about God our Father.

Behind the Words

The word translated “rejoice” is the Greek word kauchaomai. This word is derived from auchen, meaning “the neck,” which vain people are apt to carry in a proud manner. Hence, the meaning has come to be recognized as “prideful or boastful either in a good or a bad sense.” As a result, some interpret this word as meaning to rejoice in a celebratory manner.

The word translated “we have now received” is lambanō, meaning “to take, to accept, or to receive.”

“Reconciliation” is from the Greek word katallagē, which is based on the verb katallassō, meaning “to exchange or to restore to a former state.” Hence, katallagē refers to “a restoration or a reconciliation.”

Meaning Explained

Not only have we been justified by the death of Jesus and we will be saved from the wrath of God by the life of Jesus, but we now are rejoicing in God because of it, according to Paul.

My friends, Christians should be the most joy-filled and rejoicing people on the face of the earth! Why? Because we have been justified (declared righteous) by God and have been promised that we will not suffer His wrath in the future. This justification allows us to fellowship with Almighty God right now, and the promise allows us to patiently endure the trials of this life knowing that we will not see His wrath.

But, I believe the root meaning of the word kauchaomai (to boast or to brag) is what Paul is trying to show us. There isn’t a child alive who, because he or she loves his or her father, won’t brag about him to his or her friends. It’s a natural thing to do. Christians, because we no longer have to fear the wrath of God (our Father), will naturally boast or brag about the greatness, the power, the infinite wisdom, the grace, the love … (I could go on for quite awhile) of our Father. And we do so through the person of Jesus Christ who is the visible manifestation of the Father, for Jesus said, “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

Finally, Paul says that it is through Jesus Christ that we have received the reconciliation. Don’t miss this, now! The Greek verb lambanō, translated “received,” is in the aorist tense. In Greek that means action that was completed at a point in time in the past. Paul says that now, at the present time, we have already received the reconciliation (completed at a point in time in the past). That’s why we can boast about Him, because we are now, and always will be, reconciled with, and at peace with, our Heavenly Father. And since we are reconciled with Him and will never have to know His wrath, we brag about Him as the greatest there ever was or ever could be!

Application

The next time you sing a song of praise to God, remember that we have eternal bragging rights. We can brag about our Father and rejoice because we have been completely reconciled to Him, forever and ever!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:8 – Death for Sinners

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:8

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Truth to Learn

Christ died for sinners. That means you and me!

Behind the Words

The word translated, “demonstrates” is from the Greek word sunistēmi, which is a compound word made up of sun, meaning “together” or “with” and histēmi, meaning “to set or place something.” Therefore, in its root meaning, sunistēmi means “to place things together.” But figuratively it means “to set something before someone.” That is to say, “to declare, show, or to make known and conspicuous.” Hence, we see the translation here being “demonstrates.”

There are two different words translated “love” in the New Testament. The first is phileō and the other is agapaō. The verb phileō is based on the word philos, meaning “a friend or someone you are endeared to.” Therefore, phileō refers to a feeling of endearment as you would feel toward a special friend. Agapaō, the word used in the current verse, refers to an act of the will in which one places the welfare of another of greater importance than one’s one welfare. It is a self-sacrificing love like God showed to us.

The words “we were still sinners” are translated from the Greek expression eti hamartōlōn ontōn hēmōn, which literally translates to, “we still being sinners.” The verb tense indicates that it is present continuous action. It is not something that ceased happening in the past.

Meaning Explained

In the last verse Paul said that it is unlikely that anyone would be willing to die for a person who is outwardly religious. But, he said that it is possible that someone would be willing to die for someone else who in not only outwardly religious but kind, benevolent, and generous. However, he implied that it is highly unlikely that anyone would be willing to die for unrighteous and undeserving sinners like you and me. Now he tells us how God’s love operates.

God, with His agape love, is willing to sacrifice for us. No one else would be willing to die for sinners like you and me. But God demonstrates how marvelous his self-sacrificing love for us is; even though we are still sinners, Christ died for us! He didn’t wait for us to become righteous by ourselves because we are without the ability to do so! And though we may have accepted Christ as Lord and Savior, we are still sinners. However because of our faith, as we saw in the previous chapter, God has declared us righteous. We didn’t actually stop being sinners when we got saved, but God stopped seeing us as sinners. He now sees us having the righteousness of Jesus Christ because the death of His Son paid the penalty for our sins, and He credited righteousness to us in His record book.

The Apostle John puts the capstone on this and offers up a challenge to us:

Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. (1 John 4:11)

Application

Thank you God, for loving a sinner like me and for giving the precious life of your only begotten Son to pay for my sinfulness! Because I am undeserving, I am eternally grateful!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Romans 5:1 – Peace Through Faith

Posted on January 27, 2010 by Will

Romans 5:1

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Truth to Learn

Salvation by faith produces peace with God.

Behind the Words

“We have” is from the Greek verb echō, meaning “to hold” or “to possess.” However, there is a variation in the form of this verb depending on which Greek manuscripts are used. Some texts have this in the indicative mood indicating it as a present fact (“we have” as it is translated here). Other texts have this verb expressed in either the subjunctive mood (“we may have” or “we should have”) or the imperative mood (“let us have” as a command). The difference in the readings is only the difference between an omicron (short o) and an omega (long ō). In spite of these differences, the reading of “we have peace” is justified by the fact that the parallel verbs (“we have” and “we rejoice”) in the following verse are both in the indicative mood.

The word translated “peace” is eirēnē, which does, in fact, mean “peace.” However, this is not so much an expression of contentment, satisfaction, and quiet, as it is “a state of reconciliation with God.”

Meaning Explained

In the previous chapters the Apostle Paul has shown:

1) That all have sinned and come short of the glory of God;

2) That this applies to both Jews and Gentiles;

3) That there was no way to obtain righteousness (become justified) but by pardon, not by personal merit, but by grace, through faith;

4) That this was also the manner in which Abraham and David were accepted before God.

He will now show us a couple of the effects, or fruits, of this justification that we have. The first is, because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God. About this peace, Matthew Henry in his Commentary on the Whole Bible said,

It is sin that breeds the quarrel between us and God, creates not only a strangeness, but an enmity; the holy righteous God cannot in honour be at peace with a sinner while he continues under the guilt of sin. Justification takes away the guilt, and so makes way for peace. And such are the benignity and good-will of God to man that, immediately upon the removing of that obstacle, the peace is made. By faith we lay hold of God’s arm and of his strength, and so are at peace …

Those who try to work for their salvation can never have peace because they never know whether they have done enough (which they never can) and so are always worried about it. In contrast to that, Paul says that because our salvation is given to us as a result of our faith by a loving God who will never take it away, we have peace and assurance.

Next, Paul will show us what else we have as a result of our justification by grace.

Application

Do you have peace with God? Can you stand in His presence assured that He is at peace with you? You can have this peace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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