Cause For Rejoicing

Romans 5:1-11

There’s an old saying that when you see a therefore, you want to see what it’s there for. It means that the preceding facts logically and inevitably lead to the result that follows. Paul has just discussed the impact of the Gods statement in Romans 4:3 “Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” In Romans 4:23-25, we are told that it directly impacts us who believe. “Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification."

If we believe in God, who raised Christ from the dead, we understand that he was crucified for our sins, as payment in full. His resurrection, on the other hand, is for our justification. In printing, justification refers to the proper alignment of print on the page. For example, this is left justified meaning the print is aligned on the left side of the page. Christ has properly aligned us with God by his resurrection, giving assurance that we also will be resurrected at the proper time. By properly aligning us with God, conflict is removed.

“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1-2)

Christ has done everything that is necessary for our salvation, and has justified us with God. Our faith has enabled us to receive what he has offered as a gift. Our salvation is assured because he did it rather than us, and it can be depended on because as Hebrews 7:25 tells us, there is nothing can take us away. “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” As I John 2:1-2 tells us, the plan is for us not to sin, but if we do, Christ will take care of it. “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” There is no danger of losing our salvation, regardless of our circumstances. We can rejoice in that assurance.

“And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: 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.” (Romans 5:3-5)

The trials we face day by day present no danger of losing our salvation, serving to strengthen our faith. We no longer have to see immediate results to trust God because we have learned the patience to wait on him. As we learn to wait, we have the experience that he repeatedly keeps his word. That produces hope(assurance) that he will always fulfill his promises. That Assurance will be validated, and is not a thing we will be embarrassed by as we understand God’s love in our hearts by the Holy Spirit’s power.

I Peter 1:5-7 expresses the same concept about believers, “ Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

Most insurance policies require that the insured pay a percentage of the treatment before they pay the balance. Christ made no such demand in his offer to pay in full. We did not have to get our lives partly straightened out in order to be saved. We did not have to be baptized or join the church, or stop drinking to be saved.

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6-8)

When Christ has invested that much in us already, despite our sinful state, he is not going to throw away what he has already invested because we made a mistake along the way. He will do what is necessary to finish what he started in those who have believed.

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.” (Romans 5:9-11)

What a wonderful blessing to know that our salvation is secured by his actions. As we look again to Hebrews 7:25, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them,” we have cause to rejoice.