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.
(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. (6) For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us
The Apostle Paul wrote the letter to the Romans to inform the Christians in Rome of his intentions to come to them to preach “his” gospel. This precious epistle presents a complete and detailed exposition of the gospel message Paul would present and no study of theology can be complete without knowledge of his towering letter to the Romans.
Chapter 5 begins with the word Therefore – Paul is reaching back to preceding chapters where he has shown that man – all men – are sinful and guilty before God. Only by grace, through faith in the redemptive works of Christ Jesus, is man justified and made right with God. Man cannot in any way justify himself. In our verses today Paul is showing us the blessings and benefits that flow from justification. Paul has shown the sinner his needs and now is introducing the truths of the gospel.
Because of the sacrificial death of Jesus we now have access to God. Through and in faith, all believing Christians enjoy God’s blessings immediately, permanently and continuously. The acceptance of Christ as Saviour has nothing to do with what man has done – good works, etc – but has all to do with what Christ has done. Divine favor is given to every believer the moment he/she believes. Paul’s message tells the faithful to rejoice in the hope of the glory of God – hope is the desire for future good with expectation of obtaining that future good. Glory is a manifestation of God’s true nature and presence into which He will admit the faithful. This was man’s true destiny, lost through sin and now restored through Christ. Paul is saying that we are pilgrims on earth but biblical hope is the certainty of future good – this hope is God’s word which He cannot break as God is faithful and cannot disappoint.
God has demonstrated His love for us – He sent His Son to die for us when we were unloveable. Christ’s action is God’s action. Such a quality of love is distinct, unexpected and unheard of in human relations. The redemptive work of Christ was irrespective of merit on the part of man and thus totally unlike natural love.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is to let us understand this gift of certain hope. The eyes of the faithful have been opened – they see through their eyes, not by them.