Therefore, having been justified in faith, we also 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) 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. (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 care to die. (8) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. (10) For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (11) And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

The letter to the Romans was written by the apostle Paul. For our study today, Paul has completed his case that God justifies sinners by faith alone in Christ and now addresses the false notion that good works – human effort – are necessary also. Paul is saying justification is a one time event , not a continual ongoing process. And the faithful are preserved in this work of Christ, not by human effort. Salvation is not Jesus AND. The believer now has access to God in Christ which was alien to Jewish thinking and reliance on ritual and the high priest. In Christ we can never be separated from the love of God; we do not need Mary or the saints or a priest but in faith we have access to God and permanent standing in God’s Grace.

This justification in Christ causes us to exult in hope of our certain future in sharing the glory of God. We are to exult in trials which will produce endurance resulting in proven (tested) character and sure hope. This is an act of will and hope and grace. Our present life (outer man/woman) is decaying but our inner person is being renewed. What anchors our hope is the outpouring of Gods love through the Holy Spirit and our certain hope of heaven is pure because it isn’t based on anything in us. If we as sinners needed Christ’s death to save us, then heaven cannot be due in any way to our good works or human merit. All works based salvation is false and the sure hope of heaven is in spite of us

We have hope of heaven in Christ or no hope at all. Salvation is always of the Lord