” Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

-{Romans 5:1-3}

In Romans 5;1-11 Paul’s message is that you cannot lose your salvation,it is “..kept by the power of God.”-{1 Peter 1;5}.The word “kept” is a military term that means “protected,” and who is the One protecting your salvation? God Himself!

Jesus said, “I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.“-{John 10:28-30}

Paul in Romans chapters 3 and 4 shows that salvation is by Grace through faith alone in Christ and not by works of self righteousness. This would have been very strange and hard for the Jew who from a young age would have been brought up believing in salvation through self effort-a works righteousness for salvation! They believed this was necessary to gain God’s favor and maintain His favor. It was all down to self, and what one did and did not do. There was the absence of the Grace of God, and therefore to say it is faith alone in Christ would have been foreign and so against the grain of their upbringing, thinking and teaching.

And so today, world religions based on “works of self righteousness” trying to appease a “god” they have created in their own mind, and have a list of how and what one should do or not do. And living by a human code that “good” works that outweigh “bad” works will be sufficient for God to accept and welcome me into heaven. So like a “see-saw,” that tilts up and down, life is lived like that trying to outweigh the “bad” with the “good,” to gain favor, merit with God. And that includes comparing yourself to others and proudly boasting that “you are not as bad as someone else!” It’s a works centered mentality. Self works to justify one with God! And as Paul has taught and teaches this is not God’s way. For none of us will ever be good enough in our own works for if that was true then it would be “Christ plus my works to make up for His deficiency on the cross!” Self-WORKS Salvation mindset is an affront to God and the “finished” work of His Son. It is to say what God did is not enough and His Son’s work lacks something that only my self effort, works can make up for His deficiency to save me!

Today we face that same problem that salvation is NOT by the Grace of God through faith IN Christ alone. Or  the error that if someone has been saved they too can fall back into a “works mentality,” to make sure we stay saved,and don’t lose our salvation. There are some that teach you can lose your salvation. Paul in Romans 5 speaks of eternal security for the believer, that once saved always saved! That is true, for if God has saved you, He saves you!I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.“-{John 10:28-30}; “…who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”-{1 Peter 1:5}; “Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”-{Hebrews 7:27}.

The evil one wants to deceive people into trusting in themselves, or seeks to tempt the believer seeking to inject doubts about their salvation.  To doubt they have been saved and often this comes by seeking to tempt us to turn away from Christ’s work and look at our failures, sin, our own “works” as a merit and away from what Christ has done with our sin! The evil one seeks to tempt us to turn us inward and in doing so if we yield to that temptation we turn our thinking, focus off God and His Word is set aside, displaced by lies and we end up to listening to and acting upon the lies, doubting God and dishonoring Him and His Work on our behalf! Ask yourself who am I looking to?Self or God? Trusting in my feelings or faith in What he says in His Word?

But Paul assures us we can know we belong to God and that forever as He writes this chapter.

In this chapter we see The Mediation of the LORD Jesus either by name or it says, “THROUGH…” Him…

“Therefore,” having laid down the foundation in chapter 3 and 4 and in light of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ,”Therefore…,”

 

1.JUSTIFIED

“Therefore, having been justified by faith,… “-{Romans 5:1}

Having been justified  (dikaioo from díkaios = just, righteous – the same root for words translated righteous, righteousness, justification, just, justifier) This defines the deed, the act of declaring a person not guilty! It is to pronounce and declare a person and treat them as righteous. It is a declaration by God. it is not a process but a declaration by God. It is in the “aorist tense” meaning this justification was a one time event that happened in the past when these believers were LEGALLY DECLARED NOT GUILTY. It is something that happened in the past! It happened the moment you were saved. The Righteous Judge in the courtroom Declared you not guilty but in right standing with God, and all this “through our LORD Jesus Christ.”

God declared you Justified, NOT GUILTY,BUT RIGHTEOUS AND IT IS HOW GOD TREATS YOU BECAUSE OF IT!

It is in the passive voice which is a declaration  which came from an outside Source,…here it is a reference to GOD HIMSELF!

They were freed from the charges against them, which were transferred to the account of The LORD Jesus their Sin Bearer, their Substitute. God has done so for each of His whom He has justified. He has declared us Justified, free from the penalty of sin and declared righteous in His sight… for all eternity! Forever guilt free, forever right with God, positionally with Him for all eternity!!

Paul lists some of our inheritance through Justification of what we have “through” the LORD Jesus who has purchased, secures, sustain our salvation and will finish what He starts! -“For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” -{Phil 1:6}. He initiated, sustains and will finish it! ” … having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” -{Romans 5:9}. Justified by faith, justified by His Blood and saved from His wrath through Him!

We have  ASSURANCE that God is our anchor of eternal security Through the LORD Jesus Christ. We have…

2.”PEACE With God

“…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,”-{v2}.

 The word “PEACE,”-{Eirene}  comes from the verb “eiro” which means ” to bind together that which has been separated or divided….” Peace is the opposite of division or dissension. “Peace as used here is a state of freedom  we are in and was used of a nation from war.The War Is Over!

This is not subjective but speaking of OBJECTIVE peace with GOD. It is speaking of the relationship. Before this we were “enemies” which means, animosity, a deep seated hatred. We were at war with Him! It is not an attitude or feeling of peace that is spoken of here but the war is over and we have peace with God. The wrath of God abides on you, -{Romans 1:18}, whether you feel it, know it or not. God is at war with you because of your rebellion against Him and His Word! And Romans 1 and 2 shows what He thinks and will do, “God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day.“-{ Psalm 7:11}-  “But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”-{Luke 12:5}. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” -{Heb 10:31 NLT}. GOD TREATS SIN AS SERIOUS! THERE IS A SPIRITUAL WAR… you are at war with God, whether you think it, believe it or not. Your rebellion, living your life on your terms rejecting submission to His Son and Word, God is at war against you. Only “THROUGH” JESUS CHRIST WHOM GOD HAS CHOSEN TO TAKE OUR PLACE, BEAR OUR PUNISHMENT for our sin. We now have peace with GOD not because we did something to bring about the relationship change. GOD DID IT. “For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh,”-{Romans 8:3}. God has been satisfied “through” the LORD Jesus Christ. God is satisfied what His SON did on the cross. “…having made peace through the blood of His cross;”-{Col 1:20}…”For He Himself is our peace. “-{Ephesians 2:14}. Our Peace with God is a a result of what Jesus did who is our Peace! “yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach.”-{Col 1:20}. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”-{Romans 6;23}. Great News! The war is over.”PEACE WITH GOD!”

 Peace with God, As used here, is not a Feeling but a Fact! The WAR is Over.

  • Peace with God means God has nothing against us.
  • God has judged our sin upon Christ
  • God is fully satisfied with  Christ’s sacrifice one and for all so He will never require another sacrifice to satisfy Him. He will never judge our sin again as He is satisfied and that eternally so, that He has judged our sin once and for all on Jesus!
  • God has taken care of the War and called Peace and we are secure under His declaration.
  • We need not fear as He is fully satisfied and it is not dependent on us. All claims against us Jesus has eternally satisfied-{Col 1:20}.

Eternally secure because we have PEACE WITH GOD, through our LORD Jesus Christ!

PEACE WITH GOD- THE WAR IS OVER-

 

3. “ACCESS.”

” through whom also we have obtained our ACCESS {introduction} by faith into this grace in which we stand;“-{v2}

ACCESS“- “Prosagoge.”- “Introduction.” Literally means “a leading or bringing into the presence.” It speaks of admission, freedom, it speaks of the favor afforded to the one granted access. It includes the idea of approaching someone having access to someone of a higher status! It was used of someone who was granted access to the king’s presence!

To the Jewish mind this was a shock as they had been brought up to believe  that God who is Holy and was unapproachable. When Adam and Eve was put out of the Garden

“God’s warfare with sinners in the Old Testament meant that cherubim with flaming swords kept men away from His presence in the Garden of Eden. It meant that there were many curtains and walls between Him and His people in the tabernacle and temple, barriers that it was death to transgress. Now, however, the veil of the temple has been ripped in half from top to bottom, signifying that at last a man has been given access to God, because at last God is at peace with a man. In union with the man,Jesus Christ, we must also have peace with and access to God.”-{Ligionier Ministries}

In the Greek culture at the time the word “Prosagoge,”Access, introduction was often use to speak of a haven or harbor for a ship that was in distress. How beautiful God is a haven and a harbor for us in distress!

The word “access” is used three times, here and in …

  • Ephesians 2:18 -“for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.”

Both the believer who had been a Jew or those who were known as Gentiles had equal access to God . How? “THROUGH HIM!” Through the LORD Jesus! There is not “ACCESS” for one and a different “ACCESS,” for the other!

  • “…in whom we have boldness and confident access through faith in Him.”-   {Ephesians 3:12}.

 “HAVE OBTAINED” Is in the “perfect tense.” it is a past completed action. We were granted access in the past when God justified us! And it has continual effect… and it speaks of the PERMANENCE  OF OUR ACCESS TO GOD, independent of any human effort of self righteousness! What a blessing! Part of your ETERNAL SECURITY “In Christ,”is permanent access to God!

 Our Access To God is Permanent!

 

4. “STAND IN GRACE.”

“…through Whom…into this GRACE in which WE STAND;”- {v2}

Where once we stood in condemnation, opposition, but now by God’s doing “Through” the LORD Jesus we stand in grace. We are Saved by grace,- {Eph 2:8-9}; Sustained in grace,-{2 Cor :12:9}… and Stand in grace. We Stand fully accepted and in the Divine favor of God from the moment God justifies us for…eternity!  We do not move in and out of Grace as if we are “doing the hokey – pokey, one foot in one foot out.” We “Stand In Grace.”

“Stand” means to  “stand firm, abide.” We live in a state of grace. We are set in this state of grace, permanently,”Through the LORD JESUS.” We are placed in this sphere of Grace by God who justified us, in whom we have peace with God, the war is over through the Work of the LORD Jesus and also we as a result stand firmly and permanently, eternally in the state of Grace. The Grace of forgiveness is permanent{read COL 2:12-13}. It is His Divine favor eternally upon us where we are eternally lovingly accepted and nothing can sever this standing we have with God because it has been purchased for us “through the LORD Jesus Christ.”

He who saved us  and took away the penalty and guilt of sin and clothed us in righteousness still holds to that position and provision for us in this state and standing of Grace we have before Him, Because of Him and in Him! It is Permanent! What if I sin? “My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. “-{1 John 2:1-2}. We have His Grace for all our sin. Sin does not move us out from beyond His protection and gift and provision of HIS grace! Who causes you to “Stand in Grace?” GOD DOES! Who keeps you in this sphere of Grace? GOD DOES! And He who saved us by Grace. Sustains us by Grace, and causes us to STAND PERMANENTLY IN GRACE!

Grace is His unmerited  gift to us. Whatever we have is because of His unmerited kindness to us! It is based on His love, manifested in the sacrifice of the LORD Jesus Christ. Not on any merit of our own. He saved us by grace through faith and we now stand saved by grace and stand in Grace, His acceptance, Divine favor. Once we are saved we stand in grace for all eternity, both in this life and in eternity with Christ!

When God saves us He plants us as it were  in the sphere, environment of  Grace. God’s eternal favor!!! Complete acceptance. ” Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy,  to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”-{Jude 24-25}. Take hope in this, ” The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.“-{Rom 5;20}. How beautiful that where sin abounded GRACE meets the failures, the sins and SUPER ABOUNDS, COVERING ALL!  If we had to keep a bunch of rules we never could but God has provided GRACE for us to save us, sustain us and in eternity He will lavish His grace upon us for all eternity -” … so that in the coming ages He might show the immeasurable riches of Hiss GRACE in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”-{Ephesians 2:7}.What will Heaven be like? It will be an atmosphere of Kindness where GOD WILL LAVISH  HIS GRACIOUS KINDNESS UPON US FOR ALL ETERNITY.  What AMAZING GRACE AWAITS FOR US TO EXPERIENCE FROM The God of all grace!  

WE STAND PERMANENTLY IN GRACE! Because of what God has done for us “Through our LORD JESUS CHRIST!”

We have Peace with God and stand in Grace and to deny either is to deny the work  Of God accomplished “Through our LORD Jesus Christ.” It is to say he is not enough nor His Word. it is to deny Him! God has designated this through His SON and on the basis of His doing alone  for He justified us and will not and cannot change His verdict, for  it came “Through our LORD Jesus Christ. We forever have Peace with God and stand in Grace all because of and ONLY, “Through the LORD Jesus Christ”

To deny the eternal security of the believer a person has to say God changed His mind about our Justification, Deny the work of Jesus Christ as insufficient! It reminds me of the nurse I was sharing who was religious and said to me “as long as know one tells me I can be sure of salvation” I shared with her how God has said, “These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.“-{1 John 5:13}. In her religious system there was no security and so living trying to keep rules that can never be kept because of our sin. God wants us to be assured we are saved as the verse teaches and wants us based on His Word “through our LORD Jesus Christ” as revealed in His Word to assure us of the Believers eternal security “In Christ!”

What a wonderful verse of security is “By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world.“-{1 John 4:17}.

The Rejoicing is not in the sufferings themselves but in the  LORD of our circumstances and the effects they produce!

My Eternal Security is based on what God has done and is doing “through our LORD Jesus Christ!” Look to Him and see you are and can say…

I am

Eternally Secure,because I have been

JUSTIFIED By God – Through The LORD Jesus Christ.

PEACE With God- the War Is Over- Through the LORD Jesus Christ.

ACCESS To God- That Is Permanent- Through The LORD Jesus Christ.

 STANDING IN GRACE  Before God – Through The LORD Jesus Christ.