Something the World Can't Buy! - Romans 5

 Peace and Hope

5 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

In chapter 5 we find another power packed and theologically rich chapter written by the Apostle Paul.  Martin Luther said this about this chapter, 

In the whole Bible there is hardly another chapter which can equal this triumphant text.”

Why did he find this chapter so powerful? First, Paul gives us two amazing benefits from being justified by faith.  Through faith we have peace with God.  This may seem like a pretty simple comment by Paul, but when you think about the gravity of this statement it is powerful.  Remember this is not an earthly peace that is based on where you live in the world, but a heavenly peace with the Creator of all things.  Paul calls this, "a peace which passes all understanding which guards our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." 

Next Paul talks about hope.  This is not hope in the sense of wishful thinking, but a hope that is poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.  It is a gift of the Holy Spirit from God.  Paul gives the three great gifts of the Holy Spirit in 1 Corinthians 13, faith, hope and love.  Our hope is centered in the truth of the resurrection. Because of the reality of the resurrection we have hope that just as Jesus was raised from the dead, so we too one day we will be raised from the dead.  

Finally, Paul is not naive enough to realize that he and other Christians will not go through suffering. But even in suffering God produces his perfect work.  Paul says suffering produces perservance and character.  Suffering deepens our faith because we have to trust in God even though the circumstances around us have caused us pain.  

6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

We learn about the concept of "powerlessness" from A.A., where the 1st step is to say, "I am powerless over "x" and it has made my life unmanageable."  A Christian should say, "I am powerless over sin and it has made my life unmanageable."  If the first step in A.A. is about surrender, the second step is about faith.  The second step says, "I came to believe a power greater than myself can restore myself to sanity".  

God sent Jesus at just the right time. When we had hit our bottom with sin and needed a power greater than oursleves to restore our life to sanity.  Most importantly by sending Jesus to the world to restore us to sanity and deliver us from sin, he showed us His great love.  Jesus died for us when we were at our lowest.   When we were mired in sin and self destructing like a full blown alcoholic, Jesus reached down and pulled us up out of the mire. 

Verse 8 says, "God proved his love to us".  If you ever wonder if God loves you look at the cross.  How could someone love you anymore than dying for you? 

Friends do you know the peace and hope of God?  Have you accepted Christ as Your Savior?  At just the right time Jesus died for you and at just the right time you can accept him as Your Savior.  Becoming a Christian doesn't save you from suffering, but through the faith and hope you have through Christ, suffering can actually produce perserverance and character.  By character I mean you are becoming more like Christ obeying God despite opposition.  Take time to enjoy the peace and hope you have in Christ. They are two gifts the world can't buy.  

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