Romans 5:1-11
The Benefits of Justification
The terms “justification by faith” and “righteousness by faith” simply mean being forgiven and given a clean slate without having to work for it. Mankind can only receive such an amazing gift by trusting in its Giver. Paul tells us in Romans 5 that receiving forgiveness means having: (1) peace with God (v. 1), (2) access to His throne of grace (v. 2a), and (3) hope of experiencing God’s glory (2b). “Righteousness by faith” seems to be the gift that keeps on giving!
The Origin of Justification
God is the source of our justification or righteousness. “Christ died for the ungodly” (v. 6), that would be you and me. One of the most fascinating things about Jesus’ sacrifice is its timing. He paid the price for our forgiveness “while we were still [rebellious] sinners” (v. 8). That’s just shocking. When we did not care about God at all, He made sure there would be a way for us to be made right with Him, to be forgiven and given the assurance of salvation despite our sinfulness.
The End Goal of Justification
God provided a way for us to be “justified” or forgiven because His end goal was to reconcile the world with Him. The author of Romans points out that, as far as God is concerned, reconciliation has already taken place because “while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son” (v. 10). God has gone out of His way to not be at war with us. He “built” the “justification bridge” so we may move from rebellion to reconciliation (v. 11).
Still, we need to answer the question, “How can we cross the ‘justification bridge’ and experience reconciliation with God?” Let us find the answer in Romans 5:1-11!
Reflection Questions
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Take a moment to read about the practical implications of being justified by faith in Romans 5:3-5. How does being forgiven and given a clean slate influence the way you face life's difficulties?
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Why do you think God took the first step toward reconciliation? What does God's initiative in Romans 5:6, 8 say about Him?
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Have you realized that God is not at war with you? He built a bridge to help you move from rebellion to peace with Him. What would it take for you to cross that bridge?