Paul's Epistle to the Romans — page 15

Thus, not only was the atoning work of Christ accepted (testified in His resurrection), but Christ Himself was accepted (testified in His ascension). This last point can be seen in the fact that God seated Him in the highest place in heaven – at His own right hand (Eph 1:20-21; 1 Pet 1:21). He is there now as a glorified Man, with all the favor of God upon Him. The amazing thing about this is that believers are said to be “in Christ” (John 14:20; Rom 8:1; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:17, etc.), which is to be in Christ's place before God! Thus, His acceptance is the measure of our acceptance!

As in the case of the burnt offering in Leviticus 1, which was “accepted for” [on behalf of] the offerer, so too the sacrifice of Christ was accepted before God on behalf of the believer. But more than that, when the offerer placed his hand on the head of the animal when it was killed and presented to God, he was accepted in all the value of the offering. Likewise, we are “accepted in the Beloved” (Eph 1:6 – KJV). This is a triumph of God's grace. Men and women who believe, and who were once vile sinners, are now accepted before God as His own Son! The apostle John affirmed this same fact; he said: “as He is (accepted before God in heaven), so are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). This is a wonderful truth that should bring praise from our hearts!

O God of matchless grace, We sing unto Thy name!

We stand accepted in the place That none but Christ could claim.

Hymnary The Little Flock No. 189

Believers who lack assurance will often question whether they have believed enough or whether they have believed in the right way. This leads to much introspection, insecurity, and discouragement – even to questioning whether they are truly saved. However, looking at oneself is not where peace and assurance of salvation are found. We must look to Christ where He is, at the right hand of God. If He was accepted there and we are in His place before God, then we are accepted too! He is our righteousness in the presence of God (1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:21). The person who rests in faith in this great truth will have no doubts about the salvation of his soul.

Three Things to Be Believed That Give Assurance

To summarize what has been said, possessing a solid assurance of our justification comes from understanding and believing what God has said regarding three things.

• What happened on the cross. We must accept by faith that Christ bore the judgment for our sins (Isa. 53:6; 1 Pet 2:24).

• What happened in the tomb. We must accept by faith that divine justice is fully satisfied with the payment Christ made on the cross regarding our sins, and that God placed His seal of approval on that finished work by raising Him from the dead (Acts 2:24; 1 Pet 1:21).

• What is happening in heaven regarding Christ's acceptance. We must accept by faith that His acceptance before God is ours (1 John 4:17; Eph 1:6).

What God Has Done with the Believer's Sins

In order to give the believer solid peace regarding his sins, God has gone to great lengths in His Word to show that the believer's sins are gone – and gone forever. He uses various figures and expressions (many of which will be Israel's portion in the day of their redemption) to describe the blessedness of this great fact, so that there could be no legitimate doubt in the mind of the believer who accepts the testimony of the Word of God. Some of the things God has done with our sins are:

• He made purification for our sins (Heb 1:3).

• He removes our sins as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12).

• He blots out our sins (Isa. 44:22; Ps 51:1).

• He casts our sins behind His back (Isa. 38:17).

• He casts them into the depths of the sea (Mic 7:19).

• He takes away our sins (1 John 3:5).

• He washes our sins (Rev 1:5).

• He cleanses us from our sins (1 John 1:7).

• He forgives our sins (Rom 4:7; Eph 1:7).

• He remembers our sins no more (Heb 10:17).

THE GREAT RESULTS OF JUSTIFICATION AND RECONCILIATION

Chapter 5:1-11

The first eleven verses of chapter 5 complete the subject of God acting in righteousness to secure blessings for the ungodly sinner who believes. Building on the key word, “therefore”, Paul outlines the great results or benefits granted to the believer through justification.

The idea of rejoicing or exultation arises throughout the eleven verses. This is somewhat lost in the King James Version, which uses three different English words to indicate the Greek word “kauchaomai”. The word is translated as “rejoice” (v. 2), “glory” (v. 3), and “joy” (v. 11) in the KJV, but J. N. Darby's translation (and the Portuguese ones) renders it as “glory” in all three places. Other translations render it as “rejoice” or “exult”. This is certainly an appropriate conclusion to the whole theme of God's grace in dealing with our sins to bring us to blessings. In this series of verses, Paul touches on at least seven great things that the believer has as a consequence of being “justified by faith”. These things are not temporal or conditional, but permanent and eternal. Each one is stated in the present tense (“we have”) indicating that they are already a present possession of the believer – with the exception of verses 9b and 10b which look forward to what God will do for the believer in the future. All of them are spoken of with the greatest certainty.

Ch. 5:1-2 – The first three things Paul mentions go together and have to do with the believer's current position and his future prospect. They tell us what God has done for us in relation to our whole history – past, present, and future.

As to our past – we were “justified” (v. 1).

• As to the present – “we stand” in a position of “grace [favor – JND]” with God (v. 2a).

• As to the future – we have a “hope” (a deferred certainty) of being glorified (v. 2b).

PEACE WITH GOD (chap. 5:1)

Paul says: “Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God”. This is an “peace” that is external, existing between God and the believer as a result of his being justified by faith. It is an external condition of peace prevailing between two parties who were formerly separated. A rupture occurred between God and man through sin, but that barrier has been removed for the believer. Similarly, when two nations are at war, there is no peace. But if peace is established between them, the war ends; hostilities cease and adversaries are turned into friends. This is exactly what happened to the believer through faith in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no longer a separation between us and God; a condition of peace now prevails.

Some people think that the sinner needs to make peace with God. They will say, “Make peace with God.” But that is not what the Bible teaches. It tells us that we cannot make peace with God because we are unable to offer what is necessary to meet the claims of divine justice. Thankfully, the Bible teaches that this peace has already been made for men by the finished work of Christ on the cross. Colossians 1:20 states that it was “by Him[Christ]peace was made through the blood of His cross”. So all we have to do is believe God’s testimony about this fact, and, being justified, we have “peace with God”.

This peace is an objective reality, not a subjective feeling. It is not an inward peaceful feeling in the believer’s soul, as some Christians imagine. Feelings of peace may be temporary, depending on the believer’s circumstances and state of soul, but they have no part in his justification and his peace with God. Peace with God is a permanent condition in which the believer dwells with God. It is as secure and as perfect as its foundation – the death and resurrection of Christ. Thus, Paul is not speaking of our enjoying peace here, but rather of the fact that we have peace with God. It is a peace that does not depend on our state of soul, that is, on our walk. It cannot be lost through our deficiencies and failures in the path of faith, because it is something eternally established. It is inseparably connected to our position before God. Therefore, we will not have more of this peace by walking in fellowship with the Lord, nor will we have less when we do not walk. (An inward state of peace and rest of soul is mentioned in chapter 8:6 and is the result of the believer knowing deliverance – but that is not the subject here.) This peace, therefore, belongs to all believers, even though some of them have been hindered from enjoying it, because they do not rest by faith in what God has said about their security in Christ. As a result, they may occasionally worry about their sins. Ed. Dennett said: “The words ‘we have peace’ do not necessarily mean that we enjoy it; for, doubtless, there are many justified before God who know little of this peace.”

“Peace with God” and the “Peace of God”

“Peace with God” (Rom. 5:1) should not be confused with the “peace of God” (Phil. 4:7). “Peace with God” is connected to our position; whereas the “peace of God” is a state. The peace of God is a state of tranquility in which God Himself dwells. He wants us to live in that peace daily, so that our minds and hearts are not disturbed by worrisome circumstances we go through in this world. We may not always have the “peace of God” in our souls, but we will never lose our “peace with God”.

Three Aspects of Our Position in Peace

1. P. Cecil pointed out that there are three aspects of our position in peace.

We have:

• Peace with God (Rom. 5:1) – An external divine peace.

• Peace of the resurrected life (Rom. 8:6) – An inward peace resulting from knowing and experiencing deliverance.

• Racial peace (Eph. 2:14) – An external peace in relation to fellow believing brothers and sisters of different nationalities who were saved and placed together in the one body of Christ.

All three aspects of peace belong to us the moment we believe the gospel and are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

A NEW POSITION IN GOD’S FAVOR (chap. 5:2a)

Paul continues with another great result of justification. He says: “by whom we have also obtained our access by faith into this grace [favor – JND], in which we stand” (AIBB). This refers to the believer receiving a new position in the presence of God.