Peace with God

Romans 5:1-11

What does peace with God look like?

Peace with a neighbor might mean minding one’s own business and not bothering the neighbor.

Peace in the house might mean giving up the TV remote on occasion.

When I think of peace in relationships, I think of calm, tranquil relations, free of strife and contentions. The word peace brings to our minds a tranquil, calm morning. Peace means things like: tranquil, calm, restful, quiet and still. The twenty-third Psalm brings peaceful images to our minds when it says:

The Lord is my shepherd; I have all that I need. He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams. (Psalms 23:1-2 NLT)

Calm, peaceful, tranquil relations with God certainly seem to be indicated when we say we have peace with God. However, Romans 5:1-11 speak of so much more that comes with our having peace with God.

Romans 5:1 says:

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:1 ESV)

Observe, “…we have been justified by faith.” Justification is important here because sin is the obstacle that keeps us at enmity with God. All our works are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), not because God is picky, but because our hearts are “...deceitful above all things, and desperately sick...” (Jeremiah 17:9 ESV) God, for His part, has always wanted peace. He searched for Adam and Eve in the Garden after they sinned. He continued to pursue humanity through the millennia. He even gave His Son in order to bring about peace. However, humanity has loved sin and evil deeds more than peace. In Isaiah 65:2, God says:

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. (Isaiah 65:2 NLT)

When we turn from our sins to the open arms of our Father God, we are justified by faith. In other words, when we believe in Jesus, God declares us righteous. To justify means to declare righteous. Righteous means to be morally right, justifiable or virtuous. (Google Dictionary) When Romans 5:1 says we have been justified by faith it is telling us that God, Himself, has removed the obstacle that kept us at enmity with Him. Now we have peace. This peace is through Jesus Christ our Lord. The famous commentator Matthew Henry says of this peace:

There is more in this peace than barely a cessation of enmity, there is friendship and loving-kindness, for God is either the worst enemy or the best friend. (Matthew Henry)

We receive immeasurable treasure when we have peace with God. Romans 5:2 says:

Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:2 ESV

The immeasurable treasures are contained in this word grace. Grace means unmerited favor. In other words, God favors us even though we do not deserve it. Salvation is so much more than the forgiveness of our sins. When we are saved, we gain peace with God and a standing in His favor.

By standing in His favor, we partake of His tremendous riches in glory. This is the grace in which we now stand. In speaking of the grace in which we stand, in another place the Holy Spirit says:

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. (Ephesians 2:4-7 ESV)

Here, in this passage, the “immeasurable riches of his grace” are spoken of. Because we have been justified and thus have peace with God, we partake of these “immeasurable riches.” Romans 5:1-11 begins to explain and enumerate some of these “riches of his grace.” By no means is this an exhaustive study of these riches, but it is instructive and helpful.

Verses 2 through 5 of Romans 5 speak of our rejoicing in the glory of God, rejoicing in suffering, and gaining hope, perseverance and character. Each one of these is part of the immeasurable treasure, but they pale in comparison to the real treasure of these verses. Verse 5 says, “...because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.” The Holy Spirit then is the source of the hope, endurance and rejoicing mentioned in these verses. The Holy Spirit pours out God’s love in our hearts. The Holy Spirit transforms us and gives life to our inner person. Notice that the text of Scripture says, “...who has been given to us.” Think on this. The Holy Spirit is God, a member of the Trinity. God is perfectly one yet existing in three persons. God has given us Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. This is made possible by the peace we have with Him.

The gift of the Holy Spirit is immeasurable. We cannot put a value on such a gift. However, in explaining how we received peace with God and the accompanying gift of the Holy Spirit, Romans 5:6-8 goes on to say:

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)

The grace in which we now stand includes the price that God was willing to pay for peace. The text references the fact that God was willing to pay this price while we were still sinners. Verse 10 makes it clear that we were enemies of God. God demonstrates His love by these actions. The best reference to this love is John 3:16, “...For God so loved the world...” Before God gave the gift of His Holy Spirit, He gave the gift of His Son. This truth is the demonstration of the fact that we can have no greater friend than God. Romans 8:31-32 puts it in these terms:

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32 ESV)

God gave us the gift of His Holy Spirit. God gave us the gift of His Son. It is impossible that God should withhold from us any good thing. Romans 5:9-11 continues with the benefits of our peace with God by saying:

Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:9-11 ESV)

We cannot improve on these words. Having been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. Our salvation is certain. Nothing is more certain in all of life than the salvation of anyone who trusts in Jesus. These verses say “much more” twice and then “more than that” once. There is a building up to a high point. We are justified, much more, we are saved, much more we are reconciled, more than that we rejoice in God. The might and power of this salvation go beyond what we could even ask or think.

When Jesus died on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, symbolizing the access to God the Father we are all given through Jesus Christ, our Lord. To say we rejoice in God, points to this unrestricted access we have been given. God gave us His Holy Spirit, God gave us His Son and God has given us Himself. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Does your life lack the peace that passes understanding?

Do you find yourself unable to rejoice in God?

Are you experiencing the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in your life?

From what we looked at today, the problem is not with God.

Jesus said:

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (Matthew 11:28 ESV)

Why then are we weary and heavy laden?

We find ourselves not enjoying these benefits of peace, because we love our sin. We are no better than the Israelites of whom God said:

All day long I opened my arms to a rebellious people. But they follow their own evil paths and their own crooked schemes. (Isaiah 65:2 NLT)

Are you ready to give up your own evil path and crooked schemes?

There is a way that leads to peace with God.

If we turn to God’s outstretched arms, He will instantly receive us and accept us, giving us peace.

God's Promises

Romans 4:13-25

Chapter 4 of Romans starts out by exploring what Abraham found about being a friend of God. Was it by works or by faith that a person became a friend of God? In other words, was it a position one earned or was it a gift?

Verses 13 through 25 build on these thoughts, but from the perspective of the promises of God. Verses 13 through 25 explore the promises of God, and how we receive them. Are the promises something we earn, or are they a gift?

God’s promises to Abraham include the whole world and eternity. God’s promises to Abraham are gigantic and wonderful in scope. Genesis 12:2-3 begins the revelation of God’s promises to Abraham when it says:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:2-3 ESV)

In several places in Genesis, God expands and explains this promise. God promised the birth of Isaac through Sarah and that Abraham’s descendants would be as numerous as the stars. God’s promises were as impossible as they were huge and wonderful. To begin with, Abraham had no children at the time. In addition, the promise concerned the far distant future of which no human could have any knowledge.

Romans 4:13-25 uses the example of God’s promises to Abraham to explain the truth that God’s promises are received by faith. These verses show us four aspects of God’s promises: 

Verses 13-15 show us that God’s promises are not earned.

Verses 16-17 show us that God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

Verses 18-19 show us that God’s promises require perseverance.

Verses 20-25 show us that God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

We will look at each of these in turn.

First, verses 13-15 tell us that God’s promises are not earned. These verses say:

For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void. For the law brings wrath, but where there is no law there is no transgression. (Romans 4:13-15 ESV)

The problem with trying to earn God’s promises is that no one is good enough. These verses say, “...the law brings wrath...” In other words, the law only reveals our shortcomings. The law does not provide a way to earn God’s promises.

This is contrary to how we experience life.

When we are young, if we do not study and do our homework we will not advance to the next grade, keep up with our peers or be treated with favor by our teachers and parents. As we get older, if we do not show up to work on time, work diligently and produce the required results, we will not live in a nice house, enjoy good food or be accepted socially. In our experience of life, keeping the law or conforming to whatever standard is required brings good things.

It is necessary for Scripture to stress that God’s promises are not dependent on our conforming to the law, because this is foreign to our way of thinking and different from how we experience life. Humanity thinks in terms of “karma.” Even the Bible teaches a form of this when it says, “...whatever a man sows that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) This is indeed the natural order of things. If one sows a lot of wheat, he will reap a lot of wheat. If one sows a lot of generosity and kindness, he will reap a lot of generosity and kindness. However, God’s promises are greater than the natural order. God’s promises go beyond nature and deal with things that are impossible within nature. This is why the law only brings wrath. This is the purpose of the law. The law exists to make clear transgressions. This is its function. Thus, the law makes it clear that we all fall short of the glory of God. Thus, Scripture teaches us:

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags... (Isaiah 64:6 NIV)

This is why Romans 4:15 explains that the law brings wrath. If God’s promises were based on law, works or “karma,” then they would be wages, something that we earned. However, God’s promises are far beyond anything we can ever earn, build or accomplish.

This brings us to the second aspect of God’s promises:

Verses 16-17 show us that God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

Verses 16-17 say:

That is why it depends on faith, in order that the promise may rest on grace and be guaranteed to all his offspring—not only to the adherent of the law but also to the one who shares the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, as it is written, "I have made you the father of many nations"—in the presence of the God in whom he believed, who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist. (Romans 4:16-17 ESV)

Notice these verses end with the statement, “...who gives life to the dead and calls into existence the things that do not exist.”

In the beginning, God spoke things into existence. He created the world and all it contains out of nothing. God calls into existence things that do not exist. This activity of God is way beyond nature. Natural law cannot account for “God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.” In nature, the dead do not come back to life. However, God does bring the dead to life just as Romans 4:17 says.

When God promised Abraham that he would be the father of many nations, Abraham did not have a single descendant. God spoke it into existence. God’s promise to Abraham was impossible from a human point of view. No amount of human effort, planning or works could accomplish what God was promising. This is a gift of grace. The Bible tells us:

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. (Hebrews 11:1 ESV)

God’s promises are not based on what we can see or understand. However, our faith is based on something more certain than even natural law. Our faith is based on God’s word. Romans 4:17 quotes God as saying, “I have made you the father of many nations.” Abraham’s faith was based on these words from God. The God, who created everything out of nothing by speaking, spoke these words. Abraham believed these words from God and through believing, according to Romans 4:16-17, became the father of all who believe.

However, believing is not always easy. God asks us to believe things that are impossible from our human perspective. Abraham was old. Sarah, his wife, was old. They had no children and could not hope to produce a child naturally.

This brings us to the third aspect of God’s promises:

          Verses 18-19 show us that God’s promises require perseverance.

Romans 4:18-19 says:

In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, "So shall your offspring be." He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah's womb. (Romans 4:18-19 ESV)

This passage says, “...he believed against hope...” God speaks into existence things that are not, but we do not always see the results immediately. The text points out that not only did Abraham believe against hope, but he also did not weaken in faith even though Sarah and he were both as good as dead. Abraham waited twenty-five years after having received the promise and Scripture says he did not weaken in faith.

Faith is hoping in things that we cannot see, and it requires us to persevere. Moses led the people in the wilderness for forty years based on God’s promises. David ran and hid from Saul for years based on God’s promises. Noah spent one hundred years building a huge boat based on God’s promises. Every man and woman of God must learn to wait upon the Lord. This is why James 1:2-4 says:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4 NIV)

Believing God’s word at times requires us to “believe against hope.” Our eyes and human senses sometimes seem to contradict the word of God. At times like these, we must hold on to what we have been told in the word of God.

This confidence in the word of God brings us to the fourth aspect of the promises of God.

Verses 20-25 show us that God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Romans 4:20-25 says:

No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. That is why his faith was "counted to him as righteousness." But the words "it was counted to him" were not written for his sake alone, but for ours also. It will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. (Romans 4:20-25 ESV)

Notice here the statement, “...fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.” Abraham’s confidence was in God’s ability. We have already stressed that God’s promises go far beyond anything that we can do humanly. Clearly, God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Luke 18:18-27 tells of a time when Jesus encountered a rich person who wanted to be saved. The passage is as follows:

Once a religious leader asked Jesus this question: “Good Teacher, what should I do to inherit eternal life?” “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked him. “Only God is truly good. But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honor your father and mother.’ ” The man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.” When Jesus heard his answer, he said, “There is still one thing you haven’t done. Sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” But when the man heard this he became very sad, for he was very rich. When Jesus saw this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God! In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!” Those who heard this said, “Then who in the world can be saved?” He replied, “What is impossible for people is possible with God.” (Luke 18:18-27 NLT)

“What is impossible for people is possible with God.”

Humanly speaking, it is impossible for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.

What challenge to your faith are you facing right now?

What is the impossible thing that you must trust God for right now?

Is it financial?

Is it family?

Is it health?

Be sure your confidence is in God’s word, His promises, and then trust that He is able to do what He has promised.

The biggest promise God has made is to forgive our sins and thus open up the way for us to live in His presence forever. Sometimes it is hard to believe we can be forgiven, and when we continue to sin it seems hard to believe that we can be freed from the power of sin. However, these things are part of the promises of God.

God’s promises cannot be earned.

God’s promises call into existence the impossible.

God’s promises require perseverance.

God’s promises depend on God’s ability.

Justified by Faith

Romans 4:1-12

Abraham was a great man.

We know that he started his life is Mesopotamia in a place called Ur. He was born close to two thousand years after the creation of Adam and close to two thousand years before the birth of Christ. Ur is near the Euphrates River in what is now southern Iraq, and is in the place known as the cradle of civilization, which is also near the site where the Tower of Babel project was undertaken. Ur was a prosperous place at the time, and it was a hot bed of idolatry, immorality, humanism and materialism. It was in this place and from these people that God called Abram. Genesis 11 tells us that Abram moved with his father, his nephew and his wife to Haran, which represented a move north. Genesis 12 tells us that after Abram’s father died, God appeared to Abram and told him to go to a land that God would show him. According to Acts 7:2, Stephen said, “The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran, and said to him, 'Go out from your land and from your kindred and go into the land that I will show you.'” (Acts 7:2-3 ESV) From this account, we understand that God appeared to Abraham before he ever left Ur. God singled out Abraham while he was still far from God.

God singled out Abraham. He even appeared to Abraham and said:

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. (Genesis 12:2 ESV).

What was it about Abraham that God singled him out?

Indeed, this is what is behind the question in Romans 4:1.

What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? (Romans 4:1 KJV)

Just as God promised, Abraham’s name became very great. To the Jews and to Paul, he was the father of their nation. The view of the Jewish teachers and scholars was then and still is that it was Abraham’s greatness that caused God to choose Him. Tradition has it that Abraham started out helping in the building of the Tower of Babel, and became convinced of the error of this activity as he contemplated the greatness of the God who had created everything. He began to search for God and in the sincerity of his search was able to find God. None of this is supported by the Bible, which includes the Hebrew Scriptures. It is the teachings and fables of men. This teaching, although much longer and more involved, concludes like this:

Thus, in a sense, G‑d did not choose Abraham. It was his inherent superiority, and the fact that he was ready to give everything up for the sake of G‑d, that compelled G‑d to choose him.^[1]

Of course, no one teaching represents the views of everyone, but this does represent the predominant view of Judaism.

From this view, the Jewish people took great pride in their ancestors, especially Abraham. This is why, when they argued with Jesus about who He was, they said:

"We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, 'You will become free'?" John 8:33 ESV

Their position as descendants of Abraham was very important to them and according to their beliefs made them special. Therefore, Abraham is an excellent example to demonstrate that we are not right with God because of the things we do.

Romans 4:1-2 begins this argument by example with the following statement:

What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. (Romans 4:1-2 ESV)

Consider the sentence, “For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about...” If Abraham’s works were so perfect as to make him right with God, then surely he could boast. If a person is so good that his good works are in excess of what is required for salvation, then that person has much to boast about. This idea of people being so good as to save themselves and others is still taught today, and is often thought of as what makes a person a “saint.” But, notice that this text says that even such a person could not boast before God.

We have just been over a section of Romans that taught very clearly that all have sinned and no one is able to save himself or herself. The argument of Romans 4 is that no one is made right with God by being good enough. Therefore, the next verse of Romans 4 says:

For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness." (Romans 4:3 ESV)

Notice that it says “counted.” This word is also translated as credited or reckoned. So, if there is a ledger book, a credit is on the positive side. It was not Abraham’s works that were credited to him. It was his faith.

Next, the text enters into some of the logic behind justification by faith and not by works. Verses four and five state:

Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness... (Romans 4:4-5 ESV)

The Jews thought and even taught that Abraham’s behavior obligated God to choose Abraham. We also have this same tendency. We secretly think, “I have been good; therefore, God owes me.” This treats God’s goodness as wages. We earn what we receive from God. If we have money, we have it because we earned it. If we have health, we have it because we earned it by taking care of our bodies and exercising. If we are the head of a department or manager, we are in our position because we earned it.

Without denying the hard work that is required for any one of these things I have mentioned, it is important for us to grasp the truth that everything we have, we have as a gift from God. Speaking from a human point of view, the wisest man who ever lived said:

Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. (Ecclesiastes 9:11 ESV)

Romans 4:3 points out that wages are not a gift because it is making the argument that we are made right with God as a gift. This is why the next example the author of Romans uses is that of David. He says:

David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it: “Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of sin.” (Romans 4:6-8 NLT)

Do you see how happy the person is who has received righteousness as a gift?

How blessed and happy is the person who has received the forgiveness of his or her sins!

If we are to talk about wages, we must remember that each of us has earned death. Ecclesiastes 7:20 says, “Not a single person on earth is always good and never sins.” (Ecclesiastes 7:20 NLT) Now, we know that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23)

Justice does not weigh good works against bad works. For example, if one person murders another person, that person is judged as a murderer. It does not matter that they loved their mother and sister. James 2:10 teaches that a person who has broken only one law has become a transgressor of the whole law. It is not a question of how good or bad a person may seem in our sight. Notice that Romans 4:5 says, “... but believes in him who justifies the ungodly.” According to the principles taught here, we are all ungodly. However, the good news is that we are justified freely by His grace. Oh, how incredibly happy we are! We are free from the certain penalty of death that was our just wages.

Romans 4:1 asked a question concerning what Abraham had found, and answered that what Abraham found was that a person is justified by faith. Romans 4:9 asks another question. It asks:

Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? (Romans 4:9 ESV)

Here again, it is important to understand Jewish tradition. According to the Law of Moses, a Jewish male who was not circumcised was to be cut off from his people. Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Israel and was considered necessary for taking part in the covenant promises. One could not be a Jew without circumcision.

Until the time of Jesus, only one people and one nation were entrusted with the Scriptures and the Temple. There were God-fearing Gentiles, and because of the dispersion of the Jews throughout the ancient world, the Jewish Scriptures were known in places far from Israel. We see this reflected in the visit of wise men from the east coming to see “He who was born king of the Jews.” Now, the question has become, does one need to become a Jew in order to receive the righteousness that comes by faith? Do we need to become Jews? This is what is meant by “the circumcision.”

To answer this question, Romans 4:10 says:

How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:10 ESV)

Circumcision is not necessary for one to be made right with God. Abraham was right with God by faith before He was circumcised, and received circumcision as a sign of this relationship with God.

This is so important for us to understand. Romans 4:12 says:

...who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:12 ESV)

It is the faith of Abraham that is our example.

God did not single out Abraham because Abraham was great. Abraham was great because God singled him out.

For us, this means that we do not need to be baptized before we are saved. We are baptized as a sign of the faith that saves us before we are baptized. It means that we are not made right with God by going to church, giving offerings and serving others. We go to church, give offerings and serve others because we are right with God.

We do not have to become anything before God will accept us, forgive our sins and make us His friends. God takes us right where we are and makes us new in Christ. We are reborn, made new.

Think about this.

God does not need another Abraham. He raised up Abraham, calling him out of Ur because God had a purpose. God has raised you up, calling you from wherever you have come, because God has a purpose. God wants you to trust Him, trust Him for everything. The forgiveness of our sins is the biggest and most difficult thing for us to trust Him with. Start with that, and then trust Him for everything else as well. God does not want your greatness. He is great and will do great things in and through you. He is able to do greater things than we can even ask or think. He tells us to trust Him. He counts our faith in Him as righteousness.

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^[1] https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2013020/jewish/Was-Abraham-Jewish.htm