Romans 5:1b 'peace with God'

Romans 5: 1b “...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”


In my last post I hope we identified how our justification is achieved and that it is all by grace and not in any part by our works. It is a complete work of His and not of us. This has now allowed, or afforded us, ‘peace with God’. The act of repentance is turning from sin, literally to turn away. Just as the Israelites left Egypt and were not to look back, or ‘return’ to Egypt, and as Lot leaving Sodom was to not look back, neither should we.

This ‘peace with God’ is achieved first through reconciliation. This reconciliation is with God where before there was hate and enmity. As we turn in repentance, He too turns to reconcile us to Himself and shines His countenance upon us. Once again it is God who does the work here. He comes to us. He is/was the offended party and the reconciliation is His to give. Our hate, spite and ungodliness was/is an affront to Him, deserving of divine wrath and judgement. Hoeksema put it (my paraphrase) that God’s ‘hate’ of sin is rather a ‘holy NO’. He cannot hate as we understand the word, for to hate is to sin. His wrath, His hate and anger are divine and holy. God will not have sin, the price must be paid the propitiation must be made. His non tolerance of sin is an everlasting, eternal ‘NO’. There cannot be a more definite, consistent refusal.

Peace with God is not possible without Christ’s intervention. Our enmity and our sinful disposition put us on the wrathful end of this holy NO. Again, in Romans 3: 10 - 18 we get an explanation of why. ‘None are righteous’ (v10), ‘no one seeks God’ (v11b) and there is ‘no fear of God in their eyes’ (v18). Our nature is at war with God’s prior to our salvation. Our sin despises Him and seeks to keep us facing away from Him; it is comfortable in keeping its back to the sunrise of God’s glory.

‘But now’ (Romans 3: 21) Jesus has satisfied the wrath. The lamb was slain and our sins pardoned by the holy scapegoat Son of God. ‘Therefore’ (v1a) we can be justified, we can be clothed in His raiment, dressed in Jesus’ own righteousness and presented worthy in God’s sight. This and this alone grants us access to the Almighty.

To ‘have peace’ is to truly be with Him. To be in His presence ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ’ is to know peace. Peace in our mind, heart, body and soul. It is an all enveloping, complete peace that can only be found in His presence and in having full assurance that the work is finished, that we do not need to rely on ourselves to receive or earn His love and grace. Once more the work is His and the list of God’s grace to us grows longer – to be with Him, to be in His presence, to offer sacrifices of prayer and praise are further benefits of having peace with Him, all enmity dead and gone.

To be with Him Christian! Consider that.

In Jesus’ complete work you are not just afforded salvation from the condemnation of your sin, not just justified in His sight, not just made whole and worthy, not just to be ultimately glorified, not just to be an heir and adopted son, not just clothed in Jesus righteousness, not just full of His grace and love. You are granted God’s full and blessed peace... and all in His presence.

Oh what a Saviour, oh to be with Him.