At Peace With God # 1

At Peace With God # 1

"Romans 5:1-11

Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ - by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulation also: knowing that tribulation works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope. And hope makes not ashamed - because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commends His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son - much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

Even to lie on a sick bed, at peace with God, is happy. For to be at peace with God we must be happy, under any circumstances. The apostle begins with the happiness - and then goes on to speak of the tribulations; as if he would have the afflicted Christian first be filled with thoughts of his happy state, as being justified by faith and at peace with God - and then look at his trials in the light of that happiness.

What comforting words! "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ." The believer is justified from his sins - reckoned innocent by God. This is by his faith, his faith in Christ. He is guilty, but for Christ's sake, he is reckoned guiltless. For Christ died for him, and he believes. When he is thus justified - then he is at peace with God. It was sin that made him at enmity with God. Now that the sin is forgiven and taken away by the blood of Christ - is is at peace with God. But all through our Lord Jesus Christ. It is all of grace, through faith.

When we are thus at peace with God through Christ, then we can draw near to Him without fear. "We have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" - into this state of favor and acceptance to which God has brought us, and in which we live, and by His help stand fast. And living thus, we are able to rejoice. We can rejoice even in present things, in the peace of God which we feel, in the happy thoughts of God that we have, in the many inward comforts which He gives us. But much more we can rejoice in hope of the glory of God. In the midst of suffering - we can think of what God has prepared for them that love Him, of that glorious place where we hope to dwell forever with Him. And when we can do this, how light do our sufferings seem!

But the apostle goes further: "And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also." Glory in them, or rejoice in them, for it is exactly the same word as before. Now this seems strange. We could understand being patient in tribulations, but this goes beyond that. This is rejoicing in them. And we could perhaps understand rejoicing in them; that is, rejoicing in the midst of them, rejoicing when suffering them, on account of our forgiveness and acceptance in Christ and the happy home which lies before us. But the apostle, from what follows, seems to go even beyond this. He seems to mean rejoicing in the very tribulations themselves - on account of the good which they do to us; actually rejoicing in them, not in spite of them. 

What good do they do to us? "Tribulation," he says, "works patience; and patience, experience; and experience, hope." This is all good. Patience is good; experience is good; hope is good. But they all come from tribulation, in a kind of chain, one following on another. Therefore tribulation is good too, when rightly improved, as here. And therefore he rejoices in it.

But let us look at this a little more closely. "Tribulation works patience." How so? In this way. We cannot bear trouble aright - if we have none to bear. We cannot be patient - if we have nothing to be patient under. Graces grow by exercise. Besides, tribulation, when taken aright - brings down our pride and humbles us under the hand of God. And so we often see that a person who was anything but patient when first affliction fell on him - becomes patient as the trial goes on, and more and more patient. He is in God's school. God Himself is teaching him patience by tribulation. Thus tribulation works patience."

"And patience works experience." This means probably experience of God's grace and love. We never feel them more than when we are patiently bearing His will - never so much perhaps. God gives special comfort for special sorrow - and special help in special need. Sometimes an unspeakable sense of His love is given to one in affliction - such as even turns a time of deep affliction into a time of joy. And often such help and support are given to the patient sufferer as carry him through what he would have thought he never could bear. This "experience" of God's grace and love is precious indeed.

~Francis Bourdillon~

(continued with # 2)