Following
his extended treatment of the need for justification by faith, Paul proceeded
to address the blessings the justified person enjoys. The first of them is
Peace with God- The word ''peace'' refers to the absence of hostility. It also
conveys the meaning of health or well-being. This is inherent in the common
Hebrew word for peace- shalom. The spiritually healthy person is the one who is
no longer in enmity with God- Lk. 2:14; Isa. 9:6; Eph. 2:14; Rom. 3:25; 1 Jn.
2:2.
The
second blessing we receive is that ''access by faith into this grace wherein we
stand''. Access suggests the picture of a worshipper approaching God. As
Christians, we enter into God's grace, His unmerited favor. We approach God,
not as the One who is wrathful towards us, but as One who has become our
father. We can therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace- Heb. 4:16.
The
third blessing is joy or exultation. This blessing is linked to the idea of
hope. Our ultimate hope is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.- 1 Jn. 3:3. At
that time, we will experience the glory of God in the sense that we will be
resurrected from the dead and receive a glorified body- Rom. 8:18,21,23; Phil.
3:20-21; 1 Jn. 3:1-2. Justification leads to glorification.
The
hope of the Christian will never cause him embarrassment because it is based on
the promises of God. It is by means of
the Holy Spirit that God has poured out His love upon us. The ministry of the
Holy Spirit in our lives is only a pledge that awaits us when our bodies will
be transformed and we will enter into our full inheritance in Christ- 2 Cor.
1:21-22; Eph. 1:13-14.
At
times we all find ourselves becoming impatient with God; He does not answer our
prayers fast enough or in the way we had hoped for. But God is not under any
obligation to operate on our timetable. In Gal. 4:4, Paul said '' When the
fullness of the time was come'', God sent forth His son. God's timing does not
always coincide with ours. Those for whom Christ died are identified as without
strength (powerless), ungodly, and sinners. He died for those who did not
deserve to be saved; the unloving and unlovable.
By
means of the cross God's wrath has been averted- 1 Thess. 1:10; 5:9. The
obedience of Jesus extended to the cross, for without the cross His sinless
life alone could not atone for the sin of the world. But on the cross, He suffered the penalty for sin on behalf of and
in place of sinful mankind. Thus, the disobedience of Adam brought death;
Jesus' obedience brought life. Because of the disobedience of Adam, all were
made sinners, because of the obedience of Jesus, all men are potentially saved.
Without Christ every sinner is under the influence and control of Satan. Sin is
universal but God's grace is greater than sin.
The reign of sin ended at the cross, for it was where Jesus made an
atonement for the sins of the world. By His death, He ended up the reign of
death, so that eternal life is now
offered to all.
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