Eternity Daily Bible Study: No. 519 Romans 1-8 - A Righteousness That Is By Faith Verses: Romans 5:1-2 Topic: Peace With God! Date: 5th October 2005 Romans 5:1-2 MKJV Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (2) Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God. Peace with God also means peace with all He controls, just as peace with an earthly king means peace with his army, his diplomats and his servants. So if we are at peace with God then ipso facto (by that very fact) we are then at peace with all that is obedient to Him and at war with all that is joined in rebellion against God. So we are at peace with God and at war with the Devil. We are at peace with nature and the Universe and at war with sin, the world and the flesh. Peace with God means also that we should be at peace with all other true believers who are also at peace with Him. Now peace with God has five main aspects: 1.Legal peace - being legally free from accusation and blame and conflict with God. 2.Inner peace - the peace of God poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit. 3.Peace in our circumstances - the outworking of God's peace in the quiet and godly life of the righteous, divine "Shalom". 4.Peace between believers - dwelling in peace in the Church. 5.Peace as universal reconciliation with all things, harmony with the whole Creation as it also is redeemed along with us. (see Romans 8 and Colossians 1) (In Romans 5 the emphasis is on legal peace and inner peace but the other aspects deserve mention as well.) We saw yesterday that the cross has dealt with the guilt of sin in our lives. Our sin is forgiven, covered and never imputed to us ever again. (Romans 4:7,8) this removes all grounds of accusation before God so we become at peace with God. The relationship between God and the believer is grounded in a deep and lasting peace between the two parties. This peace means we can approach God without being rebuffed by Him. That is we have access to the throne of God and our prayers are heard. Washington lobbyists are valued according to how much access they have to power. Believers are given access to God and His throne - yet many fail to pray in faith! This access to the throne of God is not because we have been good boys and girls but rather is because of our faith: Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, Our throne-access is by faith. Those who fail to believe receive nothing from the Lord: James 1:6-8 MKJV But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing. For he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed. (7) For do not let that man think that he shall receive anything from the Lord; (8) he is a double-minded man, not dependable in all his ways. The throne we have access to by faith is the "throne of grace": Hebrews 4:16 MKJV Therefore let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And Paul tells us that is "grace" in which we stand: "Through Him we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God." We stand in a relationship of grace, a climate of favor and blessing from Almighty God. We can stand before God because He graciously has made a way for us to do just that in order that we may participate, as sons of God, in the courts of Heaven. For we are now citizens of Heaven. . Ephesians 2:17-19 MKJV And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off, and to those who were near. (18) For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father. (19) Now therefore you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God, We are given this marvelous access to God's throne along with heavenly citizenship and blessings so that we may become a certain kind of person - a "son of God" stamped in the very image of the Lord Jesus Christ and bearing the "glory of God" in our character. When Paul says: "and we rejoice on the hope of the glory of God." he is not just making a vague theological statement. Paul is trying to tell us that we will be changed in people who genuinely reflect the glory of God. Now those aspects of the glory of God that humans can bear are those that Jesus bore during His earthly ministry. They do not include the "omni" attributes such as omnipotence or omnipresence. They do include love, grace, fine character, courage, the working of miracles, healing, wisdom and so forth. These characteristics will allow us to reign with Christ during the Millennium. After the resurrection we will become immortal, imperishable, spiritual and glorious beings ( 1 Corinthians 15:42-54) "like angels" (Luke 20:36) and covered with glory! Paul sees what we shall become as a result of the work of Christ on the cross and rejoices and exults! For this mortal shall put on immortality! We shall all be changed, in a twinkling of the eye, at the last trump and we shall stand before a God of infinite love who will never charge us with sin (if we believe). All of these blessing flow from being in right relationship with God and thus being able to access the throne. Because we stand in grace we can rejoice in hope. Blessings, John Edmiston (johned@aibi.ph) REFER OTHERS: If this devotional is a blessing to you, maybe you have a friend or family member that would like to start receiving this daily bible study. 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