Reconciliation Brings Peace

Romans 5:1-11
1Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2Through 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. 3Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 6For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10For 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. 11More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

I’ve had more than a few people tell me over the years that they will come to God after they clean up their lives. They knew that there were aspects of their everyday life that certainly weren’t up to God’s standards, so improvements were going to have to be made in order for them to come to Him. And if we are earning our way into God’s presence through our own actions, I can see where that idea makes sense. But that’s just not how it works in God’s economy. This passage completely belies that concept and it all begins with the fact that we have peace with God.

Our reading for today is a big one. If you’re going for theological depth, here it is. In order not to miss anything, we’re going to take it point by point.

  • A thorough discussion of Abraham (prior to this passage) has proven that we are not justified by our actions or deeds but by God-given faith.
  • Because of that faith, we are at peace with Christ; but that peace does not mean a stress-free life. We will still suffer.
  • Even suffering has a worthy outcome – hope. (see last week’s devotional)
  • Jesus suffered and died because of our sins long before we had “cleaned up our lives.” He died for those who were inherently His enemies because of our complete lack of holiness.
  • Now we are reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ. We are at peace with God.

As I read back over the points I again marvel at the simple beauty of God’s plan and the overwhelming extent of His grace. We don’t deserve it, we didn’t earn it, we didn’t even expect it – yet Jesus died to reconcile us with God. It’s unprecedented and completely true. When Adam and Eve sinned against God with their open rebellion, we were no longer at peace with God. But because of the death of Jesus Christ, His One True Son, we are no longer at odds with God, but restored to His side; reconciliation presides where animosity was once found. And we did nothing to make that happen. It was God’s work alone. Because of Jesus death and resurrection, we are at peace with God once again.

If you’ve tried to clean up your life in order to be a peace with God, cease your efforts. Jesus has completed that work on the cross on your behalf. Peace is yours. Embrace it and give thanks to God for it.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

יהוה שָׁמַר--Yahweh Shamar (God Watches)

Image
Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore. There are numerous passages I cling to when stress takes over my life. I would be hard pressed to declare a favorite, but this psalm would come close. So this morning I listened to Psalm 121 about 20 times as I meditated through the verses. First, I want to point out that the word or idea of shamar appears in every verse expect 6. The NIV uses the word "watch" while the ESV uses "keep". The...
Read more

Excusez-moi

Image
2 Kings 23:31-37 31 Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. His mother’s name was Hamutal the daughter of Jeremiah of Libnah. 32 And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done. 33 And Pharaoh Neco put him in bonds at Riblah in the land of Hamath, that he might not reign in Jerusalem, and laid on the land a tribute of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 34 And Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim the son of Josiah king in the place of Josiah his father, and changed his name to Jehoiakim. But he took Jehoahaz away, and he came to Egypt and died there. 35 And Jehoiakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharaoh, but he taxed the land to give the money according to the command of Pharaoh. He exacted the silver and the gold of the people of the land, from everyone according to his assessment, to give it to Pharaoh Neco. 36 Jehoiakim was twenty-fiv...
Read more

Narrow Door

Image
Luke 13:22-30 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them , 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at tabl...
Read more