March 3 - Romans 5:1-2

Welcome back to the Echoes of Eden podcast. Today we delve into the narrative of Romans 5 from the New Testament written by the Apostle Paul. Let's explore the verse together: Romans 5:1 through 2: "Therefore having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." Being 'justified by faith' is a legal decree that transforms our guilty sentence into one of justification. Because of Jesus' sacrifice God's justice towards us is eternally satisfied granting us 'peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.' This peace signifies the end of the battle between God and ourselves and Jesus is our sole ground for this peace. As believers we also have 'access by faith into this grace in which we stand.' This grace is both the beginning and continuing principle of the Christian life. Our present standing before God is one of favor seeing us in terms of joy beauty and pleasure. It is a reminder that God loves us and likes us because we are in Jesus. Paul emphasizes that our access into this standing of grace is only by faith, and through Jesus. We cannot earn this standing, instead we rely on God's chastening hand as a mark of His kindness. Those who live under grace have no burdens regarding themselves but are tender in conscience toward God. Lastly we are called to 'rejoice in hope of the glory of God.' This rejoicing is a triumphant rejoicing confidence in the happy certainty of experiencing God's glory. Thank you for tuning in to the Echoes of Eden podcast. Join us again tomorrow for more insights into Scripture.