Skip to content

Commentaries
English
Romans
  
C - JUSTIFICATION MEANS A NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD AND MEN
(ROMANS 5:1-21)

1. Peace, hope, and love dwell in the believer
(Romans 5:1-5)
1Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,2through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.


The natural man lives in dispute with God. All humans transgress against the Holy One, since our sins are considered as transgression. Therefore, the wrath of God is revealed against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
Now that Christ has died on the cross, and reconciled men to their Lord, we have entered into the age of peace because the Son took away the separating sin, and the saving grace of God has appeared to all men. How great are the blessings, relief, and tranquility in those who believe in God, through Christ, the Savior! There is no peace for those who do evil, and no rest for the soul, except through belief in the Crucified.
Christ cleansed and sanctified us that each believer in the new covenant might accept the great privilege, which in the old covenant was only granted to the high priest, who entered the Holy of Holies once a year to make atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins. At the moment of Christ’s death, however, the veil before the Holy of Holies was torn in two, and therefore we have the right to stand in the presence of the Holy One. He invites everyone to come to him trustfully, and see that he is neither frightful, nor a destroyer, nor far away from us, but instead he is the Father and Savior, who is full of love and mercy. He expects our prayers, answers our supplications, and uses us to spread the gospel of his Son that the blessing of the sacrifice of the cross may be brought to all those who seek rest for their souls.
When Christ had risen from the dead, he greeted his disciples many times, saying to them: “Peace be with you”, which means two things:
1. God has forgiven you all your sins for the sake of the sufferings of Jesus.
2. Get up, then, and go forth and spread the gospel, for Jesus commands you: “As the Father has sent me, I also send you”. He, who believes in Jesus, is charged with peace, not only for his own self, but also to be of the peacemakers beatified by Christ, and called the children of God.
In addition to the peace of heart, which originated from justification, our admittance before the throne of the Holy One, and our commission to spread the grace, Paul confirms to us that we have a hope which surpasses all understanding: God created us in his image, but because of our sins we lost the glory given to us. Now that hope dwells in our hearts through the Holy Spirit, God returns the same glory to us, which he has, and which shines from his Son. Are you proud of the glory of God? Do you take hold of the hope set before you? Our future is not a mere thought, supposition, or wish; but it has been realized through the power of the Holy Spirit in us, who is the guarantee of the glory which shall be revealed in us.