“Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:1).
We finish our brief study of Romans today with an examination of the benefits of our right standing with God through Christ, that is, justification. Romans 5:1–11 describes these blessings and we will focus specifically on the idea of peace enumerated in verse 1.
Peace, or irene in the Greek, is a term that carries several connotations. As used in the wider Hellenistic (Greek) culture, it referred to the state of goodwill between parties from which come all blessings for land and people. It is closely related to the Hebrew word for peace (shalom), which also has connotations of material benefits and is particularly the gift of God, resulting from the Lord’s favorable intent to save His people (Ps. 85). The prophets say shalom will characterize the world in the new age (Isa. 9:6; Ezek. 34:25–31; Zech. 9:9–10).
Through God’s justification of sinners through His Son, this future peace is present even now. The promise of the Almighty to His people has been brought forward in time. Jesus came to inaugurate this new age, an age in which the Lord’s people work as ambassadors of His kingdom. The pouring out of the Spirit shows that the new day has dawned (Acts 2:14–36), and all who trust in Him can enjoy the end of hostilities between God and man.
This peace that Jesus Christ gives to us leads us to partake fully of spiritual blessings “in the heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3–4), including access into the Lord’s presence (Rom. 5:2). But it is not a merely spiritual peace; its benefits are also physical. We will enjoy these favors in total when our bodies are resurrected to life in the new heavens and new earth (Rev. 21). And even today we can expect, though not as a given, physical and material provisions as firstfruits of this inheritance.
Praise the Lord that His wrath no longer burns hotly against those justified by faith in Jesus. As Dr. R.C. Sproul says in The Gospel of God: “When God declares peace, when he declares us just, the war is over. And it is over forever. To be sure, believers may incur his displeasure, they may cause him to respond with chastisement, but never again does God lift up the sword against his children” (p. 91).
Coram Deo
Being forgiven and set free from bondage to sin are not the only benefits we receive from being justified in the sight of God; we also receive peace with Him. If you have trusted in Christ alone for salvation, the Lord will discipline you as His child (Heb. 12:5–6), but His wrath has been turned away from you. Is God at peace with you? If you have never believed on Jesus, do so today, and you will have peace. Go spread the news of this peace to friends and family.
