Romans 5:1-5
In this chapter we moved past the wonderful theological treatise of chapters 1-4 into
the more application segue of chapters 5-8. In this we explored what it looks like for us now
to have peace with God. Because of the act of love Christ performed on the Cross, we now
have the luxury of peace with our Father. The tensions of hostility have been removed and
we can now rest confident in his saving grace. One thing that is important to recognize is
that in the Bible, peace is very often associate with the Messianic Kingdom. In the reign and
rule of Jesus the Christ (Christ means messiah), peace is the upstanding statute. What Paul
is referring to in this passage, is peace in the presence of God. Where we once were at odds
with God, Christ has given us peace with God. God no longer holds our sin against us but
instead he looks upon us as beloved children. This concept of peace is driven from the
Hebrew word Shalom, which refers to wholeness or well-being. Whenever a Hebrew would
greet someone, they would say, “Shalom! (I wish you wholeness and well-being in all that
you do). This is something that the Hebrews knew that only God could give in its fullness, so
recognizing that true shalom came from God would have been instinctual.
What we also noted about this peace is that we received it with our salvation. So the
moment Christ died for his elect, they received peace with God and embraced it upon
baptism. We ceased our fighting with God and his ways and embraced him as our savior.
We then received this peace in our hearts. The beauty of this kind of peace is that it is not
only inward, but outward. Not just internal, but external. Because of our salvation we also
experience freedom from distress and fear, security, mercy, joy, grace, love, life, and
righteousness. For me, I feel this harmony best when I am at the beach or hiking a trail in
nature. The balance of the peaceful breeze and the calming sun outside of me is matched by
the blissful tranquility inside of me.
What is truly amazing, as Paul as well as James alludes to, is that because of the
death of Christ on the cross, we not only have hope for our lives in the good times, but we
can rejoice in our afflictions! What a paradox! That when we face trials we can take comfort
in knowing that it produces endurance, and character, and hope. These three characteristics
can be broken down as such. Endurance is desirable because we know we will face
adversity as we await the return of our King. We still live in a world that hates God and his
people, so we need this endurance to help us get through these difficult times. Character is
vital because it is the identity of the King’s people. The kind of people who belong to Christ
are the people who have deep, genuine character, that ultimately reflect the character of
Jesus. Hope is the climax because it assures us that our anticipation is not in vein. We know
Christ shall return to rule the world and eradicate sin and darkness forever. Knowing that
someday there will be an end to the pain and suffering of this world and we will get to be with
Jesus forever; that is the greatest peace of all.