Romans 5:1 Peace with God
We’ll start with Romans.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1 NASB
That is easily my favorite verse in the Word of God. Peace. How many people in this world will never know peace aside from that which they receive from God? World leaders work (sometimes) for peace. Parents and spouses try to create a peaceful household for their families. Even some television shows are dedicated to bringing some small bit of peace to someone’s life (though sadly just as many are dedicated to the opposite). Clearly peace is something we desperately need though are often unable to attain. I believe that is why it is one of the basic promises of the Bible, because it is a basic need of the human species.
This verse has three distinct and important parts.
First: “Therefore, having been justified by faith,”
God is about faith not works. That is established a number of places throughout the new testament, but perhaps best here:
“nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified.” Gal 2:16
Let’s look at “justified” and “faith” and see what’s really there.
“Justified”, as its used here means: “to render (that is, show or regard as) just or innocent” -Strong’s G1342 Having been made just or innocent by faith. That is so powerful and beautiful. It gets better though. This Greek word, dikaioō, is rooted in another; dikaios. Now dikaios means equitable in character or act; by implication innocent, holy. -Strong’s G1342 So more than being just or innocent by faith, we’ve been made holy by faith. Truly our faith makes us holy so that we can be in the presence of God. Certainly if we were not holy that could not be.
“Faith” used here is from the Greek word pistis. Pistis describes a kind of moral conviction about religious teachings, especially about “the reliance upon Christ for salvation.” -Strong’s G4102 Truly, a person could stop there and be content. Rely upon Christ for your salvation and you will become innocent, holy. But as is often the case, God takes things a step further and grants this amazing blessing of peace to those of us who’ve been justified.
The second part, for me, if one the best in the Bible.
Second: “we have peace with God”
“Peace” used here is the Greek word eirēnē. That word is probably from eirō which is Greek verb meaning “to join”. So from the outset we can gather that we are being “joined” with God. It is so much more than that though. All the obvious meanings such as quiet, rest, one certainly are there, but some other, more significant one’s are as well. That same Greek word can refer to the “state of national tranquillity, that is, exemption from the rage and havoc of war.” -Thayer G1515 Through our faith we see a cessation of hostilities with God. Not that the good Lord was manning a machine-gun nest or anything, but we were indeed enemies of God.
“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Rom 5:10
The peace we are blessed with through our justification isn’t just rest and quiet, it is our soul becoming the subject of God’s reconciling act. It is being set at one with God again. The word “again” is not incidental either, remember that man was “cast out” because of our sin. It is our justification through faith that allows us to finally come home and be at peace.
Lastly, faith in the wrong thing yields nothing, but the Bible is quite clear here.
Third: “through our Lord Jesus Christ”
I can have all the faith in the world that my tomato soup will save my soul and bring me peace, but any fool can see that my faith would be ridiculously misplaced. As might be expected, Jesus himself said it best.
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.” Joh 14:6
Only faith placed in Jesus Christ can bring the peace that only God can offer.
“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,” Romans 5:1 NASB
Beautiful isn’t it?