Scripture: Romans 5:1-11
In our corporate worship service this past Sunday at Restoration
Church, Nashville, TN, one of our children read through Romans 5. Oh the sweetness and innocence of the Father’s
little children. The scripture read by
this dear little daughter of Our Heavenly Father pierced the very fiber of my
being. Then, this morning during our
staff meeting our pastor, not aware of the reading Sunday since he was serving
in the nursery (isn’t that cool!), read from the very same passage! I sensed this is confirmation that the LORD
would have me write a couple of Lenten devotionals from this scripture. Today we will look at vv. 1-11 and tomorrow
vv. 12-21.
In this passage Paul is dealing with the doctrine of
justification. But don’t get lost in the
theological terminology.
Think of the term “justification” like this . . . “just-as-if-I-have-never-sinned!” If you are a follower of JESUS and you
believe the GOSPEL OF JESUS with your heart this is how GOD the FATHER receives
you and this is how He sees you! You are
not a “sinner saved by grace.” You are a
justified righteous son/daughter of GOD who happens to deal with sinful
temptations while living in this foreign and broken world. There is a very big different in those
statements.
Now we have “peace with GOD through our LORD JESUS CHRIST (V.
1). Before our redemption we were
enemies of GOD and we were at war with GOD.
That conflict has been resolved once and for all!
Verse 2 describes the confidence that we now have that all of GOD’s
purposes will be accomplished through the completed redemptive work of
JESUS. Then in the following versus Paul
describes suffering that we may go through and how the LORD even works through
those things to complete His redemptive plans for each of us in CHRIST JESUS.
Paul also shows the extent of GOD’s love for us in the fact that
JESUS died for us when there was nothing that evoked that love. Then, if that wasn’t enough to get us caught
up into wild reckless worship Paul speaks about the absolute assurance that His
redemptive work is a complete done deal:
“we shall be saved from the wrath of GOD . . . we were reconciled to GOD
through the death of His Son” (vv. 9-10).
Then, again in v. 10: “having
been reconciled (it has already happened in JESUS), we shall be saved by His
life” . . . because JESUS has been resurrected!
Our redemption is secured for all of eternity because it was
accomplished by the sinless, perfect, holy Son of GOD. It is not dependent upon your or me! PRAISE GOD!
JESUS is Risen . . . !
Richard Holloman
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