(1)  Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

Romans 5:1

Explanation:

Paul has laid out the case until this point in the book of Romans that we can not be made right with God by doing good deeds.  The law is our teacher letting us know that we can not keep God’s law.  We all stand guilty before God.  He has also made the case that there is a justification that comes apart from the law.  We are justified, or made right with God, by faith in Christ and the grace of God.  A point that is well summarized in Ephesians 2:8-9.

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.

Ephesians 2:8-9

Those who have been justified by faith now experience the grace that comes from that reality.  Paul begins to count them here. In verse 1 we have the first reality.  Now we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Our sin makes us the enemies of God outside of Christ.  Again, Ephesians 2:1-3 describe well our state before we were saved.

And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.

Ephesians 2:1-3

Notice what is said about our position at then end of those three verses.  We “were by nature the children of wrath.”  Who’s wrath is he talking about?  He is referring to the wrath of God.  God, being Holy, must punish sin.  Because of Christ’s atoning death on the cross, we can believe in Christ.  When we do our position before God goes from wrath to peace.  Because we are justified by faith, we have peace with God instead of judgement.

Application:

The natural question that should come from this reality is this:  What is my position before God?  Am I a child of wrath, or do I have peace with God?

One may ask, “Doesn’t God love everyone?”  God does love everyone.  But God, being infinite, can be loving and holy at the same time.  In fact, this is seen on the cross.  God is so Holy that He pours out His wrath on His Son as He became Sin for us.  All sin is punished on the cross.  Yet, at the same time, He is so loving that He is doing this for us.  He loved us so much that He gave His Son to die for us. 

God does not let sin go.  He has made provision for our forgiveness.  We must accept Him as Savior.

Response:

3 Words should inform our response:

1. Trust- If you have not trusted Christ, do it now.

2. Obey- Since our Creator and Redeemer has given us everything, we should obey Him.

3. Worship- As we’ll see in the next verse, we now have access to God, and can worship Him properly.  This is our reasonable response to what He has done for us.