Romans 5:2 - Standing in His grace.
Romans 5:2 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. (NLT)
In verse one, we saw how we have been justified by faith alone and nothing else added to it. Any addition to his element of faith, no matter how good and necessary it may seem, is a false gospel. And I make no apology for making this statement.
The first benefit from being justified is that we have peace with God.
Paul further asserts that faith in the finished work on the cross gives us a second benefit, access into this grace of God. In addition to our sins being forgiven and granted peace with God, we now have change in our standing before God.
Paul reminded the Ephesians in Ephesians 2:12 - remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.
That was our condition before we accepted the Lord and became Christians. We were dead in our sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1). But now having been made alive, our status has changed. We now stand in God’s presence, not as strangers, but as His sons and daughters. Indeed, an underserved privilege. It is not something we can earn or achieve by our own efforts, but rather it is received by placing our trust in Jesus and accepting His sacrifice on the cross. As Christians, we can stand firm in this grace, knowing that we are accepted and loved by God.
Grace is underserved favour. The grace of God changes everything in our status:
- Dead – made alive
- Condemned – justified
- Works –faith
- Slave of sin – child of God
- sinner - son of God
- Kingdom of darkness – kingdom of His son
- Cursed – blessed
And the list continues. Peter puts it succinctly:
1 Peter 2:9 - But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
What a privilege, what an honour.
And this access into His grace is by faith alone and through Jesus; we cannot work ourselves into this standing.
And this access is not just in our standing before God, but it brings us right into His presence, into His courts, into the Holy of Holies. This is the glorious privilege of anyone who will accept Jesus as Lord and saviour.
But there is also a future dimension added to it.
“and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory”.
We have the blessed hope that we will live with him through eternity and share His glory. And we look forward to it with joy and confidence.
1 Cor 2:9 - “What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” — the things God has prepared for those who love him.
In summary, we don’t have to condemn ourselves over and over again. We don’t have to gloat over our past sins, nor do we need to live in inferiority complexes or in the shadow of someone else. Rather I live in the confidence that I am right with God. I have His peace that the world cannot give. I am His child. I live in His presence in an elevated position. I have the hope of eternal life. There is no one who can condemn me or change what God say about me.
My past does not determine my present and my future is secured in the one in whose presence I stand.
Romans 8:34 - Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honour at God’s right hand, pleading for us.
Again it's sola fida - Faith and faith alone.
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