The Christian Privilege
T.F. Lockyer Romans 5:1, 2 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: Justification by faith being assumed as now established, the Christian's consequent attitude towards God and hope in him are next set forth. Salvation is but begun; and the process? the goal? May there not be failure by the way, and catastrophe at last? The apostle, in the first half of this chapter, sets forth the grounds of Christian assurance. In these two verses he exhorts to peace and joyful hope. I. PEACE. Even the justified Christian may be diffident, and may sometimes regard God with dread. Many causes may contribute to this - constitutional diffidence; ill health; partial and imperfect views of religious truth; intense self-consciousness; failure to realize the ideal. Paul knew it, allowed for it, prescribed for it. "Let us have peace." 1. The nature of peace toward God. (1) A quiet mind in view of God's new relation to us in Christ. (2) A calm assurance of God's help in all our growth and fight with sin. (3) A confidence that all our relations to the world shall be rightly ordered by him. 2. The grounds of peace toward God. "Through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1) We have found favour through him (ver. 2). (2) We live through him. (3) We and our interests are controlled and governed by him. So, then, peace in all things toward God, by reason of the great mediation between God and men. II. GLORYING. It is much to have peace; a quiet heart; freedom from all fear of evil. But it is better to have joy; an eager heart; the exultant anticipation of all good. This joy is ours - a hope of the glory of God. 1. The hope of glory. Called God's glory. Because he, the Perfect One, is perfectly blessed. And as we approximate towards his holiness, we shall approximate towards his happiness. He is enswathed in light; he is leading us into light. "The glory of God." More than imagination can conceive or heart desire, he is preparing for them that love him. 2. The joy of the hope. The brightness already irradiates us; the new life bounds in our veins. What vigour and hopefulness this lends to the doing of duties now! We are the heirs of a boundless future. What power to ignore the imperfectness and despair of life! Despair? with such a hope? "Let us rejoice!" Are we justified? Then it is our privilege to have peace and joy. What God has done, is doing for us. It is our duty also; for then what may we do for God! - T.F.L. Parallel Verses KJV: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: WEB: Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ;