THE BOOK OF ROMANS CHAPTER 5:1-11
THE RESULTS OF JUSTIFICATION

Verse 1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” Being justified by faith alone, God imputes to us a righteousness that grants us a right-standing with Him. Paul, having declared our having been justified by faith as being a past tense event, now begins to outline the present and future effects of God’s great work.

Verse 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God (in the resurrection).”

Within these two verses we find the summary of the progressiveness of the “Gospel of God” (wherein we are following in the steps of Abraham; Romans 4:12). The first step being Justification, the 2^nd step sanctification, and 3^rd step glorification of our souls. Justification by faith grants us eternal peace with God. Justification establishes Christ Jesus as the LORD/Master/King…Who is to instruct us in sanctification into the resurrection inheritance of the glory of God. Our first step of justifying faith, like Abraham’s, continues to be tested and refined through obedience to our (new) Lord in the 2^nd step. For this refining process of sanctification, the Lord has also made Atonement; that we might access the provision of grace on the standing of justification; unto faith’s goal; sanctification in the hope of the glorification of God. (Romans 8:30, 1st Peter 1:9… “Receiving the end (goal) of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.”) 

The results of justifying faith in the believer shown here in these two verses are: 

1. Eternal Peace with God through our believing He raised Jesus Christ from the dead for our offenses. 
2. Access to God by continuing faith unto further grace for obedient service as Jesus is now our Lord.
3. ‘Hope’ (elpís; gen. elpídos, fem. noun. Hope, desire of some good with expectation of obtaining it) of glory. We have a hope of obtaining Kingdom Inheritance in the First Resurrection. This is what Abraham attained unto, which was validated by Christ in Matthew 8:11. He did it by faith and grace, who against hope believed in hope, being strong in faith, and being now fully persuaded, he was willing to sacrifice his son. And therefore this great faith brought to him the additional greater imputation of righteousness that answers to faithful obedience to God beyond merely believing. The contrasting of which we have previously spoken and which has Romans 1:16-17 in view.  (Going from faith to faith is like going from believing on Him onto believing IN Him/following Him.)

Faith has been the subject to this point of Romans, and now hope is laid beside it

in the “hope of the glory of God.” It is critical to understand that the hope here referred to is not for justification; for through faith we have obtained the grace wherein we now stand; for we are in possession of it now, and we do not hope for what we have already been gifted.  And Justification’s secured results of peace and access to God are that we might additionally, through faith (which is the ground of things hoped for, but not yet seen) and hope thereby draw upon/hold fast the grace (the power of the divine influence upon the heart Hebrews 12:28) in obtaining worthiness. That is to say, sanctification unto glorification; that (conditional) promise of a new glory-filled nature fit for the future heavenly inheritance. (This promise of glory-infilling is the reward for the one who has yielded to God unto the salvation of his soul/fulfilled the call of God on their life.)

VERSES 3-5 Peace with God brings war with satan and his seed. (His seed being the demonic and even people in this World. He has a lot of seed in many powerful places/positions). The World and its nature are at enmity with God and the sincere justified seeker of Godliness and righteousness. The worldly are all about the seen (temporary), the Godly and righteous are all about the unseen (eternal). If you knew your enemy was coming, you’d be on watch, and not be asleep. The modern-day grace message and its lying vanities have lulled many to sleep. We need to be in the discipline of watching and praying in expectation of war, but we also need to be aware of the enemy’s tactics. He tries to get us into either despair or presumptuousness. Both can keep us from pursuing spiritual growth. 

We have access to God as we are led out from under the Law. For the Law had shut the way unto God, in that the Law first shut out Adam from the Garden (it shut him out from the Presence of God) and the Law shut out the priest from His Holy presence (that being only once a year and under threat of death). But we, justified from the Law of sin and death, now stand in the grace of the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, and it is just there where we are often warned to abide.  

Now Paul discovers to the Roman Believers that tribulations and afflictions work to the good of the believer who is in justifying peace; continuing and growing in obedient faith and hope which draws upon the provision of grace through prayer and watchfulness. (Luke 21:36) For an overcoming believer not only needs rebirth, but discovers through tribulation the need of access for the attaining of strength by the provision of grace and mercy that brings spiritual growth and works towards the obtaining of the goal, the high prize of the First Resurrection calling, in the promised glory of God. (Philippians 3) The hope of glory built upon the foundation of faith’s overcoming in trials and tests in tribulations and having developed patience in suffering experiences will not be in the end ashamed. The one who allows the trials, sufferings, and tribulations of the war to develop/strengthen them is the one who overcomes the enemy.

But the hope built upon cheap grace messages will not come into fruition. In these circles, faith’s testings in sufferings and tribulations are often resisted and rebuked as attacks of the enemy. They promote that fleshly doctrine that all ‘good’ things (like financial prosperity, health and success in the World) are of God, and all ‘bad’ things (like being financially poor, unhealthy and unsuccessful) is contributed to the devil’s work. To them, all these are deemed unwarranted in the lives of ‘faith’- filled Christians, and they think that those who are accepting of these things and those habitually experiencing such things are often thought to have little or no ‘faith’. They claim that all Christians are deemed to be overcomers in Christ at justification and rebirth; and as such are entitled to (and are in full receipt) of all the promises of God. The promises are thought to be unconditional to the Believer. They believe they only need to claim their present and future rewards by ‘faith’….that they are already theirs!  Those that have this false ‘hope’ built on the error of teachers of the Scriptures will be sorely ashamed and grievously disappointed. Please be warned and search all the Scriptures with a sincere heart for truth on these matters as they are critical for your gain or your great loss now and also when you pass from this life.   

These verses 3-5 discover unto us the 4^th and 5^th results of justification by faith. The greatest and most vital result of Christ’s Atonement justification is of course the Holy Spirit, Who is now here first mentioned by Paul, as the power to shed abroad, in the justified hearts, the love of God. That great change of the divine nature imparted or regenerated within our spirit is the ‘first love’ amazingly discovered at that time of a new constitution of heart (the spirit and renewed mind). 

Where the law left us to our own power to overcome, the Holy Spirit is now the agent of the Father’s grace in the believer of the Gospel of God (John 14:6). This grand helper the law could not give…. “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…” With John 7:39… “But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.”  The Holy Spirit’s help rests on the Father’s acceptance of the Atonement of Christ.

Faith, Hope and Love….the 3 great and necessary abiding spiritual resources for the justified unto glorification. (1st Corinthians 13:13) The Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit are all engaged now in our present and future salvation of the soul after the Spirit’s past sealing in justification. The Spirit is now earnest for the future inheritance in the Kingdom. “Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.” (2^nd Corinthians 1:22)

Verses 1-5 are then the attributes of our justification that have to do with our affections or spiritual feelings within ourselves (peace, faith, hope, joy). Those thoughts, feelings, and ideas of the mind, will, and conscience cannot be our foundation of faith….only facts of truth must be. Our inward experiences must be based upon facts of truth. 

Verses 6-throughout the rest of chapter are the Facts of Truth stated that our affections of peace, rejoicing joy, faith, hope and love are to be based upon. “For when we were yet without strength, in due time…” means simply the timing in accordance to God’s Wise and purposeful Judgment. As Abram (and his seed) was appointed heir of the World to come in accordance with all spiritual and material factors considered, as Noah was appointed in the course of time that had to do with God’s fill of violence in the earth and sustaining a seed for the Messiah. And as the prophets spoke the oracles of God in the right times of Israel’s ancient existence, and according to their deeds and His salvation plan for Jews and Gentiles, weighted by His forbearance until the exact day and circumstances aligned with His Will and spoken Word. His forbearance having perfectly accomplished His designed Will, in that also man’s strength was sufficiently exhausted in their attempts to justify themselves before God and blindly fell short as Scripture declares all were ungodly. And at that exact moment so weighted, Jesus was sent from Heaven to die for ungodly sinners; enemies of God. Our nature from birth is ungodly, “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.” [Psalm 51:4]

“….Christ died for the ungodly.” (Because of the sin nature man is born into from Adam, our nature at birth is at enmity with God.) This is a Biblical and historical fact; based upon thousands of years of recorded history. 

VERSES 7 & 8 “ For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (We pause and consider God…in that on the one hand His Just Holiness has condemned sinners in His Wrath to eternal death, and on the other we stand in awe as all mankind’s salvation is based upon God’s Love. It’s a Love uncharted by mankind, in that God willingly died for His enemies through His Son. Had the Godhead not first Loved us, we would never have Loved Him. The Love here commended to us, is that to which has justified/saved us by regeneration of our spirit, that we were passive to. This Love is also the Love shed abroad in each of our hearts by the Holy Spirit, which is to be activated by us that will energize our sanctifying faith. Read Galatians 5:6… “…faith worketh by love”). “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you (same Love). Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you. Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. These things I command you, that ye love one another” (in the self-sacrificing love of God shed abroad in our hearts). [John 15:12-17] It’s not a passive reception of His Love, but a Love that activates in us a recognition of our responsibility to grow in love, even capacitating us to experience love for our enemies. 

VERSE 9 & 10 “(How) Much more then (potentially), being now justified (saved) by his blood (Hebrews 9:24 redemption’s price), we shall be saved from wrath thorough him” (many declare here that mercy alone prevails, that God’s Justice satisfied His wrath for Christians, therefore no wrath of any kind could be possibly due). It is the time of the 2^nd Coming that is in view here. The Age of entreaty in Grace and Mercy is over (the last 7 years being the period of Transition from Mercy/Grace to that of one of Law/Judgement). Judgment and Wrath of the Law are again at hand, and we, as Christ’s, are to escape the wrath of that future time when it falls upon His enemies, that is IF we are obediently looking for Him (the word “IF” being the qualifier). Revelation 3:10… “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” With Hebrews 9:28… “So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” Christ’s friends will be manifest in the time of God’s Wrath when His indignation is poured out on His enemies. “And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which corrupt the earth.”

What is discovered about that future day of wrath is:

1.  Reward of rapture for the obedient living Christian and resurrection from among the dead for those who attained sanctifying worthiness (after justification).
2. Non-instructive and non-correcting punitive judgment of Wrath without mercy on His enemies.
3. Purifying, purging, tribulation judgment upon the living Laodicean type of un-sanctified misguided disobedient Christians, with the strongest warning of penalty of drinking of the wine of the wrath of God.

Revelation 14:9-13…“And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

In so much as our soul loves this World, it remains at enmity with God and thus remains His enemy. And by its nature, haters of God and fellow man, unworthy of the Kingdom inheritance. On the contrary, we are participants with those who are the corrupters of the earth, which brings us under the severe Judgment of God. However, in so much as the soul, in the Tribulation judgement, turns and stands in the light of His death and Resurrection power in loving faith in the newness of life again reconciled back unto God, that they might finish the race faithfully, this is now their hope.

In that justification’s new constitution’s life-giving “blood” is loving faith, and only as we allow it to flow, is this reconciliation accompanying justification maintained and restored when lost. It exists only in the fear of God and faith in the light of the Gospel Word. This is faithfulness. This state only is worthy of the Reward. It is only here we are competent and capable, and have the assurance that we shall be saved from the Judgment of God.

Whereas justification brings the divine nature and partial reconciliation with assurance of eternal life, with peace with God and access to God and hope of glory on the positive side, as presented so far in the Letter. Yet ‘hope’ has a negative connotation in that our hope of glory is conditioned. Paul begins to bring out that understanding, which climaxes in the 8^th Chapter. God’s intent in the “much more” is no less attached to the ‘negative’ part of ‘hope’. It puts emphasis on the sureness of there being no diminishing of power nor intent to bring the justified into the fullness of His Salvation plan, in that He not only grants the gift when we were enemies how much more He is willing to grant glorification in eternal reconciliation now to His faithful children. This is the meaning of “much more”. 

Again: Much more then, being now justified (set right with the Law and its demands) by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled (the Ruler and His subjects’ feelings are changed towards each other) to God by the death of his Son (His death the work of the Blood and Cross), much more, being reconciled, we shall be (future tense) saved (unto glorification) by his (resurrection) life”. Here is the great differentiating of Christ the Man…in that any other man might die for a friend or for the benefit of mankind, but there his help would end. But it is not only at Death that Christ benefited mankind, but now in Resurrected Life, He has increased in His abilities to help save us to the uttermost. “How much more” speaks to both the power in grace and the potential inheritance in Kingdom glory to those who are no longer His enemies but His friends. This is the understanding of the statement being here made. 

Modern-day Christendom focuses Christians’ attention almost entirely upon His Death, making it all inclusive of God’s Salvation Plan. But what is of more consequence here is His Resurrection life. This is that which has now positioned the justified for much more of God’s gracious help in obtaining the future salvation beyond justification. Justification being where we were saved by His Blood and the Cross but now what should be coming into focus is the additional part to God’s Gospel Plan “….saved by His life.” This should be understood in that Scripture, “Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.” For us who have been already justified/saved…..are to be now saved to the uttermost…. which clearly speaks to the heavenly calling inheritance beyond justification. (See Hebrews 7:25 with Hebrews 3:1)

What are the Facts? Jesus death and Resurrection life. Death was the beginning, not the ending of His Life. Neither is Christianity to be so much about living (that is to say on this earth in relative ease and comfort in this World and then dying) as it is living in this World with an understanding of faith’s trials and tests of tribulation and afflictions that lend themselves to our being capacitated by the Holy Spirit in loving Godliness (love towards God) and righteousness (love towards man) in this world with a focus on death and quality of life in inheritance in the World to come (as did Abraham the father of faith exampled for us in Chapter 4 and Hebrews 11:8-19). John said “…the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.” Jesus died for me and now liveth for me; that I might now die for Him that I might then live for Him.