1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;
4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:
5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Romans 5:1-5 (KJV)
Our Position As Believers
Our position declared
Paul says that we who have believed have been “justified.” Basically, it means to count someone righteous; to reckon, to account, to judge, to treat, or to look upon as righteous. We are all sinners! Even though most of us claim to be Christians, we are still sinners! Justification does not mean that God is not aware of our sins. It does mean that in spite of our sins, God treats us as though we were not sinners.
How is this possible? It happens because when the Lord Jesus died on the cross, He paid for all of our sins. Then when we receive Him as our Saviour, God gives us the righteousness of Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Our position described
How did this great miraculous and fantastic justification come about in your life and mine? By faith! We didn’t earn it. We didn’t deserve it.
If it relied on my ability to perform, I would be lost. If it required me to keep a list of rules perfectly, I would be lost. If it required me be a good person, I would be lost.
Our Possessions As Believers
We possess acceptance.
According to Paul, salvation brings with it peace with God. What does it mean? God’s wrath is turned away. (Romans 5:9) Heaven is satisfied. (1 John 2:2) Old enemies have been reconciled. (2 Corinthians 5:18)
We possess access.
The word “access” means to enter the presence of the king. Through Jesus, we have the right to enter into the very presence of the God of Heaven without fear. We have access to the Heavenly Father! (John 14:6)
We possess assurance.
Not only is there peace with God and access into God presence, but the believer also enjoys blessed, deep-settled assurance of salvation.
Our Privileges As Believers
We are saved and we are secure, but right now, we live in a world of trials and tribulations.
The ability to rejoice in trouble.
Paul says that the Christian can rejoice in the bad times of life. Because of the little word “knowing.” When the trials of life descend, the true believer knows that God is working out His will in our lives and is attempting to produce in us a state of Christlikeness. God is trying to make us like Jesus. The word “tribulations” means pressure. However, the mature Christian also knows that it takes pressure to produce Christlikeness.
The ability to recognize our troubles.
In this section, Paul tells us all about the benefits derived from the “pressures” of life. When troubles come in our lives as a result of our walk with the Lord, we learn to endure and through endurance we are matured and proven in our character, then as we see God sustain us in the difficult time, we can rest in the deep settled knowledge that He is in control and will see us through.
The ability to rest in our troubles.
As we go through this life, there will be many difficult days. However, as we face all the things that will come our way, we always have the precious Holy Spirit in us, to teach us, to constantly remind us of the awesome love of God for His children. He has the power to keep our hearts in perfect peace, regardless of how difficult the way becomes. (Isaiah 26:3)