Romans 5: 1-11
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Now that God has justified us because we believed that Jesus paid our debt for us, we have peace with God, we don't have to be afraid of Him any more.
through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand;
Jesus has introduced us to God's grace (the favor He gives that we don't deserve), by our believing, our trusting Him to be our Savior.
and we exult in hope of the glory of God.
We rejoice exceedingly in the certain hope of witnessing God receiving the glory.
And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations,
But how can we rejoice in tribulations?
knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance;
Okay, trials bring about a patient endurance to get through them; plus,
and perseverance, proven character;
This builds good character in our lives; and,
and proven character, hope;
When we've built a high character, then our future prospects are much brighter.
and hope does not disappoint,
And these future prospects have no chance of disappointing us.
because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God lavishly pours out His unimaginable Love into our hearts, because He gave us His own Holy Spirit to live in our spirits, actually inside us.
For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
While we were totally unable to do anything at all toward getting right with God, right when it was the perfect time in God's Time-Line, that's when Jesus was born, grew up, and died as God's Sacrificial Lamb, for each of us ungodly sinners.
For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
Humanly speaking, how often does someone actually volunteer to die in another's place?
But God demonstrates His own Love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
God's Love is so far above our own human love, that while we were despicable rebels, insulting God in rejecting His authority over us, that's when He sent His own Son to redeem us!
Much more then, having now been justified by His Blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
Now that Jesus has splattered His Blood on the sides of His altar the Cross, which more than covers, but washes away every stain of sin from our souls, God will not pour out on us the wrath we deserve, because He poured it out on Jesus instead.
For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
Just as I reconcile my checkbook to my bank statement by changing my checkbook register to agree with the bank, so God changes us to be like His Son, by washing away all the despicable rebellion and insulting arrogance we formerly displayed, making us over into the image of Christ.
Now that we're reconciled by being cleansed, God will continue to work on us in the power of Jesus' Resurrection Life until we are as perfect as He is.
And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
Now that He has done all this for us, we rejoice exceedingly in God Himself, for who He is; in the authority of Jesus Christ our Lord, the one who effected this reconciliation we have obtained with God the Father.
O my Father, I praise You for Your great abundance of lavish Love You pour out on us! Your amazing grace gives us Your goodness instead of the wrath we deserve. You have planned all this out, long before any of it ever was.
Before You created anything, You knew what You would do, how You would relate to what You made, and the ways You would fight all our fights and solve all our problems, and rescue and redeem what You let us spoil.
Father, I know I can do nothing without You. That day so long ago when You showed me that Jesus took my death on the Cross for me, I stopped trying to figure out how to live my life, and You took it over for me. You led me into the life I have lived since then, through all the ups and downs of marriage, children, widowhood, and now grandchildren. And You continue to guide my feet along the path You have put them on.
O Father, give me Your eyes to see people the way You see them, past all the negativity and cruelty and inhumanity to man. Help me to relate to them as Jesus related to the sinners He walked among while He lived His life here those 33 years.
And continue to change me, Father. Teach me Your ways, and grow me into the maturity I will need to accomplish what You have set before me to do toward the furtherance of Your Kingdom.
Keep me faithful in Your faithfulness, my Father, to persevere in the road I walk, as I interact with those whose paths meet mine, that I would be a blessing in their lives, to do them good with Your good, and to encourage them on their journeys.
Father, send out workers into Your fields. Sow Your seed and reap Your harvests, so that Your house will be filled with Your uncountable family.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, and every tongue will confess that Jesus is our Christ, our Lord God Almighty, the sovereign King of the Universe, to the eternal glory of Almighty God the Father, forever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
