Romans 5:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

NIV: through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.

NASB: through whom we also have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we celebrate in hope of the glory of God.

CSB: We have also obtained access through him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

NLT: 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.

KJV: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

NKJV: through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

In this first part of Romans 5, Paul describes what has happened for those who have, by faith in Christ, been justified before God. In the previous verse, he wrote that we have—right now, currently and forever—peace with God. We are no longer His enemies or objects of His wrath because of our sin (Ephesians 2:3). As shown in prior passages, this only applies to those who have expressed faith in God, as exemplified by Abraham. The "we" used here is a reference to believers.

Now Paul adds that, also through Christ, we have obtained the most important thing in the universe: access to the grace of God by our faith in Christ. Grace means a good thing that is not deserved. What each of us deserved, because of our sin, was God's angry judgment. What we've been given, instead, is God's grace.

Through faith in Jesus, we stand in that grace. What is our response as we come to understand that? We should rejoice, knowing we have the absolutely certain hope of participating in the glory of God forever. Paul wrote previously that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). God's glory is Himself and all that is His. Now that we have been justified and our sins forgiven, we will experience God's glory fully and forever. Rejoicing over that is exactly the appropriate response.

When Paul uses the word "hope" in Romans, it's important to understand the term. In this context, he's not talking about something that might happen, something like, "I hope I get a present for my birthday." Instead, "hope" means looking forward with expectation to something, even though we can't see it, yet.

Romans 5:1–11 describes the amazing benefits that come with being declared righteous before God by faith in Christ's death for our sin. God has made peace with us. We stand in His grace, and we rejoice in the sure hope that we will share in His glory. Our suffering brings growth, which leads to even more potent hope. God has proven His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. We are saved from God's wrath and reconciled to God in Christ.

Romans 5 begins by describing some of the benefits that come with being declared righteous by God because of our faith in Christ. We have peace with God, and we stand in His grace. We rejoice both in the hope of God's glory and in our temporary suffering. We have hope that will not disappoint, because God has already proved His love for us. Paul then compares the work of Adam in bringing sin and death into the world with the work of Christ in dying for sin in order to offer God's free gift of grace to all who believe.

After proving that all men are guilty of sin and incapable of earning salvation, Paul explained how faith—not works—is the means by which God declares us righteous. Romans 5 begins with a powerful, joyful revelation of all that comes with being justified in God's eyes by our faith in Christ. We have peace with God. We stand in God's grace. We have hope for eternal glory and meaning in our current suffering. God has proven His love for us in the death of Christ for our sin while we were still sinners. Adam introduced sin and death to the world, and they continue. Christ, though, by dying for our sin brought God's grace to all who believe. The next chapter begins by refuting a common misconception about salvation by grace through faith.

The book of Romans is the New Testament's longest, most structured, and most detailed description of Christian theology. Paul lays out the core of the gospel message: salvation by grace alone through faith alone. His intent is to explain the good news of Jesus Christ in accurate and clear terms. As part of this effort, Paul addresses the conflicts between law and grace, between Jews and Gentiles, and between sin and righteousness. As is common in his writing, Paul closes out his letter with a series of practical applications.