Romans 5:1 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

NIV: Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

NASB: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

CSB: Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

NLT: Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.

KJV: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

NKJV: Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 5 begins a new section of Paul's letter to the Christians in Rome. He has finished his argument, in chapters 1—4, that nobody can be made right with God by following the works of the law of Moses. This "justification" is impossible by works, because nobody follows the law well, let alone perfectly (Romans 3:10, 23). Human beings can only be declared righteous and escape God's angry judgment on our sin by faith in what He has done for us through Jesus' death, meant to pay for our sin, and His resurrection, which secures our justification (Romans 4:24–25).

Now Paul turns a corner, to describe what we have gained in being justified by faith. It's true that we have escaped the wrath of God, but being righteous before God means so much more than just not being punished for our sin.

Before jumping into these benefits, it's important to remember that Paul is writing to Christians. That is the context of his comments in this section, which should not be misunderstood. Paul's use of the term "we" in this passage is not universal—it does not apply to all of the entire human race. He is describing what is true for those who have trusted in Christ's work for our salvation. This is made explicitly clear by his explanation of faith and belief in the prior passages. Paul is not saying all people everywhere have peace with God, only those who, as he and his readers had done, have believed in the God who raised Jesus from the dead.

It's also helpful to notice that Paul describes this act of being justified by God, of becoming a believer, as something in the past. For those who are Christians, that transaction is complete. Our status before God will never again be in doubt. Paul does not describe a process, or a future event. Eternal salvation is accomplished once, and forever, when a person comes to faith in Christ.

Paul begins by showing that those who have been justified in God's eyes have peace with God. Paul does not mean by this that we feel peaceful, that we experience no anxiety. He means that we are right with God. We are at peace with God from now and through eternity. This is possible only "through our Lord Jesus Christ."

In Christ, God has made a permanent peace with us. And since He is the one who made it, it is peace that can never be lost.

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.