Paul
now gives us a rather lyric interlude – if you know how to read it properly.
It introduces us to the concept that the Christian life is not peaches and cream,
but much more vigorous.
We
Have Peace
Romans 5:1-2 NIV
Therefore,
since we have been justified through faith, we[1]have
peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, (2)
through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now
stand. And we[2] rejoice in the hope
of the glory of God.
The
“Let us” controversy
Those
reading this passage in the NIV will note the footnotes, starting with “we have
peace.” There is a considerable controversy about this reading.
- The
difference between the two readings is precisely one bar over the letter
“o”. It is not surprising, therefore, that alternate texts have different
readings. The Textus Receptus, used for the King James, translates it as
“we have peace.” The Douay Rheims, the Bible in Basic English and ancient
writers (e.g., Chrysostom) read it as “let us have peace.” Commentators
disagree.
- Those
advocating the more common interpretation argue that the other version
cannot be reconciled with good doctrine, and therefore must be a mistake.
This might be related to a Catholic/Protestant point of division, whether
or not it is possible to lose one’s salvation, or perhaps the role of
works in salvation.
It
is possible, in my view, to do that reconciliation.
Peace
If
this is the correct reading, then it is clear that peace with God is a choice
we make. It is entirely possible to be saved by grace and still be angry with
God. We may stand on the solid rock and complain that our troubles are great
and that God is not doing what we want. Or we can ask just what peace with God
really means. Does it mean that He gives us all we want, or that the conflict
that exists between mankind and God is over for us?
An
illustration might make this clearer. After the American Civil War, southern
citizens we required to take a loyalty oath before being allowed to vote. Many
southerners were reluctant to do so. The choice of many was influenced by
Robert E. Lee, who counseled them to accept the oath. His argument was
simple: the war is over, we lost, and now we must get our state back on
track. Loyalty to the Union was a requirement to do that, otherwise the war
started all over again. Peace must not only be won, but accepted.
If
we have peace with God, though, does this not also imply peace with his
children? Could the South have reconciled with the Union government, but not
with its citizens? It would have negated the meaning of peace. Similarly,
peace with God, accepted, implies peace with his children.
Hope
Let’s
be simple about this. Everyone dies. No one wants to. Each of us wants to
live a little longer; death always comes too soon.
We long for life.
As
Christians, that is what is promised for us – life, eternal life. The hope
that Paul refers to here is the hope of the resurrection. If there is peace
with God, the author of life, then there is hope of life. It is the deepest
yearning of the human soul, placed there by a God who knew what it should mean
to us.
More
than that, there is the hope of glory. We are not being raised simply to a
dreary existence, but to the glory of God. This lesson does not have space to
expound upon it, but it is sufficient to say that the life to come is vastly
superior to that which we have now – if for no other reason than the joy it
will have. God himself will wipe away every tear.
Tribulation
Romans 5:3-5 NIV Not only
so, but we[3] also rejoice in our
sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; (4) perseverance, character; and character, hope. (5) And hope does not disappoint us, because God has
poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.
Why
would I rejoice?
Ok,
so we’re supposed to rejoice – in our sufferings. Why would I want to do a
thing like that?
- It
means you’re on the team.
Suffering and tribulation are the consequences of becoming a Christian.
In a sense, you made it!
- It’s
how you mature in Christ. Even Christ himself was made perfect through
suffering.
If our Lord found it necessary to suffer to become perfectly fitted for
the role he had to play, does it not follow that his followers will suffer
likewise?
- It
also produces results in our character that can be obtained no other way.
Results
Specifically,
it produces these kinds of results:
- It
produces perseverance. One writer put it this way: “The word rendered
“patience,” means rather patient endurance, constancy. It is active rather
than passive in meaning. Then the endurance which is developed under
tribulation helps to form a tried, tested character”
- It
produces character. The NASB translates this as “proven character,” it
can be rendered as trustworthiness as well. It is that sense of one who
is consistently loyal to the Lord no matter the circumstances.
- Which,
tried and true, produces hope.
Is
hope valid?
So,
then, how do I know that the hope I have is indeed correct?
- We
have the testimony of the prophets. So much of what they have predicted
came about in Christ that we can trust the rest.
- We
have the evidence of history – no one else rose from the dead.
- Most
of all, we have the Holy Spirit. When you find the Spirit moving within
you, remember that this is a guarantee of the hope of the resurrection –
as well as guidance for the present.
Reconciliation
Romans 5:6-11 NIV You see,
at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the
ungodly. (7) Very rarely will anyone die for
a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in
this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more
shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! (10)
For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death
of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through
his life! (11) Not only is this so, but we
also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now
received reconciliation.
Who
would you die for?
It’s
an interesting question. Deep down inside you, is there really someone who is
so dear to you that you’d shove them away from the oncoming train and take the
hit yourself?
- The
Scripture commands such love in only one instance: the husband for his
wife. And the command is phrased in the idea that you are to love your
wife as Christ loved the church.
- For
most of us, we have a rather indefinite list of “good guys” for whom we
would die, if the choice came to that. Your children? Your
grandchildren?
- But
Christ died for the ungodly – not the good guys but the bad guys.
How
much more
The
point is rather hyperbolic. If God loved you so much that He sent Christ to
die for you, is it at all possible he will then make your new life one of
dreary misery, with no hope? It makes no sense; it is contrary to the
character of God. His own consistency says that if he loves you enough to go
to the Cross, then his love is sufficient to make your life a cause for
rejoicing.
That’s
one reason we have praise in our worship. You can look at worship as being
nothing more than a rock concert with the preacher as the star. If you take it
as the church has traditionally, it is much, much more. In the structure of
worship you find the life of the Christian. Do you give at church? Then give
during the week. Do you pray at church? Then pray during the week. Do you
read the Scriptures at church? Then read the Scriptures during the week.
And
if you have cause to rejoice during the week for what God has done for you,
should you not then praise him for it? If this is so during the week, how much
more should it be true in worship – and vice versa.
Praise
simply reflects the truth about God – He is love, and his love is so great that
he went to the Cross. Beyond that, his love is our constant source of joy in
life. We praise God because he, and he alone ultimately, is praiseworthy.
That
is the God who is the source of our lives in Christ. What then is suffering,
compared to the blessing?