So Much Stuff Happens When We Have Faith in Christ

Dan Sullivan   -   February 8, 2019

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory.

Romans 5:1-2 ESV Read More

This is after a long explanation of what it means to have faith and to live by faith. Because of the faith of Abraham, we can have that same kind of Abraham faith in a God who can raise people from the dead and show mercy. When we have that kind of faith, something happens.

We Are Justified – Whatever That Means

Justified is a really easy word if we take it out of the religious context. If you step on a Lego, you are justified to yell and holler. If you get cut off in traffic, you are justified to smack your steering wheel. It doesn’t mean that you should do it or that it’s right, but it’s reasonable and right that you would do such a thing.

Justified is a cousin to justice. It’s what is right.

Having More than Peace with God

So by your faith in Jesus, you have been made right with God. Since you have been made right, you can have peace with God. Always pay attention to the word “Peace” when you see it in the Bible. Jewish folks used that word for much more than the quiet you need after a day of working on highway construction. Peace to them was complete well-being and freedom from all concern. Peace meant that all of your kids were healthy, had 3.9 GPAs and that you got along with your Mother-In-Law. It was holistic and permeated your whole neighborhood.

So with that, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Even though the bulk of church history hasn’t lived out this verse, it doesn’t mean it isn’t true. We need not be motivated by fear, guilt, or shame. We don’t have to try to “make peace” with God or “get right” with God. He has already made us right with Him all by Himself. By our faith in what He already did, we gain full access to Him, His peace, and we’ve been made alright.

Stand, Rejoice, and Hope are all Action Verbs

So now since we’ve been made right, we can react. Our reaction is fully justified even as our entire life and standing before God has been justified. Now it is just and right to do and act the way we really are, which is to Stand, Rejoice, and Hope in Christ.

We stand because we are confident. We don’t cower or duck, we confidently come before God. We rejoice because we are happy and all of our sins are behind us and gone forever. Whatever evil comes will be used by God to make Himself greater and make us stronger in Him. We hope because the goodness of God is so good we want everyone else to experience it. We have hope that everyone would experience what we have experienced. Not only because of our joy in experiencing God but in our love for God, we want everyone else to experience Him too.

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