Paul has been explaining that righteousness comes by faith and not by works. In our last session he used the example of Abraham who lived before the law was given but who had righteousness credited to his account because he believed God. Paul said, "The words 'it was credited to him' were written not for him alone, but also for us, to whom God will credit righteousness---for us who believe in Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead." (Romans 4:23-24)
The apostle continues on, "He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." (Romans 4:25) Jesus died in our place like a sacrificial lamb and, to prove that God accepted His sacrifice on our behalf, He rose from the dead. Now we can have righteousness credited to our accounts---if we believe. The fact that Christ died and rose again does not impute righteousness to all human beings; it is faith in who Christ is and in what Christ did that imputes righteousness. This is the same principle Paul has been explaining to us through the example of Abraham. Abraham had faith in who God is and in what God can do, and that faith is what made him right in the sight of God.
"Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 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." (Romans 5:1-2) Paul previously warned us we can't boast about ourselves. (Romans 3:27) There is nothing we can boast about but what our Lord has done for us. When I meet my Maker I'm not going to stand before Him and brag about how I've tried to keep His commandments or about any good works I might have done. No, if I say anything at all I will be shouting the praises of Christ who paid my way into heaven with His own blood. If I say anything I will bless the name of the One who made peace between me and God.
Paul says that we should rejoice not only about the glory to come but we should boast about whatever is going on in the here and now. In his case, and in the case of many other Christians of his day, what was going on in the here and now was persecution. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) Paul considers trials in the life of the believer to be gifts of God's grace, just as much as he considers justification by faith to be the gift of God's grace. Paul is willing to accept whatever comes to him from the hands of a loving God. He has the same attitude as Job who said, "Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him." (Job 13:15a)
Why does Paul love the Lord so much that he is willing to suffer for Him? Because Christ suffered for Paul. "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:6-8) Paul proclaims, "Christ died for me, not because I was a good man, but because I wasn't! It's hard to find someone who will die for a good person, much less find someone who will die for a bad person. But that's how much the Lord loved me. And because he loved me that much, I'm willing to do anything for Him!"
"Since we have now been justified by His blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through Him! For if, while 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!" (Romans 5:9-10) If God showed such grace to us while we were still sinners, how much more will He pour out His grace on us now that righteousness has been credited to us through our faith in Christ? Christ died to save us, and Christ lives to keep us saved. Our faith does not rest only on the death of our Lord. Our faith rests in the fact that our Lord rose from the dead and is seated in the place of honor at the Father's right hand where He makes intercession for those who belong to Him. We don't believe in a dead God. We believe in a risen Savior.
"Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation." (Romans 5:11) The only thing we will ever boast about in the presence of a holy God is what Jesus Christ did for us. We will boast that He gave Himself for us. We will boast that He rose from the dead for us. We will boast that He daily makes intercession for us and makes peace between us and God. When we step through the gates of heaven we will owe all our thanks to Christ alone.
Below is the link to a worship song that goes beautifully with our text today.
In Christ Alone
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