Romans 5:1

Here the Apostle reasons about the life of faith, so that after he has said so much in praise of faith and disparaged works, we would not become negligent. Since faith has justified us, let us sin no more, but "let us have peace with …

The first fruit of grace is the remission of guilt. Whence the Apostle to the Romans: "Justified by faith, let us have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace, in which we stand …

He had said before, that faith is abolished, if righteousness is sought by works; and in this case perpetual inquietude would disturb miserable souls, as they can find nothing substantial in themselves: but he teaches us now, that they are rendered quiet and tranquil, when we have obtained righteousness by faith, we have peace with God; and this is the peculiar fruit of the righteousness of faith.

But this is through our Lord Jesus Christ --through him as the great peace-maker, the Mediator between God and man, that blessed Day's-man that has laid his hand upon us both. Adam, in innocency, had peace with God immediately; there needed no such mediator. But to guilty sinful man it is a very dreadful thing to think of God out of Christ; for he is our peace, Eph. ii.

Justification and Its Effects. 1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

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We have peace with God - Being enemies to God no longer, ver. 10; neither fearing his wrath, ver. 9. We have peace, hope, love, and power over sin, the sum of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth chapters. These are the fruits of justifying faith: where these are not, that faith is not.

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Therefore being justified by faith,....

Therefore - οὖν oun Since we are thus justified, or as a consequence of being justified, we have peace. Being justified by faith - See the notes at Rom 1:17; Rom 3:24; Rom 4:5. We - That is, all who are justified. The apostle is evidently speaking of true Christians. Have peace with God - see the note at Joh 14:27. True religion is often represented as peace with God; see Act 10:36; Rom 8:6; Rom 10:15; Rom 14:17; Gal 5:22; see also Isa 32:17. “And the work of righteousness shall be peace, And the effect of righteousness.

Therefore being--"having been." justified by faith, we have peace with God, &c.--If we are to be guided by manuscript authority, the true reading here, beyond doubt, is, "Let us have peace"; a reading, however, which most reject, because they think it unnatural to exhort men to have what it belongs to God to give, because the apostle is not here giving exhortations, but stating matters of fact.

A MOMENT'S contemplation would suffice to arouse any man to the terror of the position involved in being at war with God. For a subject to be in a state of sedition against a powerful monarch is to commit treason, and to incur the forfeiture of his life. But for a creature to be in arms against its Creator! For a thing that depends for its existence upon the will of God—to be at enmity with the God in whose hand its breath is!

A MOMENT'S contemplation would suffice to arouse any man to the terror of the position involved in being at war with God. For a subject to be in a state of sedition against a powerful monarch is to commit treason, and to incur the forfeiture of his life. But for a creature to be in arms against its Creator! For a thing that depends for its existence upon the will of God—to be at enmity with the God in whose hand its breath is! For a soul to know that God, who is terrible in His power, and Almighty to protect or to destroy, is his foe! That He whose anger endures forever, and His wrath burns even unto the lowest Hell, is his chief and grand Enemy—this is an appalling thing, indeed! Could any man but understand and realize this, smitten through with terrors as great as those which surprised Bel-shazzar when he saw the handwriting on the wall, he would cry out in anguish, and he would make a thrilling appeal for mercy. God is against you, O sinful man! God is against you, O you who have never submitted yourself unto His Word! God is against you! And woe unto you when He shall rend you in pieces, for none can deliver you out of His hand! Happy! Happy beyond all description is the man who can say with our Apostle, "We have peace with God." But wretched! Wretched, again, beyond all description! Wretched must that man be who is at war with his own Maker, and sees Heaven itself in arms against him! Chiefly, now, we shall endeavor to talk of the peace which the Believer enjoys. And then I shall have a few words of counsel, warning, and encouragement for those who have not this peace with God, or who may have had it, but for a time have lost the enjoyment of it. I. In speaking of THE PEACE OF GOD WHICH THE CHRISTIAN ENJOYS, we will commence with some remarks upon its basis.

WONDERFUL is the power of faith. In the Epistle to the Hebrews our Apostle tells us of the marvelous exploits which it has worked in subduing kingdoms and obtaining promises, in quenching the violence of fire and stopping the mouths of lions, in braving perils and doing deeds of prowess. Still, to us personally, one of the most wonderful of its effects is that it brings us justification and consequent peace. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God."

WONDERFUL is the power of faith. In the Epistle to the Hebrews our Apostle tells us of the marvelous exploits which it has worked in subduing kingdoms and obtaining promises, in quenching the violence of fire and stopping the mouths of lions, in braving perils and doing deeds of prowess. Still, to us personally, one of the most wonderful of its effects is that it brings us justification and consequent peace. "Being justified by faith, we have peace with God." If we know the justifying power of faith and the way in which, like a hand, it puts upon us the matchless garment of the Savior's righteousness, we shall value that faith as our first parents did the gracious hand of God which made coats of skins and covered their nakedness. The little faith we have will make us crave for more! And every need we feel will make us long to prove its virtue in our own souls to meet our own personal case by the operation of the Holy Spirit. Now, faith brings to the soul, according to the text, two blessings. It is not the creator of these things, but the conveyance, the channel, the conduit pipe through which these favors come to us. First, it brings us a state of peace— "being justified by faith." And, secondly, it bring us a sense of peace—"we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." I. Our first thoughts shall be about that most important of all matters—A STATE OF PEACE WITH GOD. In our natural state we have no peace. God is angry with us because we are sinful and we are at variance with God because He is holy. God cannot agree with us—"Can two walk together except they are agreed?" And we cannot agree with God, for "the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the Law of God, neither indeed can be." There is a breach between the rebellious creature and the righteous Creator.

WE desire this evening not to preach upon this text as a mere matter of Doctrine. You all believe and understand the Gospel of Justification by Faith, but we want to preach upon it tonight as a matter of experience, as a thing realized, felt, enjoyed and understood in the soul.

WE desire this evening not to preach upon this text as a mere matter of Doctrine. You all believe and understand the Gospel of Justification by Faith, but we want to preach upon it tonight as a matter of experience, as a thing realized, felt, enjoyed and understood in the soul. I trust there are many here who not only know that men may be saved and justified by faith, but who can say in their own experience, "Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ," and who are now, at the present moment, walking and living in the actual enjoyment of that peace! Wishing to speak of the text, then, in this sense, I shall ask you to accompany me not only with your ears and with the attention which you usually give so generously, but also with the eyes of your self-examination, asking yourselves, as we proceed, step by step, "Do I know that? Have I received that? Have I been taught of God in this matter? Have I been led into that Truth of God?" And our hope will be that some person to whom these things have hitherto been merely external and, therefore, valueless, may be led by God to get hold of them, so that they may be matters of soul, heart and conscience—so that they may enjoy them and find themselves where once they feared they would never be, namely, in a state of reconciliation with God—happily enjoying peace with the Most High. Our first thought shall be some plain, earnest talk concerning— I. A FEW PRELIMINARY DISCOVERIES WHICH A MAN MAKES BEFORE HE GETS PEACE WITH GOD. These, I do not think, are by any means foreign to the text, or merely imported to it, but belong rightfully to it. You see that Paul, before he came to this justification by faith, had been speaking about sin.

Therefore being justified by faith - The apostle takes it for granted that he has proved that justification is by faith, and that the Gentiles have an equal title with the Jews to salvation by faith. And now he proceeds to show the effects produced in the hearts of the believing Gentiles by this doctrine. We are justified - have all our sins pardoned by faith, as the instrumental cause; for, being sinners, we have no works of righteousness that we can plead. We have peace with God - Before, while sinners, we were in a state of enmity with God, which was sufficiently proved by our rebellion against his authority, and our transgression of his laws; but now, being reconciled, we have peace with God. Before, while under a sense of the guilt of sin, we had nothing but terror and dismay in our own consciences; now, having our sin forgiven, we have peace in our hearts, feeling that all our guilt is taken away. Peace is generally the first-fruits of our justification. Through our Lord Jesus Christ - His passion and death being the sole cause of our reconciliation to God.