by Jerry Senn
“Therefore since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
—Romans 5:1-5
It is through Christ that we have entered into this state of grace, and through him, too, that we rejoice in the hope of glory. Peace and joy are twin blessings of the gospel; as an old preacher put it, “peace is joy resting, joy is peace dancing” (FFB).
Having been “justified” (made righteous) through faith in God’s Son, the blessing of forgiveness of our sins bears fruit by transforming a spirit of fear and apprehension about our spiritual relationship with God, permits us to rest our souls in the care of our unbelievably loving Father.
“For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the spirit of adoption as sons (and daughters) by whom we cry, “Abba Father.”
—Romans 8:15