By Robert Moran
Introduction
Romans 5:1 begins with a powerful word: therefore.
Paul has spent the first four chapters of Romans explaining humanity’s greatest problem and God’s glorious solution. All people have sinned. No one can stand righteous before God through personal effort or religious works. Yet God freely justifies sinners through faith in Jesus Christ.
Now Paul arrives at the conclusion: “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1) Because of what Christ has done, everything changes.
Big Idea
Because we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Our standing before God is secure—not because of what we have done, but because of what Christ has done for us.
1. We Have Peace With God
Of all the passages in Scripture about peace, Romans 5:1 is foundational. Every other kind of peace flows from this reality.
The peace of God is the calm and assurance we experience in our hearts. Peace with God is something deeper—it is the settled reality of our relationship with Him.
Before salvation, we stood separated from God because of sin. Through Christ, that separation has been removed. The hostility is over. The barrier has been torn down. This peace does not depend on our feelings. On days when God feels distant, prayer seems difficult, or doubts arise, Romans 5:1 reminds us of an unchanging truth: because of Christ, we are at peace with God.
2. We Are Justified Through Faith
The word justified is a legal term that means “declared righteous.”
Justification is not a process of gradually earning God’s approval. It is a once-for-all declaration made by God the moment a person places faith in Christ. Our guilt is removed. Christ’s righteousness is credited to us. Our standing before God is restored.
Many believers live with a lingering fear that they have not done enough to earn God’s favor. Romans 5:1 removes that uncertainty. We do not approach God hoping to be accepted; we approach Him because we already have been accepted through Christ. Peace with God is not maintained by performance. It is established and sustained by grace.
3. Our Peace Comes Through Jesus Christ
Paul carefully tells us where this peace comes from: through our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace with God is not achieved through better behavior, religious activity, sincerity, or good intentions. It is found only in Jesus. Jesus lived the life we could never live. He died the death we deserved. He rose again, proving that sin’s debt had been fully paid.
At the cross, God Himself entered the conflict caused by sin and bore its full weight. The peace we enjoy today was purchased at a tremendous cost. Our confidence before God rests not on our record, but on Christ’s finished work.
Closing
Romans 5:1 reminds us that our peace with God is not based on our performance but on Christ’s finished work. Because we have been justified by faith, we stand accepted, forgiven, and reconciled to God. No matter how we feel, our standing with Him remains secure through Jesus Christ.
Reflection Questions
1. In what ways are you tempted to base your acceptance before God on your performance rather than on Christ’s finished work?
2. How would your daily walk with God change if you consistently lived with the confidence that your standing before Him is secure?
3. Which truth in Romans 5:1 encourages you the most today: being justified by faith, having peace with God, or knowing that your peace is secured through Jesus Christ? Why?
Prayer
Father, thank You that through Jesus Christ I have peace with You. Thank You that my acceptance before You is based on grace and not my performance. Help me rest in the finished work of Christ and approach You with confidence and gratitude. Teach me to live each day in the freedom and assurance that comes from being justified by faith. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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