In the last verse, we read that one of the amazing effects of a restored relationship with God is that we experience a peace that cannot be matched on earth. This includes being at peace with God, as well as at peace with our circumstances knowing that God is ultimately in control, and will provide for His children as He works out all things for the good of those who love Him (Romans 8:28).
This peace, Paul says, is experienced because we have been justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ-
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand
Now, in verse 2, we see that through faith in Jesus Christ, we also have access into grace. It's very important to note that Paul again brings up faith. He spent a lot of time coming down hard on the Jews as they continued to try to add some sort of action/effort on their part as a requirement for salvation. Again and again Paul told them they were justified by faith, and gave them Abraham as an example. In verse 1 and 2 of Chapter 5, as he explains the ultimate blessings of a restored relationship with God, Paul reminds us that it is through faith in Jesus Christ that we experience these things.
It's also important to remember what grace is - unmerited favor. God's undeserved favor shown to us, that cannot, by definition, be earned in any way. It is through faith in Jesus that we are able to experience this favor of God upon us. Paul carries this even further - this grace is the place in which we stand - because as John wrote "We know that we have passed from death unto life..." 1 John 3:14.
As God's children, we are not called to a life of striving to enter into or obtain God's grace upon us, we are actively standing within His grace, according to Paul. What does Paul mean when he uses the Greek word "stand"?
Stand: abide, appoint, bring, continue, covenant, establish, hold up, lay, present, set (up), stanch, stand (by, forth, still, up).
To stand in God's grace means to abide there, to be established there, to hold up there, to be present there. How awesome to know that we have passed from death to life, this is something that has been accomplished for us by Jesus Christ, and it is by faith in Him that we now stand in God's favor toward us as His children!
Understanding where we stand ought to do nothing less than create within us a burning desire to thankfully serve the One who made this possible!
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Yet another effect of a restored relationship with God - rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
Rejoice: to speak boastfully, (to make) joy, boast, glory - when we rejoice, we proclaim the name of God, we boast of God and what He has done! As Paul said "Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord." 2 Corinthians 10:17. Of ourselves, we have nothing to boast about, but our God - He is the One we can be so proud to serve, so proud to share, He is the source of all good things!
This pride in God, who He is, and what He has done, should build our confidence to stand up and let it be made known that we are His children!
So, in verse 2 why does Paul say that we rejoice? Why do we speak boastfully of God, why are we full of joy? In hope. Because we have hope of the glory of God. We must know what Paul means when he uses the word hope, because it says a lot about why we are rejoicing.
Hope: expectation (abstract or concrete) or confidence: - faith, hope.
This comes from the root word that means - (to anticipate, usually with pleasure)
This can be confusing, because the way that we use hope today is different. When we say hope, we usually mean that we really want something to happen. A farmer may hope that it rains, really wanting it to rain. When Paul uses the word hope, he means he is expecting, with confidence, something to happen. How can he be confident? He has faith in Christ, and God has promised peace and everlasting life for those who have faith in His Son. What is everlasting life? Life that lasts forever.
I believe that, when Paul writes we hope of the glory of God, he is saying that we expect with confidence that one day we will know first hand the glory of God as we stand around His throne. There is no doubt that we experience His glory as we go through life in a relationship with Him, as we stand in His grace. This may be what Paul is describing as well, that we hope or expect to experience the glory of God in this life as well as the next.
What are your thoughts?
A brief recap of the first two verses of Chapter 5. What do we get to experience as a result of a restored relationship with Jesus Christ - peace, being present in God's grace, and rejoicing as we confidently worship Him!
Take a minute today and meditate on the word hope. Are we living our lives confident that we are established in God's grace?
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