Add parallel Print Page Options

Right with God

Now that we have been put right with God through faith, we have[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He has brought us by faith into this experience of God's grace, in which we now live. And so we boast[b] of the hope we have of sharing God's glory! We also boast[c] of our troubles, because we know that trouble produces endurance, endurance brings God's approval, and his approval creates hope. This hope does not disappoint us, for God has poured out his love into our hearts by means of the Holy Spirit, who is God's gift to us.

For when we were still helpless, Christ died for the wicked at the time that God chose. It is a difficult thing for someone to die for a righteous person. It may even be that someone might dare to die for a good person. But God has shown us how much he loves us—it was while we were still sinners that Christ died for us!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Romans 5:1 we have; some manuscripts have let us have.
  2. Romans 5:2 we boast; or let us boast.
  3. Romans 5:3 We also boast; or Let us also boast.

Results of Justification

Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,(A) through whom we have obtained access[b] to this grace in which we stand, and we[c] boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God.(B) And not only that, but we[d] also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance,(C) 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 that has been given to us.(D)

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.(E) Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.(F)

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. 5.1 Other ancient authorities read let us
  2. 5.2 Other ancient authorities add by faith
  3. 5.2 Or let us
  4. 5.3 Or let us

Developing Patience

1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that’s not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God’s grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.

3-5 There’s more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we’re hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we’re never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can’t round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!

6-8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn’t, and doesn’t, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.

Read full chapter