The Blessings of Justification – Romans 5:1-5
Bethel Baptist Church – David Rising
Romans 5:1-5; August 23, 2026 AM
The Blessings of Justification
Today we enter a great chapter that shows us the blessings of justification.
Paul has been laying out what it means to be right with God. Because of our horrible sin, the only way we can gain a right standing with God is to be justified in His sight – that is, to have our sins wiped away and to have gained God’s righteousness through faith alone.
That is the message we have seen laid out for us in Romans 1-4.
Once we believe and are justified by God, what takes place? What are the things that God does in our lives? We will see today in our text the answer to that. In our text, Romans 5:1-5, we will see 3 blessings of justification. Pray.
As we begin chapter 5 today, note that from chapters 5-8 we will see the blessings that are ours as a result of justification.
1. Peace with God (5:1)
5:1 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
Δικαιωθέντες οὖν ἐκ πίστεως εἰρήνην ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεὸν διὰ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ
This is a marvelous summary statement of what it means to be justified. This brings into focus the gospel truth that Paul has discussed to this point, and now Paul tells the readers the tremendous truth of where their life now stands with God.
The phrase “having been justified by faith” restates 3:28 which draws us back to 3:24, “being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.”
Our church doctrinal statement about Justification reads like this:
“We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe is Justification: that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness; That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed to us”
That is an excellent summary of justification, and I believe this is what Paul is speaking about here in Romans.
When we are justified, Paul says, the result is peace with God. This means we are no longer an enemy of God. Our sin had separated us from God, and at that time we were God’s enemy, wanting nothing to do with Him or His ways.
But that all changed when we were justified by faith.
This peace is not just some feeling of tranquility we may experience when the jackhammer stops beating the ground or when the kids aren’t crying.
It is much more than that. This is about reconciliation, about the mending of a broken relationship.
This reconciliation is between us and God and it comes through our Lord Jesus Christ – that is, through the work that He accomplished on the cross for us. His blood was shed that we might receive the forgiveness of sins and to enjoy a right relationship with God.
Later in this chapter we will see specifically how Christ extended Himself toward us. Verse 10 will speak about reconciliation.
The first blessing of justification we see in Romans 5 is peace with God. This peace, this right standing with God, comes through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Listen to what Paul said to the Ephesian believers in this regard (2:14-17), though in a different context:
14 For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, 15 having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, 16 and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near.
This peace came because Jesus is Himself our peace. He gave His life. He loved us so that we might love Him.
Peace between individuals comes when one party lays down the sword and seeks peace, followed by the other who does the same.
God initiated our reconciliation by sending His Son, Jesus, to suffer in our place. By His grace, He moves our heart by the Word and we respond in faith to His love extended to us in the gospel.
Now that we are justified, we are at peace with God and it is all because of Jesus. We stand in God’s presence, clothed in the righteousness of Jesus.
A second blessing we have as a result of justification is …
2. Access to Grace (5:2a)
2 through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand,
2δἰ οὗ καὶ τὴν προσαγωγὴν ἐσχήκαμεν [τῇ πίστει] εἰς τὴν χάριν ταύτην ἐν ᾗ ἑστήκαμεν
Through Jesus Christ we also have access to grace. It is the grace in which we stand.
The verb tenses (perfect) emphasize the past action that results in a present reality. We have access now into this grace.
To have access to something means we have certain credentials indicated by a key or badge that gives us entry. Maybe you have a security badge that gives you access to your building. Without it, you are stuck.
Apart from justification, we do not have access to God nor this grace he mentions – a grace in which we stand.
Unbelievers do have access to God’s grace which theologians describe as His common grace. God shows His common grace upon everyone. The rain that He sends lands upon the just and the unjust. The sun gives light and warmth to everyone regardless of their standing with God.
But saving grace is not universally given, and that is entirely a matter of God’s sovereignty. This is the grace Paul speaks about. Yes, we preach the gospel to all, but only some respond. Those who respond enjoy God’s saving grace.
As a justified, forgiven believer, God has given us credentials. We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.
The writer of Hebrews speaks about the privilege believers have in Hebrews 4:14-16. Because of our standing with God, because of the work of our great High Priest Jesus, we can come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and grace in our time of need.
The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that our access to God was not the result of the blood of animals but was the result of the blood of Christ. Because of Jesus we draw near to God. He is our great High Priest, and thus we can approach God without fear.
This idea of access could also be illustrated by the point that Paul makes in Ephesians 2:18:
18 For through Him (Jesus) we both have access by one Spirit to the Father.
We have access through Jesus by one Spirit to the Father. That’s a mouthful, but it shows the work of the Trinity in granting to us the privilege to speak to the Lord in prayer.
We have access to this grace in which we stand. It was God’s grace that gave to us the great blessing of justification so that we could stand in a right relationship before God, at peace, having access to Him through our Great High Priest.
In simple terms, God hears our prayers. He hears the prayers of His own children. We are truly blessed.
This idea of standing in grace also points to the future where we will not shrink at His judgment, and we will be granted access ultimately to the New Jerusalem in which we will live forever with our God.
1. Peace with God.
2. Access to grace.
3. Hope (5:3-5)
and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐπ̓ ἐλπίδι τῆς δόξης τοῦ θεοῦ.
This third great blessing introduces the largest portion of the words in these first five verses.
We rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Those who scorned God’s glory (Rom. 1:21–23) and have fallen short of it (3:23) are now promised a future share in it.[1]
the glory believers will experience is a gift of God’s grace. [2]
Believers are righteous in God’s sight, enjoy [future reality of complete peace], stand in [this future] gift of grace. Nonetheless, the full promises of salvation have not yet been realized. We still await future glorification, which will involve moral perfection and restoration to the glory Adam lost when he sinned. Believers are clearly not yet morally perfect, for otherwise they would possess God’s glory now, and the growth in godly character described in verses 3–4 would be [unnecessary]. When Paul speaks of the hope of God’s glory, ἐλπίς (elpis, hope) means a sure confidence (cf. 4:18). It does not mean that believers long to experience God’s glory but are not sure whether it will come to pass. Believers are certain now that the glory Adam lost will be restored to them. Indeed, the glory restored to believers will be even greater than the glory Adam once had, for believers will be conformed to the second Adam, Jesus Christ (8:29).[3]
Hope points us to a sure future, regardless of the present problems.
Notice how Paul elaborates upon this in a way that is very similar to what James says in his letter:
3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character; and character, hope.
We hope in the glory of God that will triumph over the present and ultimately solidify hope in our lives. bring us into His presence forever.
We can read Paul and James tell us to glory in tribulations, and we quietly say they are out of their minds.
Of course, we don’t revel in pain and suffering, but we gain a perspective by God’s grace through our troubles that He is working in us for His purposes. His goal for our lives is far more significant than just giving us a comfortable life.
Notice the logical chain in Paul’s list:
Tribulations produce perseverance (ὑπομονήν). As a result, God gives us the strength to endure more and more. That gives us a sense of hope.
Perseverance produces character (δοκιμήν) – tested and proven character. Character is not something we buy or simply read about and gain. God builds character into our lives through enduring trials.
Character produces hope.
We begin to see that God is transforming our lives, and it gives us that sense of hope.
This is a way of illustrating what Paul says to the Philippians:
Philippians 1:6 (NKJV) 6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;
This is a marvelous chain of reality that we prefer not to endure, but the result that God works in us gives us that sense of hope and a great anticipation for the glory that awaits us in God’s presence.
“Commentators often remark that this logical chain works only if one responds to the troubles appropriately (e.g., Cranfield 1975: 261; Moo 1991: 310). This is certainly true, and Paul would not deny it, but why did he leave out this condition? He left it out because he assumes that God will overcome in believers the tendency to wilt under pressure. The parallel with Rom. 8:28–39 is crucial here. Those who are justified will assuredly be glorified; nothing will separate believers from the love of Christ. To insert the condition at this point, then, is misleading because it implies that the logical chain can be broken. This undermines Paul’s intention, for those who are justified will certainly be glorified, and the fruits of righteousness will be manifested in them. This assurance, as chapter 6 will show, is no ground for moral laxity.” (Schreiner)
Notice now in verse 5 how we see hope in another way:
5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
This kind of hope God grants us does not disappoint us. If we bank our lives on the Lord, trusting Him through all of our circumstances in life, we will not end up some day with a big disappointment.
This hope will not disappoint because God has invested into each one of us His love through the Holy Spirit which indwells believers.
Listen to
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV) 13 In Him [Jesus] you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Sealed. Guarantee. Those are terms that we look for when we buy something or invest. We want to be sure of the outcome.
The blessings of justification will not disappoint because our God has put his guarantee on the outcome.
In our next study we will see one of the great verses about God’s love for us.
Application
1. Thank God for these wonderful blessings!
2. When tribulations come, let us remember this scripture.