Romans 5
May 30, 2022
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (v1)
Whenever we see a “therefore” in the Bible, we need to ask: What is it ‘there for’? The ‘therefore’ of Rom 5:1 is a transition word that tells us that what we’re about to read logically follows what has come before. And what comes before Rom 5 is Paul’s 4-chapter explanation of the gospel, how we are justified (‘just-as-if-I’d’ never sinned) through faith in Christ’s death on the cross – the results of which are some very significant benefits, the first of which, is “peace with God” (v1).
Father, I can’t read Romans 5:1 without giving You thanks for how You used it to open my daughter’s heart to the good news of the gospel. You know how, as a little girl, she struggled to know Your peace, trying to be perfect – so that she could earn Your acceptance, which only caused her to be more anxious and tied up in knots. And then we read this verse together, and You opened her eyes to see that peace with You does not come through anything we DO to make You accept us. Peace with You comes through faith in what You DID to make us acceptable. Thank You for the gospel, Lord. May You open the eyes of anyone at Trinity who also needs to know this good news.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
