A text – Romans 5:1-5
5 Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained accessto this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but wealso boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 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.
A reflection:
Suppose you and I live in the time of Paul. Suppose we live under the Roman Empire, even in Rome itself, where there are plenty of reminders of the Emperor and his generals, the great men before whom we had better tremble and show obedience. Suppose also that those men, once they achieved the status of emperor, became gods, to whom we even more need to show obedience or else forever live out our lives in a state of war and conflict.
Then suppose a guy like Paul comes along and tells us we can have peace with God. Really? I don’t think so. God is warlike, like our great generals and our emperor. There’s no peace with someone like that. But Paul says there is, because Jesus, the Christ, has bought the peace, paid the ransom for us. “We have peace with God through (the actions of) our Lord Jesus Christ” and because of whom we can hope to stand in the very presence of God one day and bask in heavenly glory.
Not only that, Paul is telling us that no matter what we are enduring, we do not need to lose hope “because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” You know, I’d say, that seems like a lot of trouble to go to on behalf of us crazy mortals who get it wrong so much of the time. 1) Peace with God, 2) the promise of basking in eternal glory and perpetual light, and, 3) whenever we are suffering, hope poured on us due to the loving ministrations of the Holy Spirit?
I might have walked away from preacher Paul, shaking my head.
Or, I just might have believed the promises. They sound like real love.
A prayer:
Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for sending Jesus to clear the way for peace with God. And thank you for Paul and the other apostles who spread the word about your Good New of real love. Help us to remember to be a part of the spreading of that good news to others who need to hear something good today. Amen.
Short Dwellings in the Word by Dr. Pat Taylor Ellison 