Thoughts on Romans 5:1

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

The effects of this truth are far reaching. Since justification comes through faith and not through works we can be at peace, never fearing we have not done quite enough to earn entry into heaven. Galatians 5:1 says For freedom Christ has set us free. Christ’s death on the cross liberates us. It frees us from the legal demands of the law, all rituals as the basis of salvation, the slavery of sin, from bondage to the fear of death, and frees us to live in the peace of knowing that we are saved, not by what we do, but by faith in Jesus. It gives us the peace of knowing that since there is nothing we can do to gain our salvation, there is nothing we can do to lose it. Salvation is a gift from God. It is not earned but given despite the fact that we are enemies of God.

I know people who either do not understand this truth or in their pride refuse to believe it. They do not live lives of freedom in Christ but instead live in bondage fearing that the next sin they commit may the one that throws them from God’s graces and condemns them to hell. The error in their thinking begins with the fact that they believe that they did something in the first place to earn the grace of God or gain His favor. The Bible makes it clear that we are sinners from the womb and are born speaking lies (Psalm 58:3). The “good deeds” we do that we think get us into the graces of God, He looks at and says they are filthy, like a bloody tampon (Isaiah 64:6). In order for us to live in the full freedom of Christ and live our lives to the fullest we must understand that we are sinners from the start and that while we were still enemies of God, in His love for us, chose to save us, not by anything we do, but by faith in his son Jesus. Once we understand that Christ saved us despite the fact we have done NOTHING to deserve it we can live in the peace of knowing that there is NOTHING we can do to cause God to remove His grace from us and condemn us to hell.

Let me be clear: if you are a Christian with a new heart, filled with the Holy Spirit, having faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior your are going to heaven, PERIOD. If you are truly a Christian you will never be anything but a Christian again. We will all have ups and downs and struggles but we will never lose our salvation. The Bible is clear on this. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit (Eph 1:13). The moment we come to believe in Jesus our fates are sealed. Jesus says All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out (John 6:37). He goes on and this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day (John 6:39).

Here is the point: if we belong to Jesus, he will never let us go and we have freedom and peace in the knowledge of that truth.