The Benefits of Justification by faith - Part One (Romans 5: 1-11)

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Episode Title: The Benefits of Justification by Faith – Part One
Text: Romans 5:1–11

Welcome to this first part of our dive into Romans 5! Today, we begin unpacking the life-changing benefits that flow from being justified by faith. After laying the groundwork in the first four chapters, Paul now shifts to reveal what this justification means for our lives—right now and forever.

📖 Study Notes

✨ Big Idea:

Being justified by faith isn’t just a legal declaration—it’s the doorway into a new life with real, present, and future blessings.

✅ Key Benefits Explored in Part One:

1. Peace with God (v.1)
   We are no longer under God's wrath—we are at peace with Him. The war is over. This peace is not just inner calm but the end of hostility between us and God through Jesus.
2. Access into Grace (v.2)
   Justification ushers us into a standing of grace—permanent favour with God. We’re not just tolerated—we’re welcomed and blessed as beloved children.
3. Hope in the Glory of God—Even in Trials (vv.2–5)
   We can rejoice not only in the hope of future glory but even in present suffering, because suffering produces perseverance, character, and ultimately, a stronger hope grounded in God’s love.

❤️ God’s Love on Display (vv.6–8)

Christ died for us while we were still sinners. The greatest assurance of hope is God’s unshakable love demonstrated at the cross.

🔄 Past, Present, Future:

• Past – Our sins are forgiven.
• Present – We stand in grace.
• Future – We anticipate glory.

🙏 Reflect:

• Are you living with the confidence of peace with God?
• How do you respond to trials—do you see them as part of God’s refining work?
• What does it mean to “stand in grace” today?

Stay tuned for Part Two, where we’ll explore even more of the benefits and implications of being justified by faith!

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Chapters

• 13:58 [Ad] The Balance of Gray
• 14:46 (Cont.) The Benefits of Justification by faith - Part One (Romans 5: 1-11)

Transcript

The Benefits of Justification by Faith - Part One. (Romans 5:1-11)

Transcript: 

Surprises often shape our experiences. They sometimes reveal something we hadn’t considered before, something unexpected yet profoundly true. That’s exactly what Paul does in Romans, he treis to surprise his readers with the depth of God's grace.

For four chapters, Paul has laid out a stunning truth: The fact that through faith, God has given us the gift of eternal life—justification by faith. And now, in Romans 5, he unpacks the benefits of this justification and what it mean for us today.

What changes when we are justified before God, and are there any benefits?

What are the benefits, what good things arise out of being justified by faith?....

What are the benefits, what good things arise out of being justified by faith?

Paul will outline three key benefits, and we’ll explore them together today.

1 Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3 Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4 perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.  6 You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! 10 For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11 Not only is this so, but we also boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

(Romans 5: 1-11)

First Benefit:

1. Peace with God

Romans 5:1 says,

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

That opening word “therefore” links this passage to the powerful truth Paul established in the previous chapter. That being that Jesus Christ died and rose again. And because of His work, we are now justified by faith, and he now says that as a result of that, we have peace with God.

But what does that really mean?

Peace can be understood in two ways:

·         Subjectively, as inner tranquillity, or.

·         Objectively, as the end of hostility. 

Paul is initially here talking about the latter. Before Christ, we conflicted with God because His wrath was against the sin in our lives.

He laid that out right at the start of his letter in (Romans 1:18). 

But now through Christ’s death and resurrection, God’s wrath was appeased, and all has been settled because of what Jesus has done and we who were once His enemies are now at peace with Him.

Picture it like this: Many people see God as a strict judge, waiting to punish them for every wrong. But in Christ, God is more fully revealed as a loving Father, welcoming us into His family.

The war is over; peace has been declared. That’s the first great benefit of justification by faith.

A second aspect of that peace is the it means we now have access to  God’s grace.

Paul continues in Romans 5:2,

“Through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God.”

Justification doesn’t just bring peace—it also grants us direct access to God’s grace.

The word translated “access” actually carries the idea of being ushered into the presence of a king. Imagine standing outside a grand palace, unable to enter. But through Christ, the doors are opened, and we are welcomed in, not as servants of the king, but as favoured children. That’s the idea Paul is trying to get overhear.

Furthermore, this grace is not a temporary privilege, it’s a permanent standing. Paul’s use of the perfect tense in “in which we stand” telling us that this is an ongoing reality. We don’t just visit God’s grace; we remain in it.

These first two benefits—peace with God and access to His grace—set the foundation for what comes next. And the more we understand them, the more we will rejoice in the hope we have in Christ.

Once we have trusted in Jesus Christ, we stand in a position of favor with God. Let that sink in, You are at peace. But more than that, I now stand in a position to receive His favour.

Some preachers take this verse and preach on prayer, focusing on the word "access." They argue that we now have access to God's presence through prayer. While that is certainly true in a general sense, it's not precisely what this verse is saying. 

Look closely,—it doesn’t say we have access into His presence, but rather into His grace, and His favour. That means I am now in a position for God to bless me. I don’t have to persuade Him to show me favour; He is already inclined to act favorably toward me. 

It’s the difference between merely entering a great man's presence and entering with the assurance that he is predisposed to act kindly toward me because we are now part of his family.

This is more than access; this is standing in a position of divine favour. God is smiling upon me, not frowning. God wants to bless me.

But there's more.

Paul writes that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. The word translated "rejoice" literally means "to glory in" or "to boast." This is striking because earlier in Romans, Paul made it clear that boasting in our own works before God is futile. Yet now, because of justification by faith, we really have something worth boasting about. The God we worship, and the grace and favor He has shown to us.

Paul emphasizes this point repeatedly. 

In verse 2, we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. 

In verse 3, we glory in tribulations.

In verse 11, we boast in God Himself. 

In the original Greek, all three words—rejoice, glory, and boast—are the same. Paul is making an unmistakable point: justification gives us the privilege of boasting—not in ourselves, but in what God has done for us.

The specifics of what we can boast about, are!

First, we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Before Christ, we fell short of God's glory (Romans 3:23). Now, through Him, we anticipate sharing in that glory.  We are now destined for something far greater. Justification by faith addresses our past (our sins are forgiven), our present (we stand in God’s favor), and our future (we have the sure hope of glory).

Life can now be lived either in either fond memory of the past, in sins forgiven, or in anticipation of the future.

Even if our past is filled with regret and our future now holds hope.

The Christian has every reason to rejoice. Our sins are covered by the blood of Christ, we are at peace with God, and we have a glorious future ahead.

So why should we be sad? We should rejoice! We should boast, not in ourselves, but in the Lord and in what we have in Him.

Now, some might say, "That sounds great, but I’m a realist and I know some of you face real problems in your real lives, right now." 

Paul anticipates this concern. Justification by faith isn’t just about the past or the future; It speaks to our present reality, even in times of trouble. 

He tells us that not only can we boast in our future glory, but we can also glory even in our present trials and tribulations. 

Now in verse 2, Paul said that we rejoice. The Greek word here is "glory." We glory in the future hope. Then, in verse 3, he says we glory in suffering. 

If a believer in Jesus Christ can genuinely glory in hard times there are some essential things we need to understand. The word "sufferings/ tribulation" literally means pressure, distress, or affliction, it primarily refers to real world, real life, suffering. 

In modern terms, we might add stress into the mix. While most people run from it, the believer in Jesus Christ can glory in it.

At first glance, this may seem absurd, particularly if you are going through this right now. How can someone boast about facing overwhelming trouble? It’s understandable to glory in the hope of heaven, but how can one glory in our suffering in the present days? 

Paul explains the reasoning in the next verses: he says we can know…

“Know that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.”

Here, Paul outlines the three-step process that allows us to glory in tribulation:

Step 1: Tribulation Produces Perseverance

The word "perseverance" means endurance. We can glory in tribulation because it teaches us how to endure. 

James clarifies that trials produce endurance if we trust God in the process. The refining of our faith, when genuine, results in perseverance. 

Paul summarizes this by stating, "Tribulation produces perseverance," 

Step 2: Perseverance Produces Character.

If we remain steadfast and endure trials while trusting God, He develops character within us. The word translated as "character" literally means "we are approved by God." God cultivates qualities within us, qualities that He approves of provided we endure the trial. 

Some translate this as "proven character," similar to how silver and gold are refined by fire.

The fire of tribulation, when endured with faith, produces something of great value: a character that has been tested and proven.

Step 3: Character Produces Hope.

But this process does not end with character—it leads to hope. However there is a distinction between the hope in verse 2 and the hope in verse 4. 

When a person first trusts in Christ, they receive a foundational hope in the promise of eternal life. This hope is secure and unchanging. However, the hope in verse 4 is the hope that comes through experience—the hope that is strengthened through enduring trials.

After facing difficulties and witnessing God’s faithfulness, a believer develops a deep and unshakable hope. This is the kind of hope that grows stronger through life's storms rather than being diminished by them.

With each trial, the believer learns that God will sustain them, reinforcing their trust in Him for both the present and the future.

Consider a young solo sailor facing a severe storm at sea for the first time. Fear will probably grip them, they might doubt their ability to handle the boat, and panic can almost threaten to take over. But if they endure that storm, if they rely on the skills they has been taught and makes it through, they will be better prepared for the next one. 

Over time, they will become a seasoned sailor. When storms come, they no longer panic like they once did. They know from experience that the ship can withstand the storm, and they will develop confidence in their ability to navigate it.

Likewise, a Christian begins with hope in salvation, but as they endure trials and see God’s faithfulness, their hope deepens. They develop perseverance, character, and a greater expectation of God’s faithfulness both now and in eternity.

Paul also assures us that this hope will never be in vain:

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us

(Romans 5: 6-8)

This hope will never leave us feeling ashamed or let us down because it is grounded in God's love, which has already been demonstrated through Christ’s sacrifice. 

If God loved us so much that He sent Christ to die for us while we were still sinners, how much more will He sustain us through the difficulties of life?

The believer can now glory in any trial we face, not because it is fun, it still will be tough but because it is part of a process that deepens faith, refines character, and strengthens hope. 

Let me be clear, this is not an escapist mindset—it is an entirely realistic type of faith that acknowledges suffering but sees beyond it to God's greater purpose. 

The God who sustained us in the past will do so again and because of that, we can glory even in the midst of trials, knowing the difficult times are shaping us into the people God intends us to be.

So what Paul is saying is that you now have hope when things get tough, you didn’t used to have.

Even in the midst of trials, you can be confident that God will come through for you, and you will not be disappointed.