Romans 5:1 Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Heavenly Father, meditating through this passage is like standing in awe of the Swiss Alps of your grace. Make these riches of the gospel increasingly understandable and real to us, starting with our justification.
By trusting in Jesus, through the faith you’ve given us, we are already legally righteous in your sight. You are at peace with us, and we have peace with you. We don’t have to be afraid to die, or live. Hallelujah!
2 Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
And now, as your beloved daughters and sons, we have perpetual access into your joyful, welcoming, transforming presence. We’re standing in your grace, rooted in love, and hidden in Jesus. We rejoice with unshakable hope, because one Day your glory will cover the earth, evil will be eradicated, and all things will be new.
3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,
Father, because you are just as sovereign over our sufferings as you are our joys, we can rejoice when life is hard. Our pain, hurt, and suffering have an expiration date. Continue to free us from our whining, complaining, and pouting. Increase our endurance in storylines that otherwise wear us down and use us up. Give us strength to love well and trust you.
5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.
Yes, Father, keep pouring more and more of your love into our hearts, by the Holy Spirit. Then there’ll be less room for shame, anger, anxiety, pride, and other things that contradict the gospel. We are so thrilled to be your fully-known and totally-loved children. So very Amen we pray, in Jesus’ glorious and loving name.