Access By Faith

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  

Romans 5:1-2 

Christ brings us into spiritual abundance. As Paul is presenting justification, he articulates the things we have through Christ by faith. He begins with the fact that, being justified, we have peace with God. He goes on to say that by Christ we have access to grace and that we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. He will add more to the list in the succeeding verses. For the moment, we will dwell upon the fact that peace with God, access to grace, and hope of the glory of God are all glorious benefits brought to us through Christ. We receive these things by faith. This gives us a standing we could never have any other way than by Christ. Because we have it we do not ‘live lives of quiet desperation,’ as Thoreau said. Rather, we have grace now and glory to follow. This enables us to approach life with all it brings, with a sense of place and the prospect of a grand future. We are grateful people because we understand that what we have has not come to us because of our merit or because we have done more or better than others. It has been wholly the result of God’s doing through the Person and work of Christ. The news is all good. Justification brings with it an abundance of good things.   

Our Great and Gracious God, 
we rejoice at the abundance of good things that come 
with our justification. 
We praise You that all these things come to us by Christ. 

Tomm Tice
Where the Bush is Burning