Amazing Grace

Trinity Sunday

In Romans 5, Paul explains to us that our justification – that is, our new status in Christ made possible by His atonement for our sins – produces some remarkable new treasures in our lives. What does Christ give to those who come to Him in faith?

I.  Peace                                                                                                                                  

Advertisement

            Peace.  How we long to experience it. The world cries out for peace. Turn on the news.  Look in the faces of the people you see each day. Talk to just about anyone and you will discover the longing for peace. Paul tells us that “we have peace with God.”  We have been justified by faith and thus are at peace with God. 

You may have heard the term “justified” defined as, “JUST” as “IF  I’D” never sinned.  This catchy mnemonic device reminds us that in Christ, we are justified and clean before God. 

I remember the time that I successfully washed clean my son’s white pants that had been stained with the southern red clay in our backyard. After three different attempts they were finally and completely clean.  Because of Christ, we too are clean. We can breathe a sigh of relief. There is no need for anxiety. We are justified and at peace with God.

II.  Grace

            In addition, we experience God’s grace.  Paul declares that “we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand.” Grace is available to us every day.  All we must do is access it. 

Think about this. A banker must know the combination to the vault to “gain access” to the money. You must open the door to “gain access to your house. When the wall fell in Germany, those in the East gained access to those in the West. But the wall that must fall for the believer to gain access to God has already fallen through the redemptive work of Christ.  In Christ, we are already “standing” in grace. 

We need to realize that God has already done this work. Watchman Nee describes this as reckoning ourselves dead to sin and alive to God.  We need to acknowledge and walk in the fact of the work that God has already done. We stand in grace; therefore, it is always accessible.