Gospel Prayer Ministry

📖 Passage

Romans 5:1–11
Read Romans 5:1–11 (NKJV)

🧠 Context & Background

Paul has established the universal need for justification and shown that it comes by faith, not works or law-keeping. He used Abraham as the prime example of faith. Now Paul turns to the fruits of justification—what flows from being made right with God in Christ.

🌿 Key Themes

Peace with God – Justification ends enmity and brings reconciliation.
Hope of Glory – Faith produces confident expectation of sharing in God’s glory.
Suffering with Purpose – Trials refine character and strengthen hope.
God’s Love in Christ – Displayed supremely in Christ dying for sinners.
Reconciliation – Former enemies are brought into fellowship with God.

📖 Verse-by-Verse Commentary

Romans 5:1 — Peace with God through Justification

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

Justification results in reconciliation—no longer enemies, we have peace with God.
This peace is objective (a new status with God), not just a subjective feeling.
Christ is the mediator who secures lasting peace between God and sinners.

Romans 5:2 — Access to Grace and Hope of Glory

“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.”

Faith gives permanent access into God’s grace, like entrance into a royal court.
Believers now “stand” in grace—firm, secure, unshaken.
Our ultimate hope is sharing in God’s glory, a restored fellowship in His presence.

Romans 5:3 — Rejoicing in Suffering

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance.”

Christian hope is not crushed by suffering—it transforms suffering into growth.
Trials produce perseverance, showing faith’s genuineness.
Joy in suffering reflects confidence in God’s sovereign purposes.

Romans 5:4 — The Chain of Growth

“And endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”

Endurance strengthens proven character—a tested faith that is steadfast.
Character leads to a deeper, unshakable hope.
This chain reveals how God uses hardship to refine believers for glory.

Romans 5:5 — Hope That Does Not Disappoint

“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.”

Christian hope will never prove false or embarrassing.
God’s love is not distant—it is poured out personally into believers’ hearts.
The Spirit Himself is the seal of this hope and the assurance of God’s love.

Romans 5:6 — Christ Died for the Ungodly

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.”

Humanity was powerless to save itself—utterly weak.
Christ’s death came at the divinely appointed time in history.
He died not for the righteous but for the ungodly, displaying God’s radical love.

Romans 5:7 — Human Contrast of Love

“For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—”

Human love is rare and conditional; one might die for someone noble or beloved.
This sets up the contrast with God’s love, which is unearned and for the unworthy.

Romans 5:8 — God’s Love Demonstrated in the Cross

“But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

The cross is the ultimate demonstration of divine love.
God acted for us while we were in rebellion, not after we cleaned ourselves up.
Grace is magnified: salvation is entirely undeserved.

Romans 5:9 — Saved from Wrath

“Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.”

Justification is secured by Christ’s blood.
If God has already done the greater thing (justifying us), He will surely do the lesser (deliver us from wrath).
Salvation includes both present justification and future deliverance from judgment.

Romans 5:10 — Reconciliation through Christ’s Death and Life

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

Salvation is not only about forgiveness but reconciliation—restored relationship with God.
Christ’s death ended hostility; His risen life secures ongoing salvation.
The “much more” language emphasizes assurance of final glory.

Romans 5:11 — Rejoicing in God

“More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”

The climax of justification is not just peace, hope, or forgiveness—but God Himself.
Believers rejoice not merely in gifts but in the Giver.
Reconciliation is both a present reality and an eternal joy.

🔍 Trusted Insight

Charles Spurgeon wrote:

“Christ did not die for us because we were good, or because we had anything to commend us; He died for us because we were utterly without strength, utterly lost and undone. The marvel of it is not that He should love us now that we are His people, but that He loved us when we were His enemies.”

This underscores that salvation is entirely of grace, magnifying God’s love and securing our assurance.

Summary: Justification by faith brings peace with God, transforms suffering, assures us of God’s love, and grounds us in reconciliation and eternal hope.

🧩 Review Questions

🔍 Definitions

Justification (Romans 5:1) — God’s legal declaration that a sinner is righteous through faith in Christ. It’s not earned; it’s a gift secured by Christ’s work.
Peace with God – The end of hostility between God and humanity through reconciliation.
Reconciliation (Romans 5:10–11) — Restored relationship with God. Through Christ’s death we move from enemies to friends, from wrath to favor.
Wrath – God’s righteous judgment against sin.

🙋 Application Questions

Do you live daily with a sense of peace with God, or do you struggle with guilt and fear?
How can suffering be transformed into a cause for hope in your life?
In what ways can you remind yourself of God’s love demonstrated at the cross?
How does rejoicing in God Himself shape your prayer and worship?

🔤 Greek Keywords

Dikaiōthentes (δικαιωθέντες) – “having been justified,” showing a completed action.
Eirēnē (εἰρήνη) – “peace,” meaning reconciliation, not merely inner calm.
Hypomonē (ὑπομονή) – “perseverance” or steadfast endurance.
Katallassō (καταλλάσσω) – “to reconcile,” restore a broken relationship.

📚 Cross References

Isaiah 32:17 — The effect of righteousness is peace.
John 14:27 — Jesus gives peace not as the world gives.
2 Corinthians 5:18–19 — God reconciled us to Himself through Christ.
Ephesians 2:14 — Christ Himself is our peace.
1 John 4:9–10 — God’s love revealed in sending His Son.

📦 Next Study

Next Study → Romans 5:12–21

Romans 5:1-11 - Justified by Faith, Rejoicing in Hope