Our faith is one which must be firmly grounded in Jesus. It is through faith that we are justified (5:1). Through that same faith we achieve peace with God.
In verse 3 there is an interesting progression which ends in an unlikely spot...hope. Yet the things which lead to hope all begin with being strong in faith. Persevering through tough times is a great way to 'sharpen' your faith. It is no coincidence that the areas where the Church is strongest is wherever there is persecution. CS Lewis famously said that you never know what you truly believe until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life or death. While you may not be feeling intense physical threats at this point in your life, there are times when you have the chance to share your faith. Even if it means standing in the face of a social beating. Through even the toughest situations hope in Christ will get you through.
The rest of chapter 5 continues to establish that Jesus is the only way for our justification to occur. Over and over we are taught by Paul that through Jesus, who was fully God and fully human, we are reconciled to God. The ransom moment has occurred. It occurred ONCE for ALL. Jesus doesn't die again each time we sin. 5:18-21 are some of the most powerful words in scripture.
Chapter 6
The free gift of grace requires nothing on our part. Paul encourages baptism as a public way of affirming that you accepted the gift of grace. Through that acceptance you literally become bonded to Christ in his death and resurrection. There is no separating the two anymore. That is beauty of once for all, its cannot and does not need to be repeated.
"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23
Read it over again and let the words speak to you. If there are verses that you don't understand or concepts you're struggling with, I'd love to discuss them with you. Give me a call or email me.
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