The Benefits of Grace

In Romans 5 Paul lists some of the benefits of "saved by faith apart from works." He says that "we have peace with God" (Rom 5:1) and he says that we have "obtained access" (Rom 5:2) and, a little farther down, he says we "rejoice in God" (Rom 5:11). Those are good things, but do they fill you with gratitude to know it or is your response, "Oh, yes, that's nice"? If that doesn't get you really excited, perhaps you don't realize the magnitude of these benefits.

According to Paul, God isn't a kindly, dottering old man who is ready to embrace us all. The portrayal at the start of Romans is that we have managed to earn the wrath of God (Rom 1:18). The righteous wrath of God. We have sinned and we have fallen short of His glory (Rom 3:23) and there is not one of us who is good -- not even one (Rom 3:12). Beyond that, there is nothing we can do in ourselves to fix it. So to learn that by faith in Christ we can have peace with God ought to be awe-inspiring. It ought to incite relief and celebration. And we moderns have become so used to a government "by the people" that the idea of "access" is almost meaningless. "Access? To the king?? Why not? What's the big deal?" But if He is "holy, holy, holy" (Isa 6:3; Rev 4:8) and we are not, if He is the only Sovereign (1 Tim 6:15) and we are not, if He alone is the righteous judge (2 Tim 4:8) and we are not righteous at all, access is not a given. It is a surprise. It's only not a surprise to those arrogant enough to think more highly of themselves than they ought.

Paul says, on the basis of the love God has shown to His enemies (us), "we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation" (Rom 5:11). On the basis of our reconciliation. Through our Lord Jesus Christ. If that doesn't bring you great joy, I guess you just aren't paying attention, because peace with God and access to God are two things that would never make sense if we rightly grasped our own natural place.