Ruminating on ROMANS! (Some Thoughts on Paul’s Great Epistle) #12 “Eight Blessings of Belief” (A Study of Romans 5:1-5) Blessing #1

Many of you know that my New Jersey friend Frank and I are reading through God’s Word together (described here). We’re now in the book of Romans and are reading chapter 5 each day this week. Here is something that I noticed in reading this chapter:

Here are the eight blessings that I see in this passage:

1. Justified through faith (v. 1)

2. Peace with God

3. Gained access into this grace (v. 2)

4. Boasting in the hope of the glory of God

5. Glory in our sufferings (vv. 3-4)

6. A hope that does not put us to shame (v. 5)

7. God’s love poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit

8. The Holy Spirit has been given to us

We will think about each of these blessings — one by one — in subsequent posts. Let’s notice this morning the first blessing: WE HAVE BEEN JUSTIFIED BY FAITH!

If you’re a believer in Christ, has this truth gotten a hold of you — that you have been made right — justified — before a holy God because of the finished work of Jesus Christ? Many in our culture don’t think they need to be justified before a holy God. Or they think they can justify themselves by their own goodness. [I’ve written a whole chapter on the “goodness” people in my little book Unlike Jesus]. Mark 10 would be a great section to read about how our goodness can never satisfy a holy God.

Thank the Lord today for your justification in Christ! And be ready to share that blessing with others whom God sends your way!