Session 4.13: March 6, 2026

Study session scripture: Romans 5:1-11

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 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. Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 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. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 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. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Study session topics:

• Assurance of hope

• The completeness of salvation

• Therefore" - there's that word again

• Paul just described the faith of Abraham, how it was counted as righteousness, and how the same will be true of those who share his faith

• Romans 5:1 is entirely past tense, it is already a done deal

• We have been justified by faith

• We have peace with God

• Our salvation doesn't mean we can have peace with God, or even that we will eventually obtain peace with God--it means we already have peace with God

• We stand in grace and look forward to the glory of God

• The grace in which we stand refers to the secure position we have before God, grounded in His unmerited, undeserved favor

• Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God refers to what will happen at the end of God's plan of salvation

• We rejoice no only in our eventual end, but also in our present circumstances

• Suffering -> endurance -> character -> hope that will be vindicated

• 4 types of suffering with Godly purpose

• Corrective suffering -Suffering for the glory of God

• Suffering as part of cosmic warfare

• Constructive suffering

• Why will our hope be vindicated? Because the Holy Spirit pours God's love into our hearts

• The saving power of God's supreme love

• Paul grounds the subjective experience of the love of God in the objective expression of divine love Christ exhibited in His death

• Paul contrasts God's love with man's love using the ultimate expression of love--willingness to die

• Since that expression of God's love justifies us in the present time, it will also save us from God's wrath on judgment day; and since it has turned us from enemies of God to reconciled children, His resurrection will save us at the last day

• The Christian indeed goes beyond simply avoiding wrath and actually rejoices in the God who would, apart from the work of Christ, be our enemy

Study session audio: