There is a certain torment in never knowing where you stand with God. Most people sense that there is more to life than this present state. Most people sense in the depths of their being that they will need to give an account for their lives. And most people know that one day they will have to face their maker. We are born with an innate sense of these facts. You have to actually work pretty hard to silence this inner testimony, which many people do to make themselves feel better about living without God. Still other people just sweat over these things in uncertainty, terrified of death. They try to desperately cover all bases, being as good or religious as they can in an attempt to find peace. It is a terrible thing to face your mortality without knowing where you stand with the God who will determine your eternal state. And so, when Paul announces here that peace with God is possible, his message is life to the human heart. When he tells us that we can get right with God simply by entrusting our lives to Jesus Christ, this truly is the most wonderful news. God does not want us to live in anxiety. He wants us to know for sure where we stand with him. That is one of Paul’s main concerns in this letter to the Roman church, and we should make sure we come away with this assurance.
Reflect on your standing with God in the light of these things.
Read Romans 5:1-2
