Summary

In this sermon, Dr. Michael Easley teaches from Romans 5:1–5, highlighting three profound benefits of being justified by faith: peace with God, standing in grace, and hope in the glory of God. Before Christ, we were enemies of God—hostile and guilty. But through Jesus’ work, God not only forgives us, He declares us righteous and welcomes us into His presence. This peace is far more than the absence of conflict; it is a restored relationship with our Creator.

We also stand in grace—a position we did not earn and cannot lose—offered solely through faith in Christ. Out of gratitude, our lives become a continual “thank You” to God, not an attempt to earn His favor.

Finally, we boast in the hope of God’s glory. This hope sustains us through tribulation, producing perseverance, proven character, and deeper hope. Trials are not meaningless; they are God’s refining process, shaping us into what we could never become on our own. Because our hope is anchored in Him, it will never disappoint. Dr. Easley urges us to lift our eyes from life’s burdens to the eternal vistas God has promised—resting in the peace, grace, and hope only He provides.

Takeaways:

Justification by faith gives believers peace with God—a restored relationship, not just the absence of conflict.

Before Christ, we were enemies of God, but through His work we are declared righteous and welcomed into His presence.

Standing in grace means living in a permanent position of God’s favor, received through faith, not earned by works.

Tribulations produce perseverance, which shapes proven character and strengthens our hope in God.

God uses trials like a master craftsman tempers steel—refining us without breaking us.

True hope in God will never disappoint because it is anchored in His glory, not our accomplishments.

To read the book of Romans, click here.

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