… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” Romans 5:1 KJV

… we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Romans 5:1 NASB

As we are often reminded, the Roman letter is Paul’s great dissertation on the doctrine of the Gospel. Grace and glory mark every advancement in his argument until we reach the pinnacle of worship at the conclusion of chapter 11. “O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God …”

Throughout the epistle, Paul has explained and expanded on all that the heart of God has freely given to us. Linked with these blessings is the oft-repeated expression, “through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul is always quick to remind us that grace and spiritual blessing could only come to us through this wondrous Person and His work on the cross for us.

The above citation from Romans 5:1 is only one of the many which contain the channel through which all divine blessings flow to us. This verse is the first direct reference to this wonderful title of our Saviour. Summarizing the great work of salvation by faith, Paul arrives at one of his mountain peaks in Romans, characterized by his use of the word “therefore.” Justification by faith and the ensuing cessation of hostility with God is only possible through our Lord Jesus Christ. To those who have not known the “way of peace (3:17), peace has been declared.

Verse 11 adds another lustre to the array of blessings. It is through our Lord Jesus that we have now received reconciliation. Please note the importance of the little word “now.” It is a present possession of the believer. We have been brought not only from a place of distance and hostility but have been reconciled – made friends of God. As we sometimes sing, “nearer I could not be.” This relationship was made possible through our Lord Jesus Christ.

When we arrive at the conclusion of chapter 5, we have one of the great statements of the Gospel: “Grace reign(s) through righteousness unto eternal life by (through) our Lord Jesus Christ.” Grace reigns in this dispensation. It controls all of God’s dealings with us. Yes, He may have to act in government at times, but grace is the overarching disposition toward each of us. It is sitting on the throne! And it is only through our Lord Jesus Christ. There are instances of grace in the Old Testament (for example, with David and his fall), but there is nothing to even remotely compare with the copious grace, the exceeding riches of His grace, revealed to us in His Son.

In chapter 6, we are “alive unto God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v 11). We have life – a new life, a resurrection life with all its potential to live for God. Once, we were unprofitable (3:13). Now, we are afforded the possibility of using our lives to honour and glorify God. The chapter concludes with the “gift of God is eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ” (v 23).

In chapter 7, after struggling with the reality that, while sin no longer reigns within, it does remain within, Paul is able to look forward to victory through “Jesus Christ our Lord” (v 25). When we reach chapter 8:39, we have crested the wave of God’s revelation of His love: that nothing “shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Little wonder that when we arrive at the conclusion of his treatise in chapter 16, we read these words: “But now … to God only wise be glory through Jesus Christ forever” (v 26).

Consider

Go through the epistle and look at all the “therefore” statements and note the conclusions being reached by the apostle in his argument.