For Those Who Need a Message of Hope

Photo by Torsten Dettlaff

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.

Romans 5:1-2

A dear friend of mine told me a few months ago that one of her favorite questions to ask people who she wanted to share the gospel with is “what do you do with your guilt?” It is a great question, and the answers would no doubt vary. But it is true that all of humanity has some form of guilt to deal with. All people have been given a conscience by God to at least have an idea of what is right and wrong, and to know when they have violated it. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8). Those who do not know Christ still carry the baggage and shame of their sin, despite their desperate attempts to pursue distractions or false, self-reliant religions to wash themselves clean. Even many Christians, and I have certainly done this in seasons of life, live as though they are still paying for their sin - as if God is still holding it against them, ready to punish them for it if they don’t make up for it with good works. But my friends, there is One Place where we can find peace and freedom, and this is especially clear to us in Romans 5:1-2.

First, remember that through the work of Christ, “we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1). There is no longer the fear of “when will this hope end?” or “what will happen when I mess up again?”. Romans 5:1 says that we have been justified by our faith, that is, putting our trust in Christ, but the reason we are justified by faith is because of the work that Christ has already done 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” (Romans 5:9). The blood of Jesus on the cross paid for our sins in full, washing us as white as snow (Ephesians 1:7). We cannot do anything to undo the work of Christ. Our sin that was deserving of God’s divine judgment has been paid for, once and for all. In the words of Jesus upon the cross,“It is finished” (John 19:30).

Second, remember that Jesus has given us free access to God as our gracious King and loving Father. Not only has our sin been paid for, but we are brought into the family of God as His precious children. When we understand the weightiness and horror of our sin and the greatness, holiness, and perfection of God, it seems impossible that we could ever approach His presence because we are so unworthy. But when Jesus washed us with His blood, “through him we have also obtained access by faith” (Romans 5:2). We are now able to stand in the Holy presence of God without guilt, shame, or the fear of standing before an enemy. How can this be? To answer this requires a look into the old testament.

In the Old Testament, God said that the chosen high priest was in charge of conducting the service of atonement for the sins of the people. In the temple, the high priest would walk through a veil or curtain that would symbolize stepping away from the world and into the holy presence of God. Only the high priest could step through the veil, and when he did, he would sacrifice an unblemished animal and sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat (symbolizing God’s throne) to cover his sins and the sins of the people. This ceremony was performed every year - the tenth day of the seventh month. However, Jesus is our greatest High Priest (Hebrews 4:14). He was the perfect, spotless lamb, who was able to approach God (being perfect God Himself). When all of our sin was paid on the cross, the veil of the temple was torn in two (Matthew 27:51). This meant that it was no longer the high priest of the people who could approach God through the veil, but all people could approach the Holy presence of God through Christ, the final and complete sacrifice. “[Jesus] has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for His own sins and then for those of the people, since He did this once for all when He offered up Himself” (Hebrews 7:27). The author of Hebrews explains in full what the veil being torn in two means for us:

Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. (Hebrews 10:19-22)

Dear friends, through Christ, we have confidence that we are God’s, and that we can “with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Are you struggling with temptation? Take it to Him. Are you suffering from heartache and loss? Take it to Him. Are you lonely and downcast in spirit? Run to Him. He desires to help us in our weakness and love us despite our failures as the perfect, most compassionate Father, desires to help and love his child.

Finally, if we have repented of our sins and trusted Christ as our savior, we are called to live with joy. The apostle Paul explains that because Christ’s completed work has brought our justification once and for all, our peace and security, our unrestrained and constant access to God as our King and our Friend, “We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God” (Romans 5:2). I have noticed a constant trend in Christian communities in the past few years, which is to complain about the darkness of our times. To grumble about the failures of humanity, the nations, the world, and perhaps exclaim that it has never been as bad as this (I am definitely the first person to do this, I am ashamed to say). But recently a family member gently pointed out to me that scripture says, “[W]hatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8). As Christians, we are certainly called to have an awareness of false teaching, of the dangers of sin, and of the lostness of the world. But we are commanded not to make these things the focus of our thoughts. We are exhorted by God to set our minds on things worthy of praise, on what is pure and lovely. This verse especially struck me when I thought of how poor a witness I am to the world as a grumbling, critiquing Christian, rather than a rejoicing, thoughtful, and grateful Christian. I say this as a reminder to myself, that as a people who were once without hope and with a great burden of guilt, we should live as a people who have been set free to proclaim the excellencies of our God and all He has done for me. My friend, we have been called from darkness into light. Let us not have bitter hearts as we meditate on the darkness that we came from, but let us have peace and joy despite the chaos of the world, knowing that we are safe and sound for eternity in the arms of our sovereign and loving Lord. May the world see Christ through our joy.

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