Peace, hope, and love are the blessings that come when a believer is justified by faith.

These are all virtues that the world desperately seeks, but cannot find apart from justification in Christ.

Peace

The peace that Paul speaks of in Romans 5 is not simply slowing down, an ideal state of freedom, a subjective peace of circumstance, or even "the peace of God." This is peace with God. It is a cessation of conflict with God. Before salvation, all of us were at war with Him, but now we have been allowed into relationship with God. We have access to righteousness and justification.

We have been reconciled to God. There was once division between God and humanity, but now we have been drawn back to a right standing with Him. This reconciliation is entirely on His terms. God does not change; we must change and come to Him as He defines the terms.

Hope

Biblical hope is not simply wishing something were true or an expectation that something will be true; it is absolute confidence and certainty. It is boasting in God of future salvation. We will be saved from the wrath to come. We can know that if we die, we will be with Christ.

Hope is also boasting in present circumstances. God puts us through trials that improve our character and prove who we really are. The end result of this process is hope.

Love

Likewise, love as Paul discusses in this chapter is not a warm and fuzzy feeling of finding the good in someone and sticking with it. God's love is something we did not initiate and we do not deserve. Frankly, we did not even want it, yet God loved us and died for us anyway. This is unlike any kind of human love. Christ sacrificed for all God's enemies who did not even want His salvation.

Application Points

• God gives these benefits to all believers – peace, hope, and love. How should this change the way you interact with other Christians?
• God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you. How would this profoundly change your perspective?