Let us read Romans 5:1–2.
“Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”
Today’s passage tells us that we have peace with God. But how can sinful human beings like us possibly enjoy peace with God?
When Moses went up Mount Sinai, God announced that He would descend upon the mountain and gave this command:
“And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, that ye go not up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death:” (Exodus 19:12)
The reason God sternly warned the people not to approach the mountain was His holiness. God is infinitely holy, and sinful human beings cannot approach Him carelessly.
Even after God descended upon the summit of Mount Sinai, He spoke to Moses again:
“And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.” (Exodus 19:21)
Who, then, could be reconciled to such a holy God and enjoy peace with Him? Before the infinitely holy God, we can only tremble in fear. It is therefore unimaginable that we could attain peace with God by ourselves.
Yet, astonishingly, Scripture declares:
“We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
This means that through Jesus Christ, we have been brought into peace with God. How has this become possible? It is because Jesus bore all our sins on the cross.
The Two Goats on the Day of Atonement
Every year, on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Israelites observed the Day of Atonement. On this day, the high priest offered sacrifices to make atonement for the sins of the people.
The high priest prepared two goats. One was for the LORD, and the other was for Azazel (the sending away).
First, the high priest cast lots and offered the goat designated for the LORD as a sin offering. He then took its blood into the Most Holy Place and sprinkled it upon and before the mercy seat, making atonement for the uncleanness and sins of the Israelites.
Next, the high priest laid both hands upon the head of the goat for Azazel and confessed over it all the iniquities and sins committed by the Israelites, placing those sins upon the goat’s head. He then sent the goat into the wilderness. Scripture says:
“And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness: And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.” (Leviticus 16:21–22)
Whose sins does this goat carry away?
The sins of the Israelites.
This goat, which carries the sins of the people into the wilderness, is a foreshadowing of Jesus, who bore our sins.
God laid all our sins upon Jesus Christ. Jesus bore our sins and suffered on the cross. Scripture says:
“Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.” (Hebrews 13:12)
Just as the goat bearing the sins of the people went outside the camp on the Day of Atonement, Jesus also bore our sins and suffered outside the city gate. Here, “outside the gate” refers primarily to outside the gates of Jerusalem. But when we consider this image more broadly, we can also see Jesus leaving the glory of heaven, coming into this world, bearing our sins, and suffering for us.
Jesus bore our sins, and God poured out upon Him the judgment due to those sins. As a result, God turned away His wrath from us, and we are now able to approach Him without fear. Through His death on the cross, Jesus satisfied God’s justice and gave us the assurance of forgiveness and the joy of enjoying peace with God.
Peace with God Through Faith
Romans 5:10 says:
“For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son,”
We were once enemies of God. But through Jesus’ death on the cross, we have been reconciled to God.
Then is there anything we must add in order to be reconciled to God? Nothing at all. Jesus is both our sin offering and our peace offering, and He is perfect and without blemish. All we must do is receive by faith what Jesus Christ has accomplished.
Romans 5:1 says, “Therefore being justified by faith.” We are not justified because of our works. We are justified because we believe in what Jesus Christ has accomplished for us.
Therefore, those who have been justified by faith no longer look upon God as a fearful Judge, but as their loving Father.
We are different from the Israelites who trembled before God’s holiness at the foot of Mount Sinai. They feared God and dared not cross the boundary He had established. But through the blood of Jesus Christ, we can boldly approach God.
Rejoicing in Hope of the Glory of God
That is why Scripture says:
“By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:2)
We are now people who stand in grace. We are not people who live in fear, wondering whether God will accept us. Rather, we stand in the grace already granted to us through Jesus Christ, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
Because our peace with God rests not upon our works but upon Jesus Christ, it will never be broken.
We who once feared God and could not approach Him can now boldly come before Him through the blood of Jesus Christ. Therefore, we are no longer enemies of God, but people who have been reconciled to Him through Jesus Christ.
Now we can enjoy peace with God and rejoice in hope of His glory.