By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
Through Jesus Christ believers have access by faith into the grace in which they stand, and rejoice in hope of sharing God's glory. This access comes by faith, not by feeling or sight, and is entered by confession and surrender, believing forgiveness and acceptance whether felt or not with eyes fixed on the Saviour. To stand in this grace is to be counted righteous through Christ's imputed righteousness, pardoned and at peace with God, freed from bondage to sin and Satan and made complete in Him as heirs of heaven. Rejoicing in hope brings calm confidence and stability even in tribulation, for tribulation works patience and experience which strengthen hope through God's love poured into the heart by the Holy Spirit. This law and gospel together are the truth as it is in Jesus to be sounded to the world, sustaining believers in daily labor and conflict and calling them to reveal Christ's love to others.
Access by Faith
Through Jesus Christ those who trust Him are brought by faith into God's grace where they stand secure and strong, with His righteousness becoming theirs and grounding glad confidence looking forward to God's glory. Through connection with Him as the chief cornerstone foundation, believers as living stones are supported and enabled to serve acceptably, for He Himself supplies the merit for this position, having placed Himself under obligation to answer for it as a precious, wondrous gift of mercy and power that calls for singing His mercy and telling His power. The surrounding context connects this hope with rejoicing even in tribulations, which develop patience, experience, and hope, and that hope does not bring shame because God's love is poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit.
This access comes by faith, not by sight and not by feeling, and unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. Instead of living on changeable feeling and emotion there is settled certainty, with relief, rest and peace in the sunshine of Christ's presence when the soul believes forgiveness and acceptance whether felt or not. When feeling is lacking, rejoicing remains rejoicing in hope rather than in feeling, and impatience and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged, for believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences with the whole universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves God. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience, and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring, and accusing.
The access belongs to every person, coming by hanging the helpless soul upon Christ rather than upon any human agent, by reading and searching the Scriptures for oneself, and by looking to Christ as strength and glory and power. It is used by going to the Father with His pledged Word, believing His promise that those who ask receive and that He is more willing to give than sinners are to receive, and by trusting Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life and gave His life at infinite price because He wills that none perish but all come to Him and be saved. It removes groaning under oppression of sin and the galling yoke of burdens, while failure to live in it misrepresents Christ and keeps others from being attracted to heaven through slothful service, though doubts and trials still remain as long as the devil lives and works his devices.
It is entered after confession of sin and surrender to God, by believing that God has forgiven and that Christ receives the soul whether felt or not, thinking of the mightiness of God's grace and the compassion of Christ instead of self. It is entered and kept by keeping the eyes fixed on the Saviour instead of self and trusting His power, with the Holy Spirit bringing Christ's promises to remembrance to give peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness and security. It produces a heart full of praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent to take away the sin of the world.
Jesus gives this standing to repenting sinners as the great shepherd of the sheep who never misleads His flock, with all power in heaven and in earth, the Lord our Righteousness who alone can pardon transgression and justify, restoring the moral image of God in the repentant and binding the humble, contrite soul to Himself at peace with God. His sacrifice makes the restored relationship possible by taking the penalty of disobedience, providing the way for repentant believers to be justified and saved while the law remains unchanged. He is the representative of God to humanity and of humanity to God, come as humanity's substitute and surety, whose righteousness places people on firm ground so that through faith in His sacrifice guilty people can stand guiltless before God's throne. He is the Advocate in the courts of heaven to whom all appeals are to be made, and through Him pardon is received, to be borne to others as glad tidings of pardon.
Standing in Grace
To stand in this grace is to remain in God's favor through connection with Christ as the chief cornerstone foundation, with believers as living stones supported by Him and enabled to serve God acceptably. Christ Himself supplies the merit for this position, having placed Himself under obligation to answer for it, and this standing is a precious, wondrous gift of mercy and power that calls for singing of His mercy and telling of His power. By personally making Christ their own, believers come through faith into the favor of God in which they remain, because He is risen and His life works as a life-giving power within them, and this known risen Lord is to be shown to the world.
That standing is freedom from bondage to sin and from every entanglement of Satan, with mastery over Satan and over self and will and ways, by presenting justification freely by grace through redemption in Christ. Every provision has been made for the sinful race, and by receiving Jesus Christ and believing in Him those who were dead in trespasses and sins are brought nigh by His blood and have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand. This grace coming through faith, with the love of Christ and its constraining power in the heart, makes an end of sin in the human heart, as the sinner sees the fountain prepared at infinite cost to wash the robe of character and make it white in the blood of the Lamb. It brings rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
Standing in grace is like heaven's treasure house, from which believers can draw the help they need. With faith centered in Christ the church militant can stand firm against the enemy, and by continuing to resist believers gain strength and finally become the church triumphant. The access belongs to every person, coming by hanging the helpless soul upon Christ rather than upon any human agent, by reading and searching the Scriptures for oneself, and by looking to Christ as strength and glory and power. Standing in this grace means being complete in Him, having a new and rich experience in Christ, and living as an heir of heaven and member of the royal family connected with heaven.
The true experience begins when one honest in heart gives attention to Bible truth, reads, marks, learns and inwardly digests its teachings, and comes to God in prayer. Then he sees Christ despised and rejected, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities and bearing the iniquity of all, is convicted and troubled under condemnation, and receives the light the Spirit of God sheds on the convicted mind, seeing the meaning of the Word as never before. He receives truth into the heart so that it spreads through the inner life like blood circulating from the heart to give life and vigor to the body, brings thoughts and affections and powers into obedience to Christ, and submits the heart to the will of Christ so that the whole being is perfected in grace with joy in hope.
Those who stand in this grace are sinners brought to God through Christ and learning to know Christ by experience, which is true conversion, knowing Him as peace, joy, strength, shield, Guide and Counsellor, the source of all comfort, their all in all. Christ is the representative of God to humanity and of humanity to God, come as humanity's substitute and surety. Because of His righteousness He can place people on firm ground, so that through faith in His sacrifice guilty people can stand guiltless before God's throne.
This means surrounding the soul with the atmosphere of faith, for every day eternal destiny is decided in harmony with the atmosphere that surrounds the soul. Those who stand in this grace and are clothed with Christ's righteousness exert an influence for good, and each one is individually accountable for the influence of words and actions with unseen consequences, so that as Sodom would have been saved for ten righteous persons, the faithfulness of all who profess Christ would send out great good.
Rejoicing in Hope
Believers rejoice in hope of sharing God's glory, looking forward to that glory with glad confidence. Through Jesus Christ those who trust Him are brought by faith into God's grace where they stand secure and strong, with Christ's righteousness becoming theirs and power to save those who give themselves to God and obey Him so they may claim His righteousness. This access and hope belong with being justified by faith and sustain workers through arduous labor and conflict. This assurance belongs to the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, giving confidence in coming to the sacramental service. They can rejoice even when circumstances are difficult, under criticism or condemnation, or when the future looks discouraging, and singing an uplifting song turns thoughts from self, calms anger unlike angry words that inflame it, and helps gain the victory. It is entered and kept by keeping the eyes fixed on the Saviour instead of self and trusting His power, with the Holy Spirit bringing Christ's promises to remembrance to give peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness and security, producing a heart full of praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent to take away the sin of the world.
This hope is connected with rejoicing even in tribulations, because tribulation produces patience, patience builds experience, and experience strengthens hope. Hope does not bring shame because God's love is poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit. This access belongs to peace with God and the fullness of blessings in Christ, coming by faith and not by sight, since unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience, and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring, and accusing. Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God is rejoicing in hope, not in feeling, so when feeling is lacking impatience and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged.
Rejoicing in hope comes when the soul is whole-heartedly converted and knows the Saviour as precious to the soul. It is touching the vital springs of happiness and finding the wellspring of life and the way to it. It requires letting the mind come fully and habitually under the belief that Christ loves, making full surrender of human will and way to God's will and way, learning of Him who is meek and lowly in heart, and finding rest unto the soul. This hope belongs to those washed in the blood of the Lamb and clothed in Christ's righteousness, whose lives are refined and purified to reflect the divine, and Christ keeps their names and remains interested in them.
It brings calm confidence, new dignity of heart, and a clear sense of an ever-present, all-pervading Saviour that gives stability no earthly change can undermine and plants the feet upon a solid rock. So the heart sings with the spirit and with the understanding also and rejoices in the Saviour under all discouraging circumstances and speaks words of hope to the weary and desponding. The crucifixion marks in Christ's hands prove He has graven His people upon the palms of His hands. This hope is to be striven for with all God-given powers and energies by beholding Jesus, for by beholding believers become changed. Believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences, fighting the battle with the whole heavenly universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves the heart of God, because impatient words show the attributes of Satan.
The Spirit of God through His Word invites all to rest in the hope of the glory of God while the light of redemption shines all around. It requires truth entering the heart to sanctify the life, which is heart religion. Without that knowledge of the sacred and divine the soul perishes and the heart remains desolate and dreary.
Justification and Peace
This grace stands together with justification by faith, for through Christ faith opens access to God and a standing in His favor that grounds rejoicing in hope of His glory. God counts believers righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ and treats them as just. That righteousness is freely given to all who believe, bringing peace and assurance that God's blessing is for them. He alone can pardon transgression and sin and justify, restoring the moral image of God in the repentant and binding the humble, contrite soul to Himself at peace with God. This access and hope belong with being justified, for Christ has power to save those who give themselves to God and obey Him, and they may claim His righteousness. It is the assurance of the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, giving them confidence as they come to the sacramental service, and it is the strength and hope and salvation of churches, families, and individuals.
Those thus justified have peace with God through Jesus Christ, received by receiving Him as personal Saviour and Redeemer and following the new and living way. That peace is a privilege more valuable than earthly wealth, which the world can neither give nor take away. The joyful hope of the glory of God is bound up with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and with that peace described immediately before it. The death of the Son of God is life to believers who repent, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life, yet it leaves the sentence of eternal death upon impenitent transgressors who refuse His sacrifice. Adam's fall in Eden caused all to sin and brought death, while Christ in Gethsemane drank the bitter cup of suffering and death.
Those who are subjects of the kingdom of God are those justified by faith who have this peace, and they do not vindicate and justify themselves, for self-vindication is worthless. Together with chapter 4, the passage shows that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that Christ in His humanity might grasp divinity and that human nature, through faith, having overcome, might grasp the divine nature.
Law Gospel Unity
Access by faith into the grace in which believers stand and rejoice in hope of God's glory belongs among the scriptures that present law and gospel bound together in a perfect whole. That united whole is the truth as it is in Jesus. It is the third angel's message in clear, distinct lines, to be sounded throughout the length and breadth of the world so that all may discern the light and walk in the light. It is the testimony of Christ who came from above, to be sounded by God's people, and it is precious scripture to be impressed upon every heart opened to receive it.
So received, it gives light and understanding to the simple and to those contrite in heart. It is not to be met with mere nominal faith, mere theory of truth, or mere legal religion. It calls for believing to a purpose, with purposeful faith that appropriates God's richest gifts of grace by faith. The one who so believes pleads for the gift in order to give to others, and receives of His fullness grace for grace with power to become sons of God.
Daily Christian Living
Through Jesus Christ believers have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand, and rejoice in hope of God's glory, and this hope and standing sustain laborers through difficult and arduous work, hardship and conflict. This hope and trust in God give courage through trials and keep believers from discouragement, doubt and rebellion.
In daily dealings with fretful or angry people, to stand and rejoice means keeping silent rather than answering in a way that could inflame the conflict, and doing so brings victory and avoids dishonoring God in word or action. Believers can rejoice even when circumstances are difficult, when facing criticism or condemnation, or when the future looks discouraging. Singing an uplifting song turns thoughts away from self, and unlike angry words which inflame anger, a song can calm it and help gain the victory.
To stand in this grace is to become spiritual-minded and redeemed by sovereign grace, drawn closer to Christ, no longer trying to manage matters alone, but throwing oneself on the clemency of Him who gave His life to save. It is to rise up in noble purpose to honor God and in His strength to redeem past mistakes. It means looking to the light instead of darkness and rejoicing with hope for God's glory, with faith, confidence and assurance held by precept and example. Since a discouraged person cannot uplift others, doubts, complaints and disaffection are to be cleansed away in cooperation with the Comforter, trusting God to work with His mighty agencies to build up His cause and spread the truth. It means having sanctified ears to hear, sanctified tongues to speak, and hearts filled with goodness and love, looking up and closing the heart against doubt and unbelief when told things are wrong, knowing Jesus knows all about it, with treasure laid up on high.
That grace is like heaven's treasure house from which believers can draw the help they need, and with faith centered in Christ the church militant can stand firm against the enemy, gaining strength by continued resistance until finally becoming the church triumphant. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring and accusing of the brethren. This access belongs to peace with God and the fullness of blessings in Christ, comes by faith not by sight, since unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God is rejoicing in hope, not in feeling, so when feeling is lacking impatient and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged, because such words show the attributes of Satan. Believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences, fighting the battle with the whole heavenly universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves the heart of God. Tribulation works patience and experience and hope, the crucifixion marks in Christ's hands prove His people are graven upon the palms of His hands, and this hope is to be striven for with all God-given powers and energies by beholding Jesus, for by beholding believers become changed.
This standing gives believers an attraction that unbelievers do not understand, because their spiritual understanding is blinded, they do not lay hold of the hope set before them, and they are not in living touch with Jesus Christ. By personally making Christ their own believers come through faith into the favor of God in which they remain, because He is risen and His life works as life-giving power within them, and this known risen Lord is to be shown to the world. Because of this grace and hope there is nothing to be ashamed of in standing under the banner of Prince Emmanuel, and nothing requiring pardon from the world for being a Christian and following the light of the world. Living in His eternal love and seeing Christ in His matchless charms in the kingdom of glory makes believers the happiest people in the world, and they are to reveal that happiness to the world. Those who have this peace and hope through Christ as Advocate in the courts of heaven, through whom pardon is received, are to bear to others the glad tidings of pardon through Christ.
Those who stand in this grace know Christ by experience as peace, joy, strength, shield, Guide and Counsellor, the source of all comfort, their all in all, which calls for tender dealings with those striving for the crown of life, loving help to souls in need, returning loving, patient interest and compassionate words of hope and courage when a former helper is in need, bearing each other's woes, and encouraging the young to seek earnestly a deeper Christian experience. This assurance belongs to the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, and it gives them confidence as they come to the sacramental service. This access gives settled certainty instead of living on changeable feeling and emotion, and it is used by going to the Father with His pledged Word, believing His promise that those who ask receive and that He is more willing to give than sinners are to receive, and by trusting Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and gave His life at infinite price because He wills that none perish but all come to Him and be saved. It removes groaning under oppression of sin and the galling yoke of burdens, while failure to live in it misrepresents Christ and keeps others from being attracted to heaven and Jesus through slothful service. Doubts and trials still remain as long as the devil lives and works his devices day and night. To stand in this grace is to surround the soul with the atmosphere of faith, for every day eternal destiny is decided in harmony with the atmosphere that surrounds the soul. Those clothed with Christ's righteousness exert an influence for good, each one individually accountable for the influence of words and actions with unseen consequences, so that as God would have saved Sodom for ten righteous persons, the faithfulness of all who profess Christ would send out great good.
Through Jesus Christ believers have access by faith into the grace in which they stand, and rejoice in hope of sharing God's glory. This access comes by faith, not by feeling or sight, and is entered by confession and surrender, believing forgiveness and acceptance whether felt or not with eyes fixed on the Saviour. To stand in this grace is to be counted righteous through Christ's imputed righteousness, pardoned and at peace with God, freed from bondage to sin and Satan and made complete in Him as heirs of heaven. Rejoicing in hope brings calm confidence and stability even in tribulation, for tribulation works patience and experience which strengthen hope through God's love poured into the heart by the Holy Spirit. This law and gospel together are the truth as it is in Jesus to be sounded to the world, sustaining believers in daily labor and conflict and calling them to reveal Christ's love to others.
Access by Faith
Through Jesus Christ those who trust Him are brought by faith into God's grace where they stand secure and strong, with His righteousness becoming theirs and grounding glad confidence looking forward to God's glory. Through connection with Him as the chief cornerstone foundation, believers as living stones are supported and enabled to serve acceptably, for He Himself supplies the merit for this position, having placed Himself under obligation to answer for it as a precious, wondrous gift of mercy and power that calls for singing His mercy and telling His power. The surrounding context connects this hope with rejoicing even in tribulations, which develop patience, experience, and hope, and that hope does not bring shame because God's love is poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit.
This access comes by faith, not by sight and not by feeling, and unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. Instead of living on changeable feeling and emotion there is settled certainty, with relief, rest and peace in the sunshine of Christ's presence when the soul believes forgiveness and acceptance whether felt or not. When feeling is lacking, rejoicing remains rejoicing in hope rather than in feeling, and impatience and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged, for believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences with the whole universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves God. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience, and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring, and accusing.
The access belongs to every person, coming by hanging the helpless soul upon Christ rather than upon any human agent, by reading and searching the Scriptures for oneself, and by looking to Christ as strength and glory and power. It is used by going to the Father with His pledged Word, believing His promise that those who ask receive and that He is more willing to give than sinners are to receive, and by trusting Christ who is the way, the truth, and the life and gave His life at infinite price because He wills that none perish but all come to Him and be saved. It removes groaning under oppression of sin and the galling yoke of burdens, while failure to live in it misrepresents Christ and keeps others from being attracted to heaven through slothful service, though doubts and trials still remain as long as the devil lives and works his devices.
It is entered after confession of sin and surrender to God, by believing that God has forgiven and that Christ receives the soul whether felt or not, thinking of the mightiness of God's grace and the compassion of Christ instead of self. It is entered and kept by keeping the eyes fixed on the Saviour instead of self and trusting His power, with the Holy Spirit bringing Christ's promises to remembrance to give peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness and security. It produces a heart full of praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent to take away the sin of the world.
Jesus gives this standing to repenting sinners as the great shepherd of the sheep who never misleads His flock, with all power in heaven and in earth, the Lord our Righteousness who alone can pardon transgression and justify, restoring the moral image of God in the repentant and binding the humble, contrite soul to Himself at peace with God. His sacrifice makes the restored relationship possible by taking the penalty of disobedience, providing the way for repentant believers to be justified and saved while the law remains unchanged. He is the representative of God to humanity and of humanity to God, come as humanity's substitute and surety, whose righteousness places people on firm ground so that through faith in His sacrifice guilty people can stand guiltless before God's throne. He is the Advocate in the courts of heaven to whom all appeals are to be made, and through Him pardon is received, to be borne to others as glad tidings of pardon.
Standing in Grace
To stand in this grace is to remain in God's favor through connection with Christ as the chief cornerstone foundation, with believers as living stones supported by Him and enabled to serve God acceptably. Christ Himself supplies the merit for this position, having placed Himself under obligation to answer for it, and this standing is a precious, wondrous gift of mercy and power that calls for singing of His mercy and telling of His power. By personally making Christ their own, believers come through faith into the favor of God in which they remain, because He is risen and His life works as a life-giving power within them, and this known risen Lord is to be shown to the world.
That standing is freedom from bondage to sin and from every entanglement of Satan, with mastery over Satan and over self and will and ways, by presenting justification freely by grace through redemption in Christ. Every provision has been made for the sinful race, and by receiving Jesus Christ and believing in Him those who were dead in trespasses and sins are brought nigh by His blood and have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand. This grace coming through faith, with the love of Christ and its constraining power in the heart, makes an end of sin in the human heart, as the sinner sees the fountain prepared at infinite cost to wash the robe of character and make it white in the blood of the Lamb. It brings rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.
Standing in grace is like heaven's treasure house, from which believers can draw the help they need. With faith centered in Christ the church militant can stand firm against the enemy, and by continuing to resist believers gain strength and finally become the church triumphant. The access belongs to every person, coming by hanging the helpless soul upon Christ rather than upon any human agent, by reading and searching the Scriptures for oneself, and by looking to Christ as strength and glory and power. Standing in this grace means being complete in Him, having a new and rich experience in Christ, and living as an heir of heaven and member of the royal family connected with heaven.
The true experience begins when one honest in heart gives attention to Bible truth, reads, marks, learns and inwardly digests its teachings, and comes to God in prayer. Then he sees Christ despised and rejected, wounded for transgressions and bruised for iniquities and bearing the iniquity of all, is convicted and troubled under condemnation, and receives the light the Spirit of God sheds on the convicted mind, seeing the meaning of the Word as never before. He receives truth into the heart so that it spreads through the inner life like blood circulating from the heart to give life and vigor to the body, brings thoughts and affections and powers into obedience to Christ, and submits the heart to the will of Christ so that the whole being is perfected in grace with joy in hope.
Those who stand in this grace are sinners brought to God through Christ and learning to know Christ by experience, which is true conversion, knowing Him as peace, joy, strength, shield, Guide and Counsellor, the source of all comfort, their all in all. Christ is the representative of God to humanity and of humanity to God, come as humanity's substitute and surety. Because of His righteousness He can place people on firm ground, so that through faith in His sacrifice guilty people can stand guiltless before God's throne.
This means surrounding the soul with the atmosphere of faith, for every day eternal destiny is decided in harmony with the atmosphere that surrounds the soul. Those who stand in this grace and are clothed with Christ's righteousness exert an influence for good, and each one is individually accountable for the influence of words and actions with unseen consequences, so that as Sodom would have been saved for ten righteous persons, the faithfulness of all who profess Christ would send out great good.
Rejoicing in Hope
Believers rejoice in hope of sharing God's glory, looking forward to that glory with glad confidence. Through Jesus Christ those who trust Him are brought by faith into God's grace where they stand secure and strong, with Christ's righteousness becoming theirs and power to save those who give themselves to God and obey Him so they may claim His righteousness. This access and hope belong with being justified by faith and sustain workers through arduous labor and conflict. This assurance belongs to the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, giving confidence in coming to the sacramental service. They can rejoice even when circumstances are difficult, under criticism or condemnation, or when the future looks discouraging, and singing an uplifting song turns thoughts from self, calms anger unlike angry words that inflame it, and helps gain the victory. It is entered and kept by keeping the eyes fixed on the Saviour instead of self and trusting His power, with the Holy Spirit bringing Christ's promises to remembrance to give peace and a sweet sense of forgiveness and security, producing a heart full of praise and gratitude to the Redeemer sent to take away the sin of the world.
This hope is connected with rejoicing even in tribulations, because tribulation produces patience, patience builds experience, and experience strengthens hope. Hope does not bring shame because God's love is poured into hearts through the Holy Spirit. This access belongs to peace with God and the fullness of blessings in Christ, coming by faith and not by sight, since unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience, and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring, and accusing. Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God is rejoicing in hope, not in feeling, so when feeling is lacking impatience and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged.
Rejoicing in hope comes when the soul is whole-heartedly converted and knows the Saviour as precious to the soul. It is touching the vital springs of happiness and finding the wellspring of life and the way to it. It requires letting the mind come fully and habitually under the belief that Christ loves, making full surrender of human will and way to God's will and way, learning of Him who is meek and lowly in heart, and finding rest unto the soul. This hope belongs to those washed in the blood of the Lamb and clothed in Christ's righteousness, whose lives are refined and purified to reflect the divine, and Christ keeps their names and remains interested in them.
It brings calm confidence, new dignity of heart, and a clear sense of an ever-present, all-pervading Saviour that gives stability no earthly change can undermine and plants the feet upon a solid rock. So the heart sings with the spirit and with the understanding also and rejoices in the Saviour under all discouraging circumstances and speaks words of hope to the weary and desponding. The crucifixion marks in Christ's hands prove He has graven His people upon the palms of His hands. This hope is to be striven for with all God-given powers and energies by beholding Jesus, for by beholding believers become changed. Believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences, fighting the battle with the whole heavenly universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves the heart of God, because impatient words show the attributes of Satan.
The Spirit of God through His Word invites all to rest in the hope of the glory of God while the light of redemption shines all around. It requires truth entering the heart to sanctify the life, which is heart religion. Without that knowledge of the sacred and divine the soul perishes and the heart remains desolate and dreary.
Justification and Peace
This grace stands together with justification by faith, for through Christ faith opens access to God and a standing in His favor that grounds rejoicing in hope of His glory. God counts believers righteous through the imputed righteousness of Christ and treats them as just. That righteousness is freely given to all who believe, bringing peace and assurance that God's blessing is for them. He alone can pardon transgression and sin and justify, restoring the moral image of God in the repentant and binding the humble, contrite soul to Himself at peace with God. This access and hope belong with being justified, for Christ has power to save those who give themselves to God and obey Him, and they may claim His righteousness. It is the assurance of the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, giving them confidence as they come to the sacramental service, and it is the strength and hope and salvation of churches, families, and individuals.
Those thus justified have peace with God through Jesus Christ, received by receiving Him as personal Saviour and Redeemer and following the new and living way. That peace is a privilege more valuable than earthly wealth, which the world can neither give nor take away. The joyful hope of the glory of God is bound up with the righteousness of Jesus Christ and with that peace described immediately before it. The death of the Son of God is life to believers who repent, so that whoever believes in Him may not perish but have everlasting life, yet it leaves the sentence of eternal death upon impenitent transgressors who refuse His sacrifice. Adam's fall in Eden caused all to sin and brought death, while Christ in Gethsemane drank the bitter cup of suffering and death.
Those who are subjects of the kingdom of God are those justified by faith who have this peace, and they do not vindicate and justify themselves, for self-vindication is worthless. Together with chapter 4, the passage shows that God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that Christ in His humanity might grasp divinity and that human nature, through faith, having overcome, might grasp the divine nature.
Law Gospel Unity
Access by faith into the grace in which believers stand and rejoice in hope of God's glory belongs among the scriptures that present law and gospel bound together in a perfect whole. That united whole is the truth as it is in Jesus. It is the third angel's message in clear, distinct lines, to be sounded throughout the length and breadth of the world so that all may discern the light and walk in the light. It is the testimony of Christ who came from above, to be sounded by God's people, and it is precious scripture to be impressed upon every heart opened to receive it.
So received, it gives light and understanding to the simple and to those contrite in heart. It is not to be met with mere nominal faith, mere theory of truth, or mere legal religion. It calls for believing to a purpose, with purposeful faith that appropriates God's richest gifts of grace by faith. The one who so believes pleads for the gift in order to give to others, and receives of His fullness grace for grace with power to become sons of God.
Daily Christian Living
Through Jesus Christ believers have access by faith into the grace wherein they stand, and rejoice in hope of God's glory, and this hope and standing sustain laborers through difficult and arduous work, hardship and conflict. This hope and trust in God give courage through trials and keep believers from discouragement, doubt and rebellion.
In daily dealings with fretful or angry people, to stand and rejoice means keeping silent rather than answering in a way that could inflame the conflict, and doing so brings victory and avoids dishonoring God in word or action. Believers can rejoice even when circumstances are difficult, when facing criticism or condemnation, or when the future looks discouraging. Singing an uplifting song turns thoughts away from self, and unlike angry words which inflame anger, a song can calm it and help gain the victory.
To stand in this grace is to become spiritual-minded and redeemed by sovereign grace, drawn closer to Christ, no longer trying to manage matters alone, but throwing oneself on the clemency of Him who gave His life to save. It is to rise up in noble purpose to honor God and in His strength to redeem past mistakes. It means looking to the light instead of darkness and rejoicing with hope for God's glory, with faith, confidence and assurance held by precept and example. Since a discouraged person cannot uplift others, doubts, complaints and disaffection are to be cleansed away in cooperation with the Comforter, trusting God to work with His mighty agencies to build up His cause and spread the truth. It means having sanctified ears to hear, sanctified tongues to speak, and hearts filled with goodness and love, looking up and closing the heart against doubt and unbelief when told things are wrong, knowing Jesus knows all about it, with treasure laid up on high.
That grace is like heaven's treasure house from which believers can draw the help they need, and with faith centered in Christ the church militant can stand firm against the enemy, gaining strength by continued resistance until finally becoming the church triumphant. When lived by faith, trials work patience, experience and hope instead of faultfinding, censuring and accusing of the brethren. This access belongs to peace with God and the fullness of blessings in Christ, comes by faith not by sight, since unbelief separates from God and keeps from comprehending it. Rejoicing in hope of the glory of God is rejoicing in hope, not in feeling, so when feeling is lacking impatient and harsh, unkind speech must not be indulged, because such words show the attributes of Satan. Believers stand in full view of heavenly intelligences, fighting the battle with the whole heavenly universe looking on, and every denial in word or spirit grieves the heart of God. Tribulation works patience and experience and hope, the crucifixion marks in Christ's hands prove His people are graven upon the palms of His hands, and this hope is to be striven for with all God-given powers and energies by beholding Jesus, for by beholding believers become changed.
This standing gives believers an attraction that unbelievers do not understand, because their spiritual understanding is blinded, they do not lay hold of the hope set before them, and they are not in living touch with Jesus Christ. By personally making Christ their own believers come through faith into the favor of God in which they remain, because He is risen and His life works as life-giving power within them, and this known risen Lord is to be shown to the world. Because of this grace and hope there is nothing to be ashamed of in standing under the banner of Prince Emmanuel, and nothing requiring pardon from the world for being a Christian and following the light of the world. Living in His eternal love and seeing Christ in His matchless charms in the kingdom of glory makes believers the happiest people in the world, and they are to reveal that happiness to the world. Those who have this peace and hope through Christ as Advocate in the courts of heaven, through whom pardon is received, are to bear to others the glad tidings of pardon through Christ.
Those who stand in this grace know Christ by experience as peace, joy, strength, shield, Guide and Counsellor, the source of all comfort, their all in all, which calls for tender dealings with those striving for the crown of life, loving help to souls in need, returning loving, patient interest and compassionate words of hope and courage when a former helper is in need, bearing each other's woes, and encouraging the young to seek earnestly a deeper Christian experience. This assurance belongs to the humbled and repentant who receive forgiveness and Christ's imputed righteousness, and it gives them confidence as they come to the sacramental service. This access gives settled certainty instead of living on changeable feeling and emotion, and it is used by going to the Father with His pledged Word, believing His promise that those who ask receive and that He is more willing to give than sinners are to receive, and by trusting Christ who is the way, the truth and the life and gave His life at infinite price because He wills that none perish but all come to Him and be saved. It removes groaning under oppression of sin and the galling yoke of burdens, while failure to live in it misrepresents Christ and keeps others from being attracted to heaven and Jesus through slothful service. Doubts and trials still remain as long as the devil lives and works his devices day and night. To stand in this grace is to surround the soul with the atmosphere of faith, for every day eternal destiny is decided in harmony with the atmosphere that surrounds the soul. Those clothed with Christ's righteousness exert an influence for good, each one individually accountable for the influence of words and actions with unseen consequences, so that as God would have saved Sodom for ten righteous persons, the faithfulness of all who profess Christ would send out great good.