Yesterday, we saw that, even in the midst of our worst problems, we can have hope because of God’s great love for us. But how can we know that God loves us? In the midst of our sufferings, how can we be sure of God’s presence with us? Look at verse 8. The reason we know that God loves us is because Christ died for us.

That’s the good news – we don’t have to do anything ourselves in order for God to love us. That’s good news because there is in fact nothing we can do to make God approve of us. We all start out physically alive but nevertheless dead in our trespasses and sins, helpless to meet God’s righteous requirements.

But the good news is that Jesus Christ will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The good news is that Jesus Christ has died to pay the penalty that all our sins deserve. The good news is that, simply by trusting Him to be our Lord and Savior, we get credit for all the good deeds that He ever did. The good news is that all those who trust in Christ are seen by God as perfect and spotless and righteous, no matter what we may have done or may have failed to do. That’s what verse 1 means when it says we are justified by faith.

But being justified doesn’t just mean we don’t have to worry about going to Hell when we die. No, verse 1 also tells us that justification means we have peace with God. That means that God is no longer angry with us. Look at verse 9: because we have been justified, declared righteous, we are saved from the wrath of God. God is no longer our enemy, considering us rebels against His righteous rule. Now, God sees us as obedient children. Paul uses another term to explain this restored relationship: reconciliation. Look down at verse 10. We were enemies, but now we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son. Verse 11 repeats this idea – because we have been joined to Christ by faith, we are reconciled to God.

Think about that. Peace with God means that all those who trust in Christ have a real, personal, meaningful relationship with the One Who is in control of everything that happens in the universe, the One Who has the power to help us with all of our problems. Reconciliation with God means that none of us ever need feel lonely or left out again. It’s no wonder that peace with God usually leads to greater peace within ourselves. And that is very good news.

But how can we be sure that this good news is for us? Maybe you are ashamed of some of the things you have done. Maybe you have a hard time imagining that anyone would ever really love you for who you are. If that’s the way you see yourself, look at the cross and know what love really means. For look at verse 8 again. It was for ungrateful, hateful people, for ungodly sinners, for people like us that Jesus died. The amazing truth is that no one is too bad to be saved, because the amazing truth is that Jesus died to save not people who think they are already righteous, but those who know themselves to be His sinful enemies.

So yes, life is hard. Yes, we all go through lots of disappointments. No, none of us is worthy to be accepted in God’s sight. But in the midst of it all, look at the Cross. Remember that Jesus has given everything for you. Remember that Jesus has died to prove His love for you. Let the certainty of His love bring you peace. And let confidence in His love bring you hope.

Romans 5:6-11 (NAS)

6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die.
8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.
10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.