March 3, 2008
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
Are you an optimistic Christian? I’m not speaking of a superficial optimism, but of a genuine outlook on life that is free from self-condemnation.
The book of Romans tells us clearly that our world apart from Jesus is condemned. And if that is all there is to life, there would be no reason to be anything other than a pessimist. But there is great news! We are justified in Christ when we believe and trust in Him.
And because of our justification… which is a legal transaction by God, the ultimate Judge of the universe… we now have a right standing before God. Most people don’t understand what justification is and who we are because of it. But when you begin to understand what it means, then you will understand why every Christian should be an optimist!
As a believer, you can have peace in Jesus Christ. And when we realize that our true hope is found in Him, we will learn what it means to be an optimistic Christian, and we will see the positive benefits of being justifified through Jesus.
The first benefit is serenity. As today’s verse tells us, we will experience the peace of God because as believers, we are at peace with God. We need that type of peace with God because we were born into this world of sin separated from Him. And Christ is the One who reconciled us with God. He bridged the gap between us and God so we could have a relationship with Him.
Secondly, we have stability as a result of our justification. It was Paul who said, “I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me” (2 Tim. 1:12). As Christians, we are not to live in fear because the steps of the righteous man are ordered by the Lord!
And finally, we have security through Jesus Christ. We have peace that covers our past, access that takes care of our present, and hope that prepares us for the future.
Now you can understand why every Christian should be an optimist! There’s hope today and tomorrow. Jesus is not just a proposition to us. He is our permanent possession!.
There’s reason to be optimistic in the Christian life because we know that nothing can “separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:39).
AS A BELIEVER, YOU CAN EXPERIENCE THE PEACE OF GOD BECAUSE YOU ARE AT PEACE WITH HIM.