Today's encouragement comes from Romans 5:2, where we read these words:
" . . . through whom [Jesus Christ] also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."Verse 2 of Romans, ch. 5 often gets overshadowed by the astounding v. 1. But here (above) we learn that faithful Christian churchmen have *continu-ous* access (by faith) to the very same grace that delivered us from sin (in the first place). In other words, through Jesus Christ, and through faith in Him, believers get to *experience* afresh and anew what is already (and always) true of us: namely, that we are justified by faith, that we have peace with God (all from v. 1); and that we stand, and rejoice in our sure hope of glory (both here, and hereafter).
What more could anyone want? Nothing that the world offers us can even come close to comparing with this. Only our ignorance, our flesh, and our sin can "clog" this remarkable "pipeline" of unspeakable happiness in Christ. May all the true church enjoy her Savior and all His blessings today—all by faith!
[Puritan quote of the day: "Therefore what we are afraid to do before men, we should be afraid to think before God.” —Richard Sibbes, in, "The Soul's Con-flict with Itself"]
