Through
Him also we have [our] access (entrance, introduction) by faith into
this grace (state of God’s favor) in which we [firmly and safely] stand.
And let us rejoice and exult in our hope of experiencing and enjoying the glory of God. Rom. 5:1-2 (AMP)
We have spoken before of what it means to be right with God, so let's just review that quickly: to be righteous or right with God means: we are totally right in His eyes, and He sees no fault in us, we have every right to be in His presence, we are in His good graces, rightly related to God. We have been been given a constantly perfect and totally right relationship with God, the right relationship with God that Jesus has! We have been brought into and included in that very relationship!. Everything is permanently 'all right' and fine in our relationship with Him.
Because we have been justified or made right with God through faith, what do we have? We have peace with God! What does that mean? We are totally at peace, with harmony and tranquility in relationship. We have a harmonious and smooth relationship with nothing between us. There's no strife or frustration. There's no struggle or disunity. God doesn't have any problems with us, He's not struggling with us or at odds with us in any way. Everything is perfect, smooth, and good. We get along perfectly. Our friendship is perfect and mutually beneficial. It's the best friendship ever!
Peace also has the connotation of quietness. There is tranquility and quietness in this relationship. There is a place of stillness and rest represented in our relationship with God. We are at rest in Him, and He is at rest in us. Our relationship is a place we can find solace and shelter in quiet peace away from the turmoil in the world. There is no turmoil in our relationship with God. Everything has come to perfection, to stillness, to quietness and rest. Our relationship with Him is like lying down in green pastures and walking by the still waters in our hearts with Him. It is pure refreshment, relaxation, rejuvenation and rest!
Peace also means no barriers, no hindrances to relationship. Have you ever felt hesitant about approaching God, especially after you have just sinned or failed? I have had those feelings of wariness or fear about coming to God many times. Satan has tried to make me feel that something is wrong or amiss in my relationship with God, that He is somehow disappointed with me or withdrawing from me because of something wrong in me or some wrong thing I've done. This feeling has caused me to shrink back in fear many times and not talk to God. It has caused me to worry that something is off between me and God, that there is some 'wall' between us, and that I must 'do' something like penance, lots of repenting, re-dedicating myself, or turning from some sin in order to be back on God's good side, back in closeness to Him.
But because of the verses above, God is showing me that this feeling is a total LIE! Jesus has justified me or made me totally righteous and right with God, because He has MADE me the righteousness of God in Him. I stand before God with Jesus' righteousness, and Jesus is always right with the Father! There is never a barrier between them! There is never anything amiss in their relationship! Their relationship is always one of total peace between them. And that is the righteousness and right relationship with God that I have been given, too! Once when I was feeling those 'something is off between God and me, there is a wall between us' feelings, the Holy Spirit whispered in my heart, "You are righteous!" And I saw in a flash that everything was okay between God and me! I am righteous! I am right with God as a permanent state of being. Righteous means the state of being sinless, totally right and just! God sees no fault in me, has no problem with me, isn't disappointed with me or pulling back from our relationship! I am righteous before Him always and forever! I have a perfect, right relationship with Him always because He has made me forever right and fit for Himself! HE made me righteous, not me myself, so that means my righteousness is perfect, since whatever God does is perfect! I can't ever be out of sync or 'off' in my relationship with God, because God has put me in a perfect, right relationship with Him based on Christ's righteousness, not my own. Therefore it is unchangeable, for it is not based on my fluctuating behavior but on Christ's unchanging and finished work!
So there is perfect peace between you and God today. There is never any barrier or wall between you; there is nothing between you EVER. Your sins can never come between you. Your confusions and doubts can never disrupt this perfect relationship of peace. Your waywardness or lack of 'commitment to God' never changes the harmony between you. There is total peace. There is total transparency, openness, sharing and delight. There is oneness. There is unity and harmony. There is peace.
Because your sin is gone and you're righteous (innocent child, right with God), you have peace with God (peaceful relationship, nothing between us, no walls) through Jesus, whose work has placed you in this grace (favor, acceptance, assured welcome into His presence) in which you stand.
Because of Jesus, we have been brought into a state of grace. We are permanently in His favor and good graces. What is our position in relation to this grace? We stand in it! We stand in God's grace forever! It is like the air we breathe, the atmosphere we live in, the realm of our existence! We live, move, have our being and stand in grace. We will never be out of God's grace again, for we are always right with Him and thus always in His grace.
We have total peace with God today. We stand in His grace. Grace means favor, acceptance, and assured welcome into His presence. That is what we have now - we've been perfectly accepted and welcomed into His presence. There is nothing in the way of us and God ever again. We have been received into His presence and totally welcomed. We have open access to God. We have been made His innocent little children, and we have been placed on Daddy's lap forever!
Because your sin is gone and you're righteous (innocent child, right with God), you have peace with God (peaceful relationship, nothing between us, no walls) through Jesus, whose work has placed you in this grace (favor, acceptance, assured welcome into His presence) in which you stand! We can rejoice because things are only going to get better - we are going to experience and rejoice in the glory (the true nature, manifest presence and expresssion) of God as we enjoy Him for all eternity!