2026 Pentecost Devotions I
Wednesday, June 10
Romans 5:1-8
1 Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 And not only that, but we also boast in our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. 8 But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.
“… 1 Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ …”
When I was in my early twenties, my wife and I worshipped at a Christian and Missionary Alliance church. While I found many blessings there, the primary question we were encouraged to ask others was “Are you saved?” It wasn’t just a throwaway inquiry. For us it had to do with life and death. Salvation, after all, brought life. The opposite was death.
When I became a Lutheran, however, I put aside the question about salvation. As Paul elaborates here in Romans, salvation come because of God’s grace bestowed upon those who believe. In other words, our relationship with God, broken because of sin, is made right (justified) by faith. Knowing and believing that results in peace – peace of mind about one’s salvation.
For me, rather than wondering whether I was saved or not. I now had the assurance that God’s grace was sufficient to overcome my sin and deliver me from death and the devil. No longer fretting, I discovered a new peace with God. Because of that peace, I was able to focus my attention, not on my salvation, but on the work of God’s kingdom in the world.
Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the gift of salvation given through Jesus Christ and the peace it brings. Amen.