"SINCE WE ARE JUSTIFIED"

Lectionary Text: Romans 5:1-5 (RSV) - Therefore, since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Through him we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in our hope of sharing the glory of God. 3 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been given to us.

Since we are justified by faith,                      
        Paul then goes on to say
we have, therefore, the peace of God
        through Jesus Christ, the way.
Our sins have been forgiven and
        we have been reconciled
to God, who pours his grace on us
        and calls each one his child.
Through Christ we have attained access
        to God's amazing grace,
rejoicing, for we hope to share
        the glory of God's face.
And more than that, we can rejoice
        in all our suffering,
because of the endurance which
        our suffering can bring,
and with endurance, character,
        which then produces hope,
and hope will never let us down,
        because we know the scope
of love which through the Spirit God
        into our hearts has poured,
as demonstrated on the cross
        in Jesus Christ our Lord.