Here is an excerpt from my study in Romans 5:1.

In Romans 5:1, Paul writes:

“Because we are justified…εἰρήνην ἔχομεν — We have peace with God.”

Peace is not merely calm — It Is the end of hostility. A preacher I once knew said that 

“Peace is the cessation of againstness.”

The Greek word Paul uses is eirēnē, which carries the idea of reconciliation, harmony, and restored relationship. It echoes the Hebrew concept of shalom — wholeness, completeness, things set right.

Before justification, humanity is not in a neutral relationship with God. Paul has already explained that our real dilemma is that we suppress the truth, exchange God’s glory for lesser things, resist His authority, and stand guilty before Him.

The problem is not merely that we feel distant from God. The deeper reality is that, by nature, we stand in opposition to Him.

Even more sobering is the fact that God is not neutral toward sin. His wrath is revealed against it (Romans 1:18). There is, therefore, opposition on both sides: humanity stands against God in rebellion, and God stands against sin in righteous judgment.

Peace, then, means that this mutual opposition has ended.

God is Not Against Us

Here is something important to consider. Being justified, and being at peace with God – does that mean we are done sinning? No. Does it mean our sinning doesn’t matter? No. Sin will still have its effects. Sin still has its repercussions. We still deal with the consequences of our sin. So what’s the difference in the before-and-after scenario for us who used to be unsaved but are now saved? 

God is no longer against us. 

Folks, this is huge. He is not our enemy. Unregenerate mankind has made themselves enemies of God. As a result, they have put themselves in the position of making God THEIR enemy. But we who are justified have peace with God; the “cessation of againstness” is here, and hostility with and from God has vanished. The consequences of THIS are huge. He Who used to be our enemy is now our ally in the battle against sin. We who used to be helpless in our enslaved condition to sin are slaves no longer.

We who were “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (A sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards circa 1741) are now sinners in the hands of a loving Father. This changes everything. So what, then, is the difference between who we were before salvation and who we are now? The answer is breathtaking.

God is no longer against us. 

Tying the Knots

He is not our enemy. Unregenerate mankind has made themselves enemies of God. As a result, they have put themselves in the position of making God THEIR enemy. 

But we who are justified have peace with God; the “cessation of againstness” is here, and hostility with and from God has vanished. The consequences of THIS are huge. He Who used to be our enemy is now our ally in the battle against sin. We who used to be helpless in our enslaved condition to sin are slaves no longer.

We who were “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (A sermon preached by Jonathan Edwards circa 1741) are now sinners in the hands of a loving Father. This changes everything.

This truth is so important, and I have an example that makes it clear – at least to me. When I was in Navy boot camp, I was terrified of my company commander. He was not my friend. He was, in many ways my enemy. Everything he did or said carried the shadow of fear. Even small tasks, like making our bunks, felt like potential traps for punishment if we made a mistake. Our goal wasn’t to do things perfectly — it was simply not to be singled out or ridiculed.

Compare that to my Dad teaching me a new skill, like tying the boat off at the dock. I’m sure I tied plenty of knots wrong at first, but he would gently guide me, correcting mistakes, walking me through the process until I got it. There was no fear of punishment — just guidance and patience. My father stood alongside me, helping me through the task at hand – whatever it was. I never felt fear from him, even when I tied the knot wrong.

That’s how God relates to us. Being justified and at peace with Him means we can navigate life’s challenges without fear of punishment. We still sin – but now the Father stands alongside of us, teaching us to “tie the knots”.

Facts from the Greek

It’s Done

The verb ἔχομεν is indicative, meaning it declares a fact. Paul is not urging believers to seek peace or strive for it; he is announcing that, because we have been justified by faith, peace with God is already a present reality. The war is over. The relationship has been restored.

If Paul had used the imperative, it would read something like, “Let us have peace,” making peace a command or goal to pursue. But he does not. He states the truth before telling believers what to do.

So in Romans 5:1, the indicative proclaims what God has accomplished. Paul grounds the Christian life not in achieving peace, but in possessing it.

Our Peace is in the “Now”

ἔχομεν is active and indicative — “we have.”

That means Paul is not telling believers to try to obtain peace, manufacture peaceful feelings, or chase it as a goal. He is declaring a present, active reality: peace with God is not something to achieve — it is something we already possess – in the sense that our war with God is over. It does not mean we have achieved tranquility and quiet. And it is in that “peace with God” that we find freedom to change, to grow, and conquer our personal demons. We can attack all the issues we face with the assurance that God is

Peace with God is like that: it changes how we live, not through fear, but through the freedom of His presence and guidance. 

Peace Is Objective, Not Emotional

Peace in Romans 5:1 is objective, not emotional. It is not inner calm or a passing feeling. The word εἰρήνη reflects the Hebrew idea of shalom — wholeness, restored relationship, covenant harmony.

In Romans 1–3, Paul makes clear that humanity was under wrath, an enemy of God, and hostile toward Him. Therefore, peace means the cessation of “againstness.”

It does not mean, “You now feel calm.”

It means, “The war is over. The case is settled. God is no longer against you.”

Let me repeat this:

God is no longer against you.

In the ancient world, peace was declared only after the terms of war were fully satisfied. Likewise, because Christ fulfilled God’s righteous requirement, divine hostility toward sin has been judicially resolved.

As a result, the wrath described in Romans 1:18 no longer rests on the justified believer, the enmity of Romans 5:10 has been removed, and the covenant relationship is restored. Peace, therefore, is legal and relational — not merely psychological.

Present Tense — Ongoing State

ἔχομεν is the present tense, meaning we continually possess this peace. It is not something we once had, hope to have, or might have someday. It is a present, ongoing reality — we stand in peace right now. Remember: this doesn’t mean we will always feel peaceful. It means our war with God is over. He and you are at peace.

This fits with Romans 5:2: “we have obtained access… and we stand…” These are words of stability — having, standing, possessing — describing a secure and settled position before God.

Romans 1–4 explains how a sinner can be declared righteous. Romans 5 then begins to describe the benefits of that justification. The first benefit Paul names is not spiritual gifts, mystical experience, or emotional uplift — but peace with God. The war is over.

If peace were merely a feeling, it would fluctuate with our emotions and spiritual condition. But because it is a judicial reality, it rests on Christ’s finished work. It does not rise and fall with how we feel; it is as stable as justification itself — and justification is grounded in faith, not works.

Pardoned, Not Paroled

εἰρήνην ἔχομεν describes a declared state — covenant restoration, judicial reconciliation, and an ongoing possession. It is not advice or aspiration, but an announcement. The war between you and God has ended, not because you achieved peace, but because Christ satisfied the court. Therefore, Paul can confidently say, “We have peace.” It is a new relational status before God.

The hostility described in Romans 1 is now reversed.

In his book “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe”, CS Lewis has Aslan saying (upon his resurrection), 

“When a willing victim who has committed no treachery is killed in a traitor’s stead, the Table cracks and death itself starts working backward.”

That is a wonderful allegorical way to express the point Paul makes here in Romans: the fear of death no longer has power over us. The life God has given me cannot be revoked or disqualified. My justification is not temporary, as though I were living under a kind of spiritual parole—constantly at risk that one failure would cancel it and send me back to prison.

That is not the Gospel. I am not on parole. A parole can be revoked. A parolee still lives under the shadow of his former sentence. But a pardon is different. A pardon removes the charge itself.

In Christ, I have not been paroled; I have been pardoned. The sentence has been lifted, the record cleared, and the cell door opened for good.

I am at peace with God.

He is no longer my Enemy. I am no longer His enemy.

Peace.

In His Grip,

Paige