Romans 5:11

‘And not only so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.'

Paul now exults in the glory of reconciliation with and from God. We (Paul and the Roman Christians, but of course including all Christians) ‘rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ' because of it. We cannot get over the wonder of it. Sinners, and yet reconciled to God and therefore no longer under His disapprobation and wrath, but with all enmity removed. It is a cause for rejoicing indeed. He emphasises that it is ‘through our Lord Jesus Christ'. It is the coming of the Lord, Jesus Christ, into the world that has made all the difference. It is through God having sent His Son (Romans 1:2).

Notice the glorious progression that has taken place:

· While we were yet sinners God commended His love towards us, in that Christ died for us (Romans 5:8).

· Being accounted as righteous through His blood as a result, we will ‘much more' be saved from wrath ‘through Him' as a result of His sacrificial death (Romans 5:9).

· The consequence is that we will be reconciled to God (Romans 5:10 a).

· Being reconciled we will be saved by His life (Romans 5:10 b).

· Consequently we rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through Whom we have received reconciliation (Romans 5:11).

‘Through whom we have now received the reconciliation.' The reconciliation has been effected by God through the blood sacrifice of Christ and is something that we ‘receive'. Thus as we come under His blood we ‘enter into the sphere of reconciliation with God' having been accounted as righteous before Him. Both justification (legal acceptance) and propitiation (relational acceptance) are necessary if we are to be acceptable to God. And they are offered to us in Christ.