“Rejoice in hope of the glory of God” Romans chapter 5 verse 2.

What a verse with which to start this Christmas week, a week with many national and personal challenges, fears, disappointments. “Hope” for today? “Rejoice” or be glad. How can it be?

Let us turn read the first and second verses together: “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.”

This hope and rejoicing can only come:

• “through our Lord Jesus Christ”
• “having been justified by faith”
• and it is only because of “this grace in which we stand”

Thank God such a hope and rejoicing are not achieved by any merit I may claim, for I have none; nor are they by any works I do, for they can never remove my guilt and sin. No, it is all due to another, “our Lord Jesus Christ”. Is he your Lord Jesus Christ? Without Him you can never know God’s peace and forgiveness.

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

There is a green hill far away, without a city wall,
Where the dear Lord was crucified, Who died to save us all. 
He died that we might be forgiven, He died to make us good,
That we might go at last to Heaven saved by His precious blood.