Happy Day

[Righteousness] will be counted to us who believe in him who raised from the dead Jesus our Lord, who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised for our justification. Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 4:24–5:1)

Like One, Two, Three

Paul recalibrates the hope of our lives in three simple verses.

First, he explains that Father Abraham was declared righteous because he trusted in God. His faith was “counted to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:23).

Second, he says that we, too, just like Abraham, will be counted righteous because of our faith in the God who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 4:24).

Third, because we are justified by faith, because we are counted, reckoned, and considered righteous before God, we have peace with God through Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1).

It goes like that — a historic faith in an everlasting God who raised his victorious Son.

Rock-Solid Rejoicing

And God did this for our sake. Jesus was delivered up for our trespasses and then raised for our justification. So we now, by faith, have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.

This, and only this, is the reason it is a happy day.

The ups and downs of life are sure. There will be mountains and valleys, pleasures and pains, seasons of sufferings and seasons of joy, but through it all this one fact remains: we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. And therefore, even in the midst of chaos and heartache, today is, in the deepest, most profound sense of the phrase, a happy day.

We have peace with God — real peace. It’s not flaky emotionalism. It’s not mere sentiment. This is God-authored peace that sets our souls aright and welcomes us into a true relationship with our Creator. This God who we have sinned against, exchanging his glory for the trifles of this world… this God who we despised, shirking his authority to act as our own king — this is the God we now call Father. Abba. Our Dad. And it’s all because of Jesus and what he did.

Alive For Us Forever

Jesus took all of our sins upon himself. All of them. He suffered the wrath we deserved. Every ounce. He was crucified for us, buried for us, and then on the third day he was raised for us. It was the greatest day in history. Death was beaten and our rescue secured.

Jesus came alive again. He is alive for us now. We have no more guilt. No more shame. No more fear. We have peace with God. We are not under this wrath, not destined for his judgment, not awaiting his fury. We are now, and forever, the objects of his love. We are the recipients of his unending favor. We are the gathered sons and daughters who will spend eternity in the riches of their Father’s glory. All through Jesus Christ, the one who washed our sins away, the one who will cause us to never be the same.

Yes, it is a happy day.