¹¹ And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

Three times in this chapter the apostle Paul exults. To exult means to boast (NIV) or to proclaim publically the greatness of something or someone. First Paul exults in the “hope of the glory of God” (vs. 2) which is now certain, being based on being justified by faith “into this grace in which we stand.” Then he exults in his tribulations because they strengthen our hope (vs. 3). And finally he exults “in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.”

Paul’s was not a dry theology, but right doctrine that forms the basis for joyful living. To him it was exciting, and it should likewise be to all Christians. Too often doctrine is snickered at as being part of a formalized religion, to be rejected as irrelevant to everyday life. Not so in the thinking of the apostle Paul. To be sure, if doctrinal or theological studies remain in the ivory tower or in the minds of people as a mental exercise, then they are rather useless. But if it is right, then it is relevant and life-changing—especially on the topic of justification. The most joyful, free people are those who cease their attempts to be “good enough” and who rest in the finished work of Jesus Christ to justify the ungodly. The justified person, when fully apprised of the implications of this teaching, can do nothing else but exult in God.

A person who survives a sinking ship is certainly happy for his salvation. But when he discovers that there was one individual who had a clear path to survival yet came back to rescue the drowning passenger, only to lose his own life in the process—that changes everything. His joy is not just in his experience, but in extolling the sacrifice of his hero who took his own place. In the same way, the justified individual does not rejoice in his justification only, but in the One who justified him by dying in his place. His eternal destiny is secured. Is it any wonder Paul exulted in God?

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not something to be left behind on the day of our salvation. Every time Paul thought about it, he must have broken out into a smile; he couldn’t contain his desire to share the message with others and to relish in it himself, continually. That is why in the middle of his first letter to that carnal group of Christians at Corinth, he reminded them of the Lord’s command to remember Him in the breaking of bread and taking of the cup (1 Cor 11:23-25). At the heart of practical, relevant teaching lies the truth of the Gospel, that Jesus gave His body and blood for us. That changes everything.

Lord, help me to live each day in light of Your sacrificial love for me.