By whom also we have access through faith into this grace, wherein we stand, and glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God.

“That afflictions and persecutions arise for the sake of our being proved. In Deuteronomy, "The Lord your God proveth you, that He may know if ye love the Lord. your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength." And again, Solomon: "The furnace proveth the potter's vessel, and righteous men the trial of tribulation." Paul also testifies similar things, and speaks, saying: "We glory in the hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also; knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us." And Peter, in his epistle, lays it down, and says: "Beloved, be not surprised at the fiery heat which falleth upon you, which happens for your trial; and fail not, as if some new thing were happening unto you. But as often as ye communicate with the sufferings of Christ, rejoice in all things, that also in the revelation made of His glory you may rejoice with gladness. If ye be reproached in the name of Christ, happy are ye; because the name of the majesty and power of the Lord resteth upon you; which indeed according to them is blasphemed, but according to us is honoured."”

“If then He hath brought us near to Himself, when we were far off, much more will He keep us now that we are near. And let me beg you to consider how he everywhere sets down these two points; His part, and our part. On His part, however, there be things varied and numerous and diverse. For He died for us, and farther reconciled us, and brought us to Himself, and gave us grace unspeakable. But we brought faith only as our contribution. And so he says, "by faith, unto this grace." What grace is this? tell me. It is the being counted worthy of the knowledge of God, the being forced from error, the coming to a knowledge of the Truth, the obtaining of all the blessings that come through Baptism. For the end of His bringing us near was that we might receive these gifts. For it was not only that we might have simple remission of sins, that we were reconciled; but that we might receive also countless benefits. Nor did He even pause at these, but promised others, namely, those unutterable blessings that pass understanding alike and language. And this is why he has set them both down also. For by mentioning grace he clearly points at what we have at present received, but by saying, "And we rejoice in hope of the glory of God," he unveils the whole of things to come. And he had well said, "wherein also we stand." For this is the nature of God's grace. It hath no end, it knows no bound, but evermore is on the advance to greater things, which in human things is not the case.”

“After the Apostle has shown the necessity of the grace of Christ — because without it neither did the knowledge of truth profit the Gentiles, nor circumcision and the law profit the Jews, unto salvation — here he begins to commend the power of grace. And concerning this he does two things. First he shows what goods we obtain through grace; second, from what evils we are freed through it, at the place "therefore as through one man," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he sets forth the manner of arriving, or the way by which we come to grace; second he shows the goods which we obtain through grace, at the place "and we glory in the hope of glory," etc. Concerning the first he does two things. First he exhorts to the due use of grace; second he shows us the entrance to grace, at the place "through whom access," etc. He says therefore first: it has been said that faith will be reckoned unto righteousness for all who believe in the resurrection of Christ, which is the cause of our justification. Being justified therefore by faith — that is, insofar as through faith in the resurrection we participate in its effect — let us have peace with God, namely by subjecting ourselves and obeying him. Job 22:21: "Acquiesce therefore to him, and have peace." Job 9:4: "Who has resisted him, and had peace?" And this through Jesus Christ our Lord, who has led us to this peace. Ephesians 2:14: "He himself is our peace." Hence he adds: through whom, namely Christ, we have access, that is, as through a mediator. Timothy 2:5: "the mediator of God and men," etc. Ephesians 2:18: "through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father." Access, I say, into this grace, that is, into the state of grace. John 1:17: "grace and truth were made through Jesus Christ." In which, that is, through which grace, not only have we risen from sins, but we also stand, fixed and erect in affection amid heavenly things. Psalm 120:21: "our feet were standing." And again: "we, however, have risen, and are erect." And this through faith, through which, namely, we obtain grace — not because faith precedes grace, since rather faith exists through grace. Ephesians 2:8: "by grace you are saved through faith," namely, because the first effect of grace in us is faith. Then, when he says "and we glory in the hope of glory," etc., he shows what goods have come to us through grace. First he says that through grace we have the glory of hope; second, that through grace we have the glory of God, at the place "and not only so," etc. Concerning the first he does three things. First he shows the greatness of the hope in which we glory; second, its vehemence, at the place "and not only so," etc. Third, its firmness, at the place "and hope does not confound," etc. Now the greatness of the hope is considered from the greatness of the thing hoped for, which he sets down saying, "and we glory in the hope of the glory of the sons of God," that is, from the fact that we hope that we will obtain the glory of the sons of God. For through the grace of Christ we have obtained the spirit of adoption of the sons of God, as is said below in chapter 8:15, and Wisdom 5:5: "behold how they are numbered among the sons of God." Now to sons is owed the inheritance of the father — below 8:17: "but if sons, then heirs also." But this inheritance is the glory which God has in himself. Job 40:4: "if you have an arm like God," etc. And a hope of this kind has been implanted in us through Christ. 1 Peter 1:3f.: "he has regenerated us unto a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, unto an incorruptible inheritance," etc. And this glory, which will be fulfilled in us in the future, is meanwhile now begun in us through hope. Below 8:24: "we are saved by hope." Psalm 5:12: "all who love your name will glory in you." Then, when he says "and not only so," etc., he shows the vehemence of this hope. For he who vehemently hopes for something willingly endures, for its sake, even difficult and bitter things — just as a sick man, if he vehemently hopes for health, willingly drinks a bitter potion that he may be healed by it. A sign, therefore, of the vehement hope which we have on account of Christ is that we glory not only from the hope of future glory, but also concerning the evils which we suffer for its sake; hence he says, and not only do we glory — namely, in the hope of glory — but we also glory in tribulations, through which we arrive at glory. Acts 14:21: "through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdom of heaven." James 1:2: "count it all joy, my brothers, when you fall into various trials." And he then shows the cause, saying "knowing," etc. Where he sets down four things in order, of which the first is tribulation, concerning which it is said that tribulation works patience — not indeed in such a way that tribulation is its efficient cause, but because tribulation is the matter and occasion for exercising the act of patience. Below 12:12: "patient in tribulation." Second, he sets down the effect of patience, when he says "patience, trial." Ecclesiasticus 2:5: "gold and silver are tried in the fire: but acceptable men in the furnace of humiliation." For it is manifest that we easily endure the loss of some thing for the sake of the thing which we love more. Hence if someone patiently endures loss in bodily and temporal things for the sake of obtaining eternal goods, it is sufficiently proved from this that such a one loves eternal goods more than temporal ones. But against what is said here stands that saying of James 1:3: "the trial of your faith works patience." It must be said, however, that "trial" can be understood in two ways. In one way, according as it is in the thing tried, and thus the trial is the very tribulation by which a man is tried; hence it is the same thing to say that tribulation works patience, and that tribulation tries patience. In another way, "trial" is taken for having been tried — and thus it is taken here that patience works trial, because from the fact that a man patiently endures tribulation, he is thereby rendered already proved. Third, he adds the third, saying "and trial, hope" — namely, works — because, namely, from the fact that someone has already been proved, hope can be had, both by himself and by others, that he will be admitted to the inheritance of God. Wisdom 3:5: "God tried them, and found them worthy of himself." Thus therefore, from the first to the last, it is clear that tribulation prepares the way to hope. Hence if someone glories vehemently in hope, it follows that he should glory also in the tribulations themselves. Then, when he says "and hope does not confound," he shows the firmness of this hope. And first he sets it down, saying: and hope — namely, this hope by which we hope for the glory of the sons of God — does not confound, that is, does not fail, unless a man fails it. For that man is said to be confounded by his hope who falls short of that which he hopes for. Psalm 30:2: "in you, Lord, have I hoped, let me never be confounded." Ecclesiastes 2:11: "no one has hoped in the Lord, and been confounded." Second, at the place "because the charity of God," etc., he sets down a twofold argument for the certainty of hope, of which the first is from the gift of the Holy Spirit, the second from the death of Christ, at the place "for why did Christ," etc. He says therefore first: from this we can know that hope does not confound, because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Now the charity of God can be taken in two ways. In one way, for the charity by which God loves us — Jeremiah 31:3: "with an everlasting charity have I loved you"; in another way it can be called the charity of God by which we love God — below 8:38f.: "I am certain that neither death nor life will separate us from the charity of God." But each charity of God is poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. For the Holy Spirit, who is the love of the Father and the Son, to be given to us, is for us to be led to a participation in that love which is the Holy Spirit; from which participation, indeed, we are made lovers of God. And this, that we love him, is a sign that he loves us. Proverbs 8:17: "I love those who love me." Not as though we had first loved God, but because he first loved us, as is said in 1 John 4:10. Now the charity by which he loves us is said to be poured forth in our hearts, because it is openly shown in our hearts through the gift of the Holy Spirit impressed upon us. John 3:24: "in this we know that God abides in us," etc. But the charity by which we love God is said to be poured forth in our hearts, that is, because it extends itself to perfecting all the habits and acts of the soul; for, as is said in 1 Corinthians 13:4: "charity is patient, is kind," etc. But from each understanding of these words it is concluded that hope does not confound. For if the charity of God by which God loves us is taken, it is manifest that he will not deny himself to those whom he loves. Deuteronomy 33:3: "he loved the peoples, all the saints are in his hand." Likewise also, if the charity of God by which we love God is taken, it is manifest that he has prepared eternal goods for those who love him. John 14:21: "if anyone loves me, he will be loved by my Father," etc.”

“By whom also we have access by faith,.... The access here spoken of is not to the blessing of justification; for though that is a grace which we have access to by Christ, and come at the knowledge of by faith, and enjoy the comfort of through it; and is a grace in which persons stand, and from which they shall never fall, and lays a solid foundation for rejoicing in hope of eternal glory; yet this sense would make the apostle guilty of a great tautology; and besides, he is not speaking of that blessing itself, but of its effects; and here of one distinct from "peace with God", before mentioned, as the word also manifestly shows: nor does it design any other blessing of grace, as pardon, adoption, sanctification, &c. and an access thereunto; not unto the free grace, favour, and good will of God, the source of all blessings; but to the throne of grace, which may be called that grace, because of its name, for God, as the God of all grace, sits upon it; it is an high favour to be admitted to it; it is grace persons come thither for, and which they may expect to find there: and in, or "at" which we stand; which denotes boldness, courage, and intrepidity, and a freedom from a servile fear and bashful spirit, and a continued constant attendance at it; all which is consistent with reverence, humility, and submission to the will of God. Now access to the throne of grace, and standing at that, are "by" Christ. There is no access to God in our own name and righteousness, and upon the foot of our own works. Christ is the only way of access to God, and acceptance with him; he is the Mediator between God and us; he introduces into his Father's presence, gives audience at his throne, and renders both persons and services acceptable unto him: and this access is also "by faith"; and that both in God the Father, as our covenant God and Father; in faith of interest in his love and favour; believing his power and faithfulness, his fulness and sufficiency, and that he is a God hearing and answering prayer: and also in the Lord Jesus Christ; in his person for acceptance; in his righteousness for justification; in his blood for pardon; and in his fulness for every supply: and such as have access to the throne of grace by faith in Christ, being comfortably persuaded of their justification before God, through his righteousness imputed to them, can and do rejoice in hope of the glory of God; which is another effect of justification by faith: by the "glory of God"; which is another effect of justification by faith: by the "glory of God", is not meant the essential glory of God; nor that which we ought to seek in all that we are concerned, and which we are to ascribe unto him on the account of his perfections and works; but that everlasting glory and happiness which he has prepared for his people, has promised to them, and has called them to by Christ, and will bestow upon them; of which he has given them a good hope through grace; and in the hope and believing views of which they can, and do rejoice, even amidst a variety of afflictions and tribulations in this world. The Vulgate Latin version reads, "in hope of the glory of the children of God"; eternal glory being proper to them.”

“By whom also - We are not only indebted to our Lord Jesus Christ for the free and full pardon which we have received, but our continuance in a justified state depends upon his gracious influence in our hearts, and his intercession before the throne of God. We have access - προσαγωγην εσχηκαμεν, We have received this access. It was only through Christ that we could at first approach God; and it is only through him that the privilege is continued to us. And this access to God, or introduction to the Divine presence, is to be considered as a lasting privilege. We are not brought to God for the purpose of an interview, but to remain with him; to be his household; and, by faith, to behold his face, and walk in the light of his countenance. Into this grace - This state of favor and acceptance. Wherein we stand - Having firm footing, and a just title through the blood of the Lamb to the full salvation of God. And rejoice - Have solid happiness, from the evidence we have of our acceptance with Him. In hope of the glory of God - Having our sins remitted, and our souls adopted into the heavenly family, we are become heirs; for if children, then heirs, Gal 4:7; and that glory of God is now become our endless inheritance. While the Jews boast of their external privileges - that they have the temple of God among them; that their priests have an entrance to God as their representatives, carrying before the mercy-seat the blood of their offered victims; we exult in being introduced by Jesus Christ to the Divine presence; his blood having been shed and sprinkled for this purpose; and thus we have, spiritually and essentially, all that these Jewish rites, etc., signified. We are in the peace of God, and we are happy in the enjoyment of that peace, and have a blessed foretaste of eternal glory. Thus we have heaven upon earth, and the ineffable glories of God in prospect.”

“By whom also we have--"have had" access by faith into this grace--favor with God. wherein we stand--that is "To that same faith which first gave us 'peace with God' we owe our introduction into that permanent standing in the favor of God which the justified enjoy." As it is difficult to distinguish this from the peace first mentioned, we regard it as merely an additional phase of the same [MEYER, PHILIPPI, MEHRING], rather than something new [BEZA, THOLUCK, HODGE]. and rejoice--"glory," "boast," "triumph"--"rejoice" is not strong enough. in hope of the glory of God--On "hope," see on Rom 5:4.”