Skip to main content

More Than Conquerors

                  What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;
    we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  (Romans 8:31-37)

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah. (Acts 5:41-42)

Romans 8 should probably be put in a Battle Bible in its entirety, and we’ll continue to bounce around in it for a day or two. Today’s passage could go in the “Hero’s Story” section.

As a writer, I’ve been told that the basic plotline for a heroic story is that you start with a person – either average or below average in some way.  You strip the character of every advantage, every support, every reason to hope, and then make the character fight his way back to seeming victory. And just as he thinks he’s won; you resurrect or release the antagonist for one…last…chance…to…destroy…the… enemy (AKA: the hero) and the hero either barely survives and lives happily ever after or dies protecting the ones he loves. But, when it comes to real life, we tend to think that either we aren’t the hero or that we are the exception to the suffering part.

At one point fairly early in the history of the Church, the apostles celebrated because they’d been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Today, we hear something like, “Oh, you’re a Christian?” in tone that says, “What’s wrong with you,” and we slink away. This hero-stuff is hard. We’d rather a less grueling approach. For me, two reasons to not welcome suffering come to mind. The first is that I see suffering as failure. The second is that I might see some suffering as worthy, but not the suffering I seem to face. My suffering is “self-inflicted” or, at least, not because I’m a Christian.

And, of course, if my suffering is self-inflicted or not associated in my mind with my Christianity, I’m less likely to go to the Father about it, less likely to seek to be more than a conqueror. That’s why I – and probably we – need to return to this passage.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The List

              Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,   through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance;   perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. (Romans 5:1-5)           Think about it. We have been justified. At least, we could be justified if we stopped insisting that our justification be based on our merits. We have peace with God, or could have peace if we stopped throwing temper tantrums. We have gained access into grace i...
Post a Comment
Read more

Listen!

  While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” (Matthew 17:5)            Do you like roller coasters? I don't. You spend forever climbing a hill. You get to the top and have half a second, then you race down to a low point. Sometimes the racing down involves tying your insides into knots. At the bottom, you either have to be dragged up another hill or you get off the ride. Peter's life was a roller coaster from the time he met Jesus. There would be miracles, and then Jesus would teach things that didn't always make sense, and then they'd go out and perform miracles, and return to be taught. Peter was praised for giving the right answer to "Who do you say that I am?" Jesus said that said answer came from God. Peter was at the top of the hill.            ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Prayer Lists

                 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. (I Peter 2:2-3)   In connection with what I wrote yesterday about the possibility that I’m wrong, I’m feeling the need to go back to basics - craving spiritual milk because somehow, I missed something. It’s a little embarrassing, craving milk like a newborn, but the truth probably is that we are newborns many times in many ways in our lives. From God’s perspective, we may never be anything more than newborns, forever needing that milk. On the other hand, being a newborn can also be exciting because so much is new. My mind is playing pinball - ricocheting from one idea to the next and through six more before it happens to hit the third again. The main topic is prayer. I have at least seven organizing structures all somewhat influenced by the movie War Room , which I’v...
Post a Comment
Read more