More than Conquerors
“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”
Romans 8:37 (NASB)
We find ourselves in the middle of an intersection when we just read Romans 8:37. It begins with the word “no”. It is an answer. It is a reply to a question. What question? Look back a few verses and we find the question verse 37 answers.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
(vs. 35, NASB)
As you read the end of Romans 8, there is almost an expectation, a given that life is going to be full of struggles. Of trials. There is no reassurance that because we profess Christ as Lord that we will be spared the trials of this life. In fact, there is a subtle guarantee that as a Christian, we WILL have hardship BECAUSE we are followers of Christ. Not only we will deal with the everyday problems of this broken world, but we will encounter strife - the misunderstandings at best and persecution at worst.
Romans 8:35 begs another question. Why would we willingly and knowingly choose a faith that almost guarantees difficulties that may cost us everything in this life? We do it because the cost is nothing and does not come close to knowing the love of Christ. Christ’s love took Him to the cross. It is really that great. It is really that amazing. It really is that redemptive. It is that real that Christians since the 1st century have followed Jesus at all cost because we have discovered that nothing in this life compares to knowing the love of Christ.
Jesus’ love is not about feeling good about ourselves or boosting our self-esteem. It is not a sappy, touchy-feely sentimental love that fades quickly with our changing moods.
It is a fierce,
life changing,
family restoring,
body healing,
hope giving,
addiction breaking,
marriage saving,
demon silencing,
cross carrying,
sin forgiving,
heart softening,
tomb emptying,
eternity securing kind of love.
If Jesus’ love can do all of that above, then what possibly in this life could have victory over us? That is why we are MORE than conquerors. We have not only conquered this life because the trials cannot defeat the power of Jesus’ love. The trials of this life will still find us. We are not spared of them. We will invite more of them as we walk with Christ.
So, when faith challenging trials come to defeat us, let us look upward to the Father as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane. When Jesus begged the Father to remove the pain of the cross, He also became covered in God’s “more than conquerors” kind of love, endured the cross and now is seated at the right hand of the Father. We will never experience what Jesus went through. However, the same love that saved the world is the same love that is ours in Christ – the Author and Perfector of our faith.
Right now, I’m thinking of my dad who died this past September after a 15-year battle with Parkinson’s. My dad, whose body and mind slowly deteriorated after raising 5 kids and celebrating 11 grandchildren, is now perfect and whole. My dad knew the love of Christ and would tell us to hang on, for “we ain’t seen nothing yet”!
Mary Quillin is a city-girl-turned-country-girl in her new life in North Dakota. She has been married to her hubby for more than 20 years and has 3 wonderfully different teenagers who are driving and she asks for your prayers.
After many years in full time ministry, Mary is learning how to show up and daily discover the journey of being available for whatever Jesus leads her to. She recently graduated with her Master's in Special Education and is investing in students as a "second half" career. She also spends her days trying to build a welcoming shabby chic farmhouse in the heartland while discovering the joys of vegetable gardens, raising hens, and North Dakota sunsets.