More Than Conquerors

Believers in those times faced many trials and sufferings. They were persecuted and opposed, because of their faith in Jesus Christ.

• We got to know it in history, as well as in the Scriptures.

• Paul mentioned some of these difficulties in verse 35 - trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?

Yet Paul was not defeated. He says we need not be defeated, because “in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” (8:37)

• Through the strength that Christ gives us, we can overcome.

• In order words, no matter what people tries to do, or what life brings upon us, we have enough power in Christ to overcome these difficulties.

How can we be so sure? What is the basis of our confidence?

• We are sure because He loves us. He is the One who loved us.

• “Christ loved us and gave himself up for us.” (Eph 5:2)

• The ground of our confidence is our crucified Saviour, who stood in our place at the cross and suffered on our behalf.

• If He sacrificed Himself for you, if He gave up His life to save you, then you have nothing to fear. He will surely help you.

• We are confident today because we are loved. We are not worried today because we know someone cares, and is looking after us.

Do you know that today? Dear friends, do you know you are deeply loved?

Paul uses a series of questions to emphasize this point. 6 questions in one breath.

• Verse 31: “If God is for us, who can be against us?” (v.31)

• Verse 32: “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?”

• Verse 33: “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?”

• Verse 34: “Who is he that condemns?”

• Verse 35: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?”

• And then he went on to list down 7 different obstacles that all of us faces – at one time or another, in one way or another. He says, “Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”

Although this was asked almost 2000 years ago (written AD58), nothing much has changed, right?

• We are facing these same problems today - trouble, hardship, persecution, famine - and we question God over these.

• When we are overwhelmed by sufferings like these, we tend to doubt God. We feel separated from His love, for some unknown reasons.

But after all the questioning, Paul gave an emphatic NO in verse 37.

• NO WAY. You are wrong if you think that way.

• No situation that you are in today can change the truth of God’s love for you.

In all these things, he says. We are more than conquerors.

• Take note of what he did not say - WO THINGS he did not say:

 (1) He did not say in SOME of these difficulties, God will help you overcome. He said in ALL these things.

 (2), he did not say God will REMOVE all these things and immune you from all hardships.

• He said instead: “In all these things, we are MORE THAN CONQUERORS…”

In fact, Paul was speaking from his own experience - he was imprisoned, flogged, beaten, stoned, persecuted, went without food, faced all kinds of dangers (cf. 2 Cor 11:23-27)

• But went through them, through Christ’s help, and he was able to write this down for us today.

• We are called to be FIGHTERS, conquerors. We are called to be overcomers.

• We are not called to sail through life, but to fight this spiritual battle. The people of Israel did not sail into Canaan; they had to fight their way in.

“In all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.”

• Actually, I would be very happy if you say “I am a conqueror.” I’d be contended.

• But the Scripture says “We are MORE than conquerors!”

• In order words, no matter what you encounter in life, you have, in Christ, more than enough strength, more than enough help, to overcome it.

• He is a MORE THAN ENOUGH God. You do not ‘barely survive’, you thrive.

Jesus: “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33)

The question we need to ask is not, “Why? Why am I facing so much trouble?”

• That’s the wrong question to ask. Jesus says, “In this world, we’ll have trouble.”

• The right question is, “Why? Why am I not overcoming it? Why am I so weak?”