Theme: More Than Conquerors
Text: Romans 8:28-39
Introduction:
Reading the Bible gives comfort, direction and hope for every day. This passage talks about how God works for us, his eternal plan for all of us and he is our strong security. The first half of the book of Romans reaches its climax with these verses. The first eight chapters have been a carefully worked argument that presents the spiritual history of humanity, depicts its current spiritual state, shows God's solution, explores some of its ramifications and finally exults in its glory. The immediate earlier passage narrates present struggle and future glory. Sorrows and sufferings are not compared to the joy and glory of the future. Now We have “God for us” and in future, we have “no separation”.
This chapter starts with “no condemnation” and ends with “no separation”. Often our struggle is we are ignorant of ‘what is best for us’. Here, Paul's writing sheds its usual analytical flavour and starts piling glory on glory.
vv. 28-30 In all things God works for Good
The glorious chain of five links is foreknown, predestined, called, justified, and glorified. These are true from eternity in the past to eternity in the future. Everything is forged in heaven and nothing can be broken on earth.
Greek word “panta” (all things) is used as a subject. What those “all things” – Paul mentioned the sufferings, persecutions, frustrations wearying, depressing or seemingly fruitless and groaning are ‘all things.
God is present in all things means in all these struggles. He is not away but present. Satan may attack one front, but God is able to work in a multitude of ways to bring about "good".
“All things work for good” is not conjecture, is not happenstance, is not perhaps, is not maybe but an ironclad certainty.
The word "good" is agathos, meaning good, benevolent, profitable, useful good. God will cause everything in our lives to become beneficial, spiritually profitable, useful and good.
God allows everything into our lives for one of the purposes - either to bring us closer with himself or to mould us more like His Son.
vv. 31-36 God gives all things
This part starts with a rhetorical question along with 7 Questions. What, then, shall we say in the response to this?
Here the word “this” refers to the arguments put forth by Paul in chapters 1-8 of the Book of Romans.
v. 31 If God is for us, who can be against us?
v. 32 Will he not graciously give us all things?
v. 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen?
v. 34 Who is he that condemns?
v. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, height, depth.
charizomai, "to give freely as a favour, give graciously. All things are given along with Christ, not alone. God puts all things in a wrapped box. When we unwrap layer by layer, we see the gifts after gifts of the grace (Ephesians 2:6-7
As John Stott observes, in his book The Message of Romans:
“Our confidence is not in our love for him, which is frail, fickle and faltering, but in his love for us, which is steadfast, faithful and persevering. The doctrine of “the perseverance of the saints” needs to be re-named. It is the doctrine of “the perseverance of God with the saints”.”
vv. 37-39 Conquerors in all things
"We are more than conquerors" raises a question, how can a person be more than a conqueror? After conquering, what else is there to conquer?
Greek word Hupernikao means "prevail completely." from huper or hyper means "over, above, beyond, excess of measure” from nikao means “to conquer, have victory."
we are conquerors in all things, such as Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, sword, death, life, angels, demons, present, future, powers, height, depth. In spite of the circumstances we may be going through, we are truly victors. None of these things can take away our most precious treasure, God's enduring love for us.
Revelation 22:11 gives tips to overcome:
1. By the blood of the Lamb
2. Word of their testimony
Robert Schuller was fond of saying, "He turns stumbling blocks into stepping stones."
Martyrdom of Polycarp: Bishop of Smyrna., in 155 AD, stood before a Roman magistrate who insisted that he deny Christ. He was threatened with death by lions, then to be burned alive.
"When the magistrate pressed him, and said, 'Swear, and I will release you; revile Christ,' Polycarp said, 'Eighty-six years have I been serving him, and he has done me no wrong; how then can I blaspheme my King who saved me?”
Tertullian observed, "The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church."
God bless you.
