Who are we in Christ? This message today is for those “in Christ,” who know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Last week we considered that as a "New Creation in Christ," we are His workmanship (Epheisans 2:10), His work of art, His masterpiece. As his workmanship, as His masterpiece -what good thing, if anything, will Jesus ever withhold from us? One verse I want to key on today is:
Romans 8:37 (CSB) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
Some days I don’t feel much like a conqueror, this coronavirus has lot of people down, feeling defeated. But as Christians, we rise above our circumstances as we shall see today. God’s way of measuring victory is not the world’s way. That phrase, “we are more than conquerors” in the Greek is one word, “hypernikomen” found only here in the NT. It means to utterly defeat, more than the norm. The Latin Bible translates this word as “super conqueror. The root word means to overcome, like where Jesus says He has overcome the world (John 6:33 NASB) or in Revelation 2-3, Jesus tells the each of the seven churches “to him who overcomes” (NASB, NIV, NKJV) there will be a reward. Who are we in Christ? In Christ, We are overcomers.
In fact, we more than overcomers, we are super conquerors, we have “Victory in Jesus” (sounds like a good title for a song!). Putting this verse into context so we can fully understand what it means to be more than conquerors in Jesus, we will look at the last 9 verses in Romans 8.
Romans 8:31–39
February 15, 2017, 21 Egyptian Coptic Christian were martyred on a beach in Libya in North Africa, by Islamic State (ISIS) terrorists. Bishop Demetrios, Chancellor of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago, writes in the Wall Street Journal, that “These Coptic Christian hostages were executed for no other reason than their faith in Jesus Christ. As horrible as the episode was, it also offers inspiration and testimony to the power of faith. The 21 men executed that day were itinerant tradesmen working on a construction job. The executioners demanded that each hostage identify his religious allegiance. Given the opportunity to deny their faith, the Egyptians declared their faith in Jesus as their Lord. Steadfast in their belief, even in the face of evil and certain death, each one was beheaded.” However, one man out of the 21 was not from Egypt, but from another unknown African country. According to some sources, he was not originally a Christian, but he saw the immense faith of the others, and when the terrorists asked him if he rejected Jesus, he reportedly said, "Their God is my God", knowing that he would be killed. Bishop Demetrios writes, “In that moment before his death, he became a Christian! The ISIS murders seek to demoralize Christians with acts like the slaughter on a Libyan beach. Instead, they stir our wonder at the courage and devotion inspired by God’s love!" [1]
God turns defeat into victory. Who were those that overcame? Who were more than conquerors? Jesus tells us:
Matthew 10:28 (CSB) Don’t fear those who kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather, fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
In our passage today, Paul asks a series of 6 questions, each building on the previous. It is like a courtroom setting where the lawyer asks question to build up his case. What Paul will show us is why we are overcomers, why we are super conquerors.
First question:
Romans 8:31a (CSB) What then are we to say about these things?
What things? Paul is about to draw a conclusion for the defense of the Gospel that he began back in chapter 1 and summed up in verse 30.
Romans 8:30 (CSB) And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.
This verse deals with our end state as Christians. It is in the prophetic past tense, meaning it is so certain that God speaks of it in the past tense, as if it has already happened. So, considering the certainty of the Gospel and how it applies to our lives, what do we say to these things?
Second Question:
Romans 8:31b (CSB) If God is for us, who is against us?
Rhetorical question. The expected answer is no-one. Consider: “If God is for us,” that is mind boggling all by itself. Who could ever be against Almighty God? We need God view of world. He sees far more than the here and now. He has all of eternity is sight. James says this life is just a vapor, it here and gone (James 4:14). We need a view of eternity. This God who has made Himself known to us; He is for us. Hell is no longer a consideration for us. Building on this:
Romans 8:32 (CSB) He did not even spare his own Son but offered him up for us all. How will he not also with him grant us everything?
God offered up for us the most valuable thing to Him. He offered Jesus for us. He gave us Jesus. Anything else, including life eternal is lessor. Can you see Paul’s argument? From the greater to the lessor.
The third question Paul ask is: “How will he not also with him grant us everything?” God gave his greatest gift, is there any lessor thing that he withholds from?
Fourth Question:
Romans 8:33 (CSB) Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies.
The tone in which Paul writes we can almost translate this way: “Who dares bring an accusation or a charge against anyone whom God has chosen? Now I will not discuss predestination here, but I will say those who come to Christ, God has chosen. Those whom God has chosen; God has justified. But we need to understand there is one who does accuse us before God. That is Satan. Satan’s name means “accuser” in Hebrew.
Revelation 12:10 (CSB) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been thrown down.
And you know what? The things that Satan accuses us about before Almighty God are probably all true. But Satan’s accusations will all be thrown out of court because it is God who justified us by the blood of Jesus, which paid the penalty for our sins. We are declared righteous on the basis of our faith in Jesus. And God also will throw down Satan from His presence.
Fifth Question:
Romans 8:34 (CSB) Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us.
To condemn requires a judge. And Paul quickly points out, before anyone can think on that question too long, that Jesus Christ is that judge. It will be Jesus sitting on that Great White Throne on Judgement Day as described in Revelation 20:11-15. The Bible is very clear about Jesus being the Judge.
John 5:22 (CSB) The Father, in fact, judges no one but has given all judgment to the Son
Jesus will be the supreme judge on that day. He is the one who condemns. And here is a fact, most people will condemn themselves and Jesus only orders the execution of the sentence. How do people condemn themselves? By nonbelief.
John 3:18 (CSB) Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God.
Those who are “in Christ,” and believe in Him, have passed from Judgement and will never see judgment nor see the Great White Judgement Throne.
John 5:24 (CSB) “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.
Jesus paid the penalty for all, by His death, and in His resurrection, He is the first fruits of those who will rise with Him. And even now, prior to His return, Jesus is sitting at the place of honor, authority, and power, at the right hand of God the Father. And what Is Jesus doing while there? Back to Romans 8:34: Jesus “intercedes for us.” Imagine that, the Judge is interceding for us! The Judge is the One defending us and advocating for us. And Scripture says that He, Jesus is living to do that.
Hebrews 7:25 (CSB) Therefore, he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, since he always lives to intercede for them.
Jesus in interceding for us and He acts our defense attorney – our advocate:
1 John 2:1 (CSB) My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one.
Not only does Jesus intercedes for us, we also have the Holy Spirit interceded for us as well.
Romans 8:26–27 (CSB) In the same way the Spirit also helps us in our weakness, because we do not know what to pray for as we should, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us, with unspoken groanings. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
With Jesus and Holy Spirt interceding for us, we can begin to see the power of what Paul was asking in verse 31, “If God is for us, who is against us?”
Sixth Question:
Romans 8:35 (CSB) Who can separate us from the love of Christ? Can affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?
These are the things that world can throw against us. These things should not drive us from Christ, but rather closer to Him. And it is not separation of Christ from our love, there is not anything that can separate us from His love. All these affliction Paul certainly endured. And Paul did endure them by the power of Christ in him. These things God permits to come our way to strengthen us and to mold us in to more Christlikeness.
God is at work in all the circumstances of life to conform those whom he has chosen into the likeness of his dear Son. This process belongs is God’s. We are his workmanship (Eph 2:10). The process of sanctification is intended to bring us into conformity with the nature of our Creator. Remember Romans 8:28 – God works all things together for our good. That include these calamities.
Romans 8:36 (CSB) As it is written: Because of you we are being put to death all day long; we are counted as sheep to be slaughtered.
Paul quotes Psalm 44:22. This is who we are to the world, sheep for the slaughter. Like those 21 who were beheaded, they were sheep for the slaughter, but God had the victory.
Romans 8:37 (CSB) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
These trials are what make us a victor. We are the overcomers, the super conquerors, but only through Christ, who loves us. None of these trials we face alone. I love that very last line in the book of Matthew:
Matthew 28:20b (CSB) And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”
Jesus is with us through everything, throughout all our trials. We are not always privy to the whys, but God has a purpose for it all. Because of all of these things, Paul makes the conclusion:
Romans 8:38–39 (CSB) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Persuaded – Paul is completely convinced. And Paul has experienced them all. And Paul makes a short list outlining the extremes of reality:
“death nor life,” the extremes of our physical existence.
“nor angels nor rulers,” (NIV has demons, NKJV has principalities) No authorities in heaven nor powers on the earth affect His love.
“nor things present nor things to come,” the constraints of time, the past, the present and the future have no hold on us.
“nor powers,” No physical powers or supernatural powers will not interrupt God’s love for us.
“nor height nor depth,” the extremes of things above or of things below will not stop His love.
“nor any other created thing” Everything, seen and unseen, real or imagined, all are creation of God, nothing at all will stop his love. Nothing created by God (and there is nothing that God has not created) will separate us from His love, His love for us in Jesus Christ.
Being in Christ, surrounded by the love of God through Christ, what can the world do to us that will affect our eternity with Him? We already have the victory. That does not mean battles will not be fought, but outcome has already been determined.
Everything in this life is temporary. We live for the eternal. Jesus tells us:
John 16:33 (CSB) I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace. You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”
The victory has been assured. Do we live courageously? Do we live as super conquerors? Have we overcome the world? Do we live in the power of Jesus?
Have you made a decision to for Jesus?
[1] www.sermoncentral.com/sermon-illustrations/84099/evangelism-by-dr-larry-petton?ref=TextIllustrationSerps and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_kidnapping_and_beheading_of_Copts_in_Libya
