More than Conquerors

August 7, 2016 Background Scripture: Romans 8:28 – 39 Lesson Passage: Romans 8:28 – 39 Today’s lesson caused me to reflect on what it means to win, to be the victor, or to overcome obstacles in life. For me, the last one is what conquering is all about: overcoming obstacles in life. Obstacles, whether large or small, will often cause us to assess our strengths and weaknesses and develop a plan to triumph or at the very least, survive an encounter. After all, what is success if it is not about surviving life’s challenges to our personal endeavors? The beginning of today’s text could easily be seen as a cop out; that is to say, no matter what the outcome, I will accept it as okay as though I could change it if I choose to. But beneath the veneer of an “all’s well that ends well” attitude is the declaration that God orchestrates everything in the affairs of mankind. This is not saying, No matter what you do, God will make sure that events happen that He intends to happen. Contrariwise, it is a declaration that mankind orchestrates events but God decides the final outcome. God allows us to remain free moral agents; however, God is still in control. As free moral agents who are allowed to do things outside of the will of God, we are accountable for much of the evil that exists in society. Demonic spirits are instigators but people sin through thoughts and deeds. God does not cause evil things to happen but He does allow them for a time. In spite of the short term evil deeds, God still determines the long term outcome and that is what the text refers to when it states that Christians know that all things work together for good to them who love God and are the called of God. Christians are called out of the immoral fabric of the world to live as children of light by depending on God. As children of light, God gives each individual a purpose to fulfill in His divine plan. It is this spiritual separation from the world and participation in God’s plan that provides us the assurance that God will always ensure that the long term outcome will always conform to His will and not man’s intent. In the text, Paul lists a number of life’s challenges that can easily cause one to give up or give in. But Paul emphatically states that none of these things can separate the believer from God’s love which is demonstrated in Christ Jesus. Because of this, believers in Jesus who are trusting God for salvation are more than conquerors when faced with the obstacles and challenges in life. This includes the challenges listed in the text along with numerous others not listed. Believers are not simply conquerors who overcome some of the challenges of life. We have the assurance that we will overcome all of them because of God’s purpose for and predestination of us in Christ. God has justified us and exonerated us from the penalty of sin and assured us that He will glorify us. This is not for our sakes but for Christ’s sake that he might be the firstborn of many that have become his brethren. God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted him to his pre-incarnate glory. We are being conformed to Jesus’ image and the conformance will end in glorification of the saints. None of the obstacles or challenges of life can prevent the completion of God’s plan. We are more than conquerors! Robert C. Hudson July 26, 2016