More than Conquerors (Romans 8:31-39)
When I was about 7 years old, Mom and Dad took us three boys to a late night sale at TG&Y. When we walked through the doors, we were given raffle tickets with printed numbers; later that night, a ticket would be drawn for a $50 gift certificate.
When it was time for the drawing, the five of us, holding our tickets, were in the back of the store. The announcer started calling out the winning numbers, and every single number matched my ticket. I started waving my ticket in the air and running up the aisles yelling, “I won! I won!” Mom was chasing me up the aisles, but she was having a hard time keeping up with me.
Guess what? I was right—I had won. You want to know what else? TG&Y sold nice train sets, and Justin got one. But Justin’s a nice guy, and since my brothers hadn’t won, I gave them some of my winnings. And, I think Mom and Dad ended up spending $20 or so after all the dust had settled. But I had won, and won big ($50 was no joke to a 7-year-old about 1980).
Have you ever felt like a winner? Did you ever get that game-winning shot on your school’s basketball team? Did you ever stumble into some money you weren’t expecting? Did you ever work on a political campaign and win big on election night? Did you ever land you dream job? Guys, did you feel like a winner when your wife agreed to marry you?
Paul wanted the Romans to know they were winners. They lived in a world where governmental leaders, religious leaders, and even their own neighbors wanted them dead. Paul told them, however, that no matter what they faced, they were holding a winning ticket; not a ticket to win a $50 shopping spree, but a ticket for life eternal.
This morning, no matter what is taking place in your life, you are holding that same winning ticket. In fact, Paul said, “You are a conqueror.”
Scripture (Romans 8:31-39)
verse 31:
The Old Testament often spoke of God’s love as being “with” or “for” his people; the idea being that if someone challenged God’s people, that person was challenging God. All the troubles the Romans were suffering were metaphorically challenging God, and God always rises to the challenge.
verse 32:
God gave his Son “for us all;” therefore, God will with Jesus “graciously give us all things.” In the context of Romans 8, “all things” refers to the heavenly reward. Thus, since Jesus died for you, you can be assured of heaven.
verses 33-34:
Here’s why “all things” refers to the heavenly reward: Paul envisioned the heavenly court where God’s people stand on trial. No one can step forward with a charge against God’s people, for God makes his people right in his sight. No one can step forward to condemn God’s people, for Jesus—the One who died and was raised—intercedes for his own.
verses 35-36:
Paul rhetorically asked what trouble could “separate us from the love of Christ.” The point is that regardless of what calamity a Christian faces in life, heaven still awaits. The tragedies Paul listed here sound a great deal like persecution for the faith; the quote from Psalm 44 makes that the most likely interpretation.
verse 37:
In this paragraph, Paul used a literary device called chiasm. The significance of that fact is this: Before this verse and after this verse, Paul said the same thing (using different words), but in reverse order. That makes this verse the center of Paul’s whole argument; in other words, this whole paragraph shines a light on this truth: “You are a conqueror.”
verses 38-39:
Paul returned to the problems Christians can face, and he did so in opposites: Neither death nor life, angels nor rulers (demons), the present nor the future, nor powers (likely again a mention of demons), height nor depth (likely heaven and hell) can separate us from God’s love.
Application
Because God loves you, “You are a conqueror.” How can you live daily as a conqueror?
Agony
Paul mentioned a host of problems—Agony—that the Roman Christians might face. Paul himself knew agony: 2 Corinthians 11:23-27. Many of God’s other servants also suffered: Jeremiah was thrown into a dungeon, Daniel was cast into a lion’s den, James was beheaded with the sword, and Stephen was stoned. Because we live in a fallen world, you suffer, too; you know your own life is full of agony.
Think about your agony. We’re going to discuss how you’re an overcomer in spite of your agony, but understand that your agony is real and that your physical life is going to be full of agony.
Almighty
Yes, life is full of agony, but Paul began this text by speaking of the Almighty God: “If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” Almighty God sent his Son into this world to die and to rise again so that your agony would be temporary.
This world is full of agony; however, the Almighty has bliss in store for the next life: Revelation 21:1-4. As you look at the agony in your life, remember that no matter how bad your agony might be—and this life can be hard—Almighty God gave up his only Son so that your suffering would be temporary.
Advocate
Yes, life is full of agony, but Jesus Christ, your Advocate, intercedes for you. That’s what Paul said: “Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.” The Greek verb for “intercede” is in the present tense, and that means that Jesus Christ, your advocate, is interceding for you this very second. He never stops his interceding: Jesus “is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them” (Heb 7:25).
Know this: When all of hell assails you—when you have more agony than you can humanly bare—Jesus Christ stands before God’s throne and says, “He (or she) is mine, covered in my blood, and saved from the wrath to come.” That is how “You are a conqueror.”
Are you a conqueror this morning? Are you living faithfully in the Lord Jesus Christ?
This sermon was originally preached by Dr. Justin Imel, Sr., at Church of Christ Deer Park in Deer Park, Texas.