Living the Conquering Life
Romans: Unashamed - Building the Church through the Gospel • Sermon • Submitted
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This life is difficult. And seems to be more challenging than ever.
4000 live lost in Russia’ war against Ukraine.
Covid, Monkeypox, cancer, heart disease and a myriad of other ailments plague our land and our world.
21 lives lost in the Uvalde, Texas shooting.
Divorce, even among Christians is rampant
Spousal abuse is blight on our culture.
Abortion
Pornography
Homelessness
Mental health challenges
Not to mention anxiety, depression, and hopelessness are plaguing our country - even our state.
Life is difficult. It is challenging. Life is dangerous.
How are we supposed to live when these things I listed are our normal? How can we keep from becoming paralyzed in fear or despair?
Well, consider the passage we are going to look at this morning. In this passage there is a key word that should really bolster you.
The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament 5245. ὑπερνικάω hupernikáō
ὑπερνικάω hupernikáō; contracted hupernikṓ, fut. hupernikḗsō, from hupér (5228), more, and nikáō (3528), to conquer, overcome. To more than conquer, utterly defeat (Rom. 8:37).
You are a Super Conqueror!
But if that’s the case, it sounds like all the conquering is up to me! And I have a hard enough time making my bed in the morning, let alone Conquering the challenges of this life.
ENCOUNTER
Main Idea - The Key To Conquering the Challenges of Life is Resting in Your God!
1. Rest in God’s Love for You (vs. 35-37)
Explain - I’m not sure if you have thought much about this lately, but God LOVES you!!
You are His beautiful creation. He has places tremendous value on you for many theological reasons,
There are several ideas I want to pull out of these verses and the first one we see is...
A Great Question - Take a look at a rhetorical question in which the implications are beyond your wildest comprehension.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
Is there anyone that is able to SEPARATE us from the “agape” love of Jesus? To SEPARATE means “to pull apart.” Is it possible to pull apart something that an all-powerful God has ahold of? The answer is NO!! There is no one powerful enough to thwart the plans of God.
But to make sure, Paul starts a list of possible candidates that could put God and his children apart from one another.
Shall...
Tribulation (Trouble) - A word that is used when pressing olives for olive oil. This is specifically speaking of the pressure of following Jesus.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Distress (Hardship) - Narrowness, Being pressed or hemmed in.
The Epistle to the Romans 6. The Christian’s Triumph Song, 8:31–39
Hendriksen holds that the combination of the two words means outward affliction plus inward distress.
Persecution - Pursuit, particularly of enemies, hostile prosecution.
11 my persecutions and sufferings that happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, and at Lystra—which persecutions I endured; yet from them all the Lord rescued me.
Famine - Suffering hunger, want of food. Perhaps due to loss of income due to one’s faith.
Nakedness - destitute of convenient or decent clothing. Again, the cost of following Christ.
Danger - Peril
24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.
Sword - Martyrdom. Which Paul did eventually lose his life for the sake of the gospel.
6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.
“These things—stated in increasing intensity—do not separate Christians from Christ; instead they are part of the “all things” (Rom. 8:28) God uses to bring them to conformity to His Son.” - The Bible Knowledge Commentary (8:35–37)
The second idea I want to pull out of these verses is...
A Thorough Answer - What is the thorough answer? The answer is NO, but...
What does that mean? It means that nothing will separate you, but this life will be a challenge nonetheless.
And Paul proves his point by quoting Psalm 44:22
36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
Living the Christian life will bring all kinds of challenges as Paul has listed - including potential death.
But the one thing that you have that those challenges can never destroy is the Biblical reality that NOTHING WILL OR CAN SEPARATE you from the LOVE of God!
Christian, can I tell you something about yourself?
You are a SUPER conqueror -
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
As I said earlier, you are not just a conqueror, the greek phrase literally means...
“A compound Gr. word, which means to over-conquer, to conquer completely, without any real threat to personal life or health.” - The MacArthur Study Bible (Chapter 8)
Illustrate - “Sometimes God rescues us from things. Sometimes he rescues us out of things. And sometimes he change us in things. Let Him choose. He knows best.” - Tony Evans Study Bible, 1327.
Apply - Life is difficult! Life is exhausting. What can I do about this?
Rest in God’s love for you. How? How do I do this?
28 Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
Go to Jesus - Are you working for Jesus but not resting in him? How much time do you spend just silently rest in the Lord’s presence?
Take the Yoke of Jesus - What is the yoke of Jesus? Why should you take it? How do you take it?
Yoke = submission
Submitting to Jesus leads to everlasting life!
repentance and faith in Christ alone for your salvation and sanctification.
Learn from Jesus - What is there to learn from Jesus? Simply this. He wholly and completely trusted His heavenly Father!
Review - The Key To Conquering the Challenges of Life is Resting in Your God!
Rest in God’s Love for You
Transition -
2. Rest in God’s Connection to You (vs. 38-39)
God is connected to you.
He established this connection to you at your salvation!
He is responsible for the connection to you during your sanctification!
He will remain connected to you in your glorification!
And remember, if this connection were up to you, you would never remain connected.
But because He pursued you and connected to you through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, you can face any and all the challenges and difficulties this life throws at you with Great confidence.
The God who is connected with you, loves you with an everlasting love and He will NEVER leave you NOR forsake you!!!
Don’t believe me? Then believe the Word of God...
Look at these next words of Paul...
38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Paul is sure, he is certain that nothing will seperate you christian, from the love of God.
Isn’t that amazing to think about.
In human relationships there always seems to be some threshold for separation.
In other words, we can eventually push people away from if you are odious enough.
But not with God!
And Paul uses examples of GREAT extremes to prove his point.
First, please notice that Paul says, “I am sure”
Other translations say, “I am convinced” - NIV or “I am persuaded” CSB.
The point? Paul in his tremendous understanding of the Bible (OT in particular), plus his unique interaction with the Lord, has caused him to have great certainty of the veracity of God’s love for him and His people.
Now look at the examples he gives and notice the all encompassing nature of them.
“For I am sure that...”
Death nor Life - extremes of existence. In either case believers are in the presence of God.
Angels nor Rulers - extremes of spiritual armies. An angel would not undo the love of God for his people and a demon could not.
Things Present nor Things to Come - extremes in time. There is nothing in the past, present, or the future that can seperate us from the love of God!
Powers - Spiritual enemies. Possibly referring to satan or government powers.
Height nor depth - extremes in space. Nothing from outer-space or from the depths of the earth can cut is off from the love of God.
anything else in all CREATION -
The Bible Knowledge Commentary 8:38–39
Absolutely nothing in His Creation can thwart His purpose for believers in Christ. What a climactic way to affirm the certainty of believers’ salvation!
None of the CREATED things have the power to seperate us from our Creator’s love.
Christian, what crisis are you facing today?
What hopeless situation has you stuck in despair?
What circumstance is washing anger, frustration, and irritation over you?
Don’t you realize that you are not alone!? God has not nor will He ever seperate himself from you! Ever!
YOU CAN REST IN THIS PRECIOUS REALITY!
Illustrate - Woman dives to her death from 150ft bungee jump bridge in Colombia after mistaking signal meant for her boyfriend as the instruction to leap - before she had a cord attached
Yecenia Morales, 25, jumped from a bridge in Amaga on July 22, 2021 to her death
The lawyer leaped without a cord attached after misunderstanding a signal
Her boyfriend is in a state of shock and suffered injuries racing down to her aid
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9813661/Woman-unattached-bungee-cord-jumps-death-hearing-signal-meant-boyfriend.html
Apply - Two things to consider.
Are you attached to God? If you are not you will plunge to your eternal death.
If you are attached to God, nothing will or can seperate you from Him. NOTHING!
Review - The Key To Conquering the Challenges of Life is Resting in Your God!
Rest in God’s Love for You
Rest in God’s Connection to You
Transition -
EMPOWER
Friends, this life is hard. We are inundated by situations and circumstances that bewilder and confound us.
There are times that I’m sure you would like to throw up your hands in defeat.
But as a follower of Christ, you must learn to look at this life through a very special and unique lens that is not available to all people. It is the lens of the Gospel.
What does this lens reveal? That God is for you and there is nothing you can do, as his child to change this fact.
He knows the worst about you and yet He loves you the most!
What?
And his love for you drove him to redeem you. To provide for you the opportunity to be a child of God.
And as you gaze through this lens you realize something quite profound - you are a super conqueror!
Gone are the days of mediocrity and mundane existence because you are a new creature in Christ...
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
And because of this, Christian, the time has come to put off anger and frustration, discouragement and despair at the inevitable challenge this sin cursed world will bring.
And instead we must put on confident joy knowing that we are super-conquerors because there isn’t one thing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Connection Group Reflection Questions