TDW 12-08-08: We Are More Than Conquerors

By: Jerome Case
(We Are More Than Conquerors)

Key Scriptures:

Matthew 5:10
5Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness

Romans 8:35-37
35Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
36As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered."
37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Commentary:

Over the past few months, many Christians feel like the world has been coming down on them. Some people are experiencing trouble at work and in their home because of their faith. In fact, an air of hopelessness, frustration and anger has gripped the Christian community due to the media’s attacks regarding church funding, marriage definition and church’s prophetic voice. Believers are feeling pressed on all sides and divided in their communities over issues of homosexuality, abortion, bailouts, and diversity. Coupled with the chaos of two pseudo-religious wars going and the current economic uncertainty, people almost feel entitled to be frustrated. As such, we are questioning, “Where is God?” “What is God’s plan for us in the midst of these troubled times?”

Subsequently, many Christians feel like melting under the fire or cracking under the pressure or just giving up and letting the chips fall where they may. Some Christians want to just check out mentally, because they are working their fingers to the bone just to get it right, only to have the doctrinal truths snatched from our grasp by the legal institution. Many of Christians are hearing and believing words like failure, loser, judgmental, self-righteous, sinner and wrong, prefaced by the words “You are.” As such, persecution has pushed many to the doorways of depression, anger, fear, low self-esteem and low faith.

Christians are focusing on what the enemy and society is negatively saying about what we are, instead of what God has said to us and is saying about His children. In times of trouble, we seem to forget that God is the author of our lives, not the issues that we face. God is the wind beneath our wings, not the voices of detractors. God knew us before the foundations of the earth and His hands have been upon our lives before we graced the wombs of our mothers.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, we must understand that Jesus make it clear that following Him has its price. Christians should expect rejection and persecution in their families and at their jobs especially if they are witnessing. Jesus even discussed the cost of following him to his disciples, knowing that they would be excommunicated from the Jewish temples; suffer persecution or martyrdom by the Roman government.

Early followers of Christ experienced persecution at the hand of Emperor Nero in the First Century. Emperor Nero had Christians killed by dogs, crucified them, and burned them to light his garden parties. He condemned Christians for refusing to worship him as a god, and blamed them for the burning of Rome in A.D. 64. Nero had Peter crucified upside down and Paul beheaded. The world’s animosity and the Evil One’s hate towards Christians had not changed.

As such, today’s Christians can expect to face difficulties, be rejected by friends based on moral matters. Some Christians will lose their job because they will not condone or participate in illegal and unethical activities. Other Christians will be persecuted for evangelizing in their community. Some Christians will be slandered by their own hometown and family. Yet, just because God does not intervene in the persecution, does not mean He is not around in support.

Therefore, if God is for us who can be against us? How dare we let the issues of this world take us down to a mindset that is beneath our calling as heirs to the throne! We are more than conquerors even in the face of persecution, because Jesus conquered the death of sin and gave us the gift of the Holy Spirit. As such, no issue, no trial, no person, no devil or demon on earth has the authority to hold us down below our God given, sacrificial blood washed privilege to live an abundant life. We are more than conquerors, because God is our Father and if the Father has access to peace, clarity, healing, provision, and redemption, then so do we. We have access to God even in the midst of the storms and persecution of life.

We are more than conquerors, because God gave us access to His heart; all we have to do is call on Him in prayer and believe in faith that He will deliver. We are more than conquerors because God cannot fail and He did not create us to fail no matter what the outcome looks like! We have to start living in the fullness of knowing that we belong to God and that He is our victory. As such, Christians have to believe that whatever comes our way, we can take courage in knowing that God’s power is sufficient and able to help us at all times. God’s power is the reason we are alive today, the reason we woke up this morning and the reason we are more than conquerors.