Romans 8:37-39 ( NKJV )
Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
It is amazing how important the power of persuasion is in our society. In our study of walking by faith, we have touched on this before but I felt it was important to look at a real life person and see how persuasion impacted his life. Granted this person lived 2000 years ago, but people are people and what worked for him will work for you.
Paul starts this paragraph in Romans 8 with words that are famous to Christians. “We are more than conquerors.” We quote them, we confess them over our lives. We write songs with these words in them. They are a potent victory cry among those of us who consider ourselves born again Christians. I believe they are just that, however do we understand them.
We will often give testimonies of how we have overcome circumstances, been healed from diseases, gained victory over sin or seen relationships healed and end them with the good confession, “I am more than a conqueror through Christ!” There is nothing wrong with that, but lets look at Paul’s testimony. Here it is in verse 35-36.
Romans 8:35-36 ( NKJV )
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
This can’t be right. What kind of testimony is that? It doesn’t say he was delivered from those things. We know from scripture he went through them. I guess you could say that making it through alive was a victory, but it’s not the kind I really want. What are we to make of this? Should we just assume that this means we are called to take what life throws at us and accept it? I don’t believe that’s Paul’s message. What is it then?
Paul was more than a conqueror inwardly. He could go through these trials and emerge victorious because he was persuaded of something. Nothing could convince Him that God did not love him. Two days ago we talked about this as one of the foundational truths of faith. If we don’t believe this we can’t walk by faith. Paul was convinced of it. He was persuaded that none of the things He went through meant God didn’t love him.
Why is this so important? If you are persuaded of this truth you judge life and circumstances by it. Most Christians, if confronted with the circumstances Paul describes would conclude that God was angry with them or they had sinned. Some might actually believe that God did not love them or get angry with God. Paul simply could not see it that way.
His statement is interesting in that he concludes he cannot be separated from the love of God. Nothing come between him and God’s love. Whatever happens, the love of God is still in play in his life. In the end that love will get him where he needs to be and cause him to triumph. He is more than a conqueror because nothing can defeat him, even when it looks like a defeat. He just won’t see it as one. He is persuaded that this defeat cannot separate him from God’s love so in the end it must be a victory.
So much of life is determined by what we are persuaded of. We see the world through that prism. I have said this same thing in a number of different ways over the last few months because it is so pivotal to what we are trying to build. I must be persuaded that the Word of God is true. I must be persuaded that God loves me. I must be persuaded that God is involved in my life. I must be persuaded that faith is the answer. I must see myself this way or I cannot walk by faith instead of sight.
How do I become persuaded. The Word coupled with fellowship with the Holy Spirit. If we won’t make these things priority we will be persuaded by what we see physically. If we make the Word of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit priority we will change our persuasion. It is simple. It will take time. It is the only answer that will last.
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