Are there lies that we’ve heard from the enemy and allowed ourselves to accept them as fact? I know I have done so before. If you, like me, accepted the devil’s lies, it is time for us to reclaim God’s truth. Consider Today’s Holy Nougat.
Romans 8:37 NIV
[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.
More than … through Christ
One of the earliest concepts I learned was comparison. I was able to determine more and less. It’s not one of those concepts that I recall having learned in the classroom, it was one of those things that was already ingrained, perhaps before I could count. Parents and carers often ask children of they want/need more milk or formula while feeding them, and the concept remains with us. Some of us weren’t able to define it when we grasped it, but we learned that knowing the difference affected us in good and bad times. (You see, I also recall more being part of the Q & A during punishment, as I got into my fair share of mischief). On the whole however, ‘more’ is associated with positive memories, especially since more often meant extra treats.
Self-Check
Do we readily think of more in a positive way?
Dogging Deeper
The Roman Church had so much to learn about the faith. They were faced with struggles within and without. Paul provided them with the relevant tools to help them understand the tenets of their new faith. He covered many issues, like sin and grace, tribulations and patience, and overcoming trials.
Here, in what we know as the eighth chapter, Paul assures the Roman believers of God’s lovingkindness, assuring them that grace removes God’s condemnation. He does not at all suggest that actions carry no consequences. Not at all. But the assurance of no condemnation meant others shouldn’t judge or call names.
That’s what makes the issue of more so critical. For, among the common lies many of us have imbibed from the devil is the notion that we are loses incapable of living a successful life as a believer. As one who has sinned and fallen short of God’s glory, that was a lie I struggled to put aside. I recall being afraid for years to get baptized because the devil had convinced me that I wouldn’t even make it to the altar to confess my faith in Christ publicly. It literally took counselling from my pastor – who couldn’t understand why I seemed to be a believer, but hadn’t made that next step. He helped me see that in Christ there was more life, and I was more than a conquerer.
For others, the fear of disappointing God has held them bound. Worried that they will succumb to sin, they’ve also determined that they will not take the bold step of faith. But, if there’s no condemnation, it means that though we’re not sinless, we sin less because of God’s Spirit living inside us. In essence, we have better self control and we’re therefore able to conquer sin.
So you see siblings, we are not losers. In Christ, we are more than conquerors because we not only have greater capacity to sin less, but we also have Christ and God’s Spirit praying for our forgiveness when we sin. And that was explained earlier in Romans 8:26. That’s the extra that takes us further than the capacity to overcome sin.
When the devil tries to tell us about our past, let’s assure the devil of our present status: We’re not losers, we are more than conquerorsbecause Y’shua loves us and God’s Spirit lives in us.
Point to Ponder
When faced with the question from God, ‘Do you want more (life, love, grace power to overcome) through Christ?’, how shall we respond?
Praise Break
In case we need reminding, here are a few songs to keep us going
