Romans 8 (Pt )

Romans 8:36 (ESV)

[36] As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

[37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

We are killed all day long, yet we are more than conquerors. How is that possible? Conquerors live. Losers die. Conquerors conquer. Losers get conquered. Conquerors prevail. Losers are vanquished. Yet Romans 8:37 says that those who are as sheep to be slaughtered are not only conquerors, they are “more than conquerors.” That phrase, “more than conquerors,” is one Greek word, hypernikomen, super conquerors, hyper-conquerors. Or as the HELPS word-study puts it, “completely and overwhelmingly victorious.”

How is it that those who are led to slaughter can be considered hyper-conquerors? The answer comes in the next two verses. We are loved by God (vs 37), and nothing can possibly separate us from his love for us. Neither death nor life can separate us from God’s love. We are conquerors because losing this life is gain. Or as Paul put it in Philippians 1:21, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Neither death nor life can separate us from God’s love. Neither angels nor rulers, human or supernatural, can separate us from God’s love. Spiritual warfare is real. Angels and demons are real. But they are only created beings who are totally incapable of causing God to stop loving us. There is nothing good or bad, worldly or other-worldly, that can possibly separate us from the love of God because as believers we are in Christ, and God cannot possibly stop loving Christ. He therefore cannot possibly stop loving us.

In the dark times of life it is common to begin wondering where God is. Has he abandoned us? Has he turned against us? Has he stopped loving us? It is in those times that we need to recall the truth of Romans 8:18, “The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” It is in those times that we need to remember God’s promise to never leave or forsake us (Heb 13:5). It is those times that we need to recall the words of Hebrews 13:6, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?”

Though we are led as lambs to the slaughter we are hyper-conquerors because God’s love for us is not limited to this life. Our hope does not end with the grave. He is our helper. He is our sustainer. In Christ we have the assurance that God is faithfully developing the image of Christ in us and nothing can hinder him from that purpose. His love for us will never fade because as believers we are in Christ and Christ is God.  The Father abandoned his Son on the cross so that he might never abandon those who are in Christ. Believers are risen with Christ to new life. Death no longer has a hold on us. In Christ we are completely and overwhelmingly victorious come what may.