MORE THAN CONQUERORS!

 

Jesus lay down His life to conquer death, Hell and sin on the cross. All we gave up to be part of this victory is our impurity (self) which was never needed in the first place, it was like gold in the furnace that losses its dross. By this act, we are made more than conquerors!

 

However, challenges in form of tribulation, distress or persecution (famine, nakedness, peril or sword which falls into somewhere of the first three) will oppose you to make you renounce your allegiance to Christ. The good news is that any challenges God allows are to make you better, and God will not allow challenges that will destroy you!

 

Remember that you are in the world Jesus conquered on your behalf, so don’t be surprised if challenges raise their ugly heads against you but in all these challenges; trials, distress and persecution you are more than conquerors.

 

Jesus has this to say to you “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Tribulation is as certain as the next dawn. It is a promise. But these tribulations don’t stop us from trusting in God, they are more likely to cause us to cling to Him more closely. Sometimes that is the whole point of the challenges that we have.

 

Instead of God stopping all of our trials and tribulations,  He sometimes allows us to go through them because if the challenges are beyond our ability to handle, we have nowhere else to go but to Him. 

 

Like a couple in the hospital with their only child and the doctor came out and gave the dreadful news that the child’s condition is out of hand. They then have nowhere to go but to turn to God in prayer. They may have a lot of money but their money couldn’t help them at that moment. They then had to turn to God who is lovely, merciful and has the final say…

 

The heart of this topic is the words “through him who loved us”, in verse 37. We are brought to the awareness that it was never our strength that gets us through the storms. It was never our wisdom, that sees us through the dangerous schemes of the enemy. It was not our abilities that save us from our challenges but the ability, strength, and wisdom of Him (Christ) who loved us.

 

And with all of the pains and stress in those trials and tribulations, there is growth. Even naturally, we see that resistance increases strength.  Here, we are promised challenges, but what shall separate us from the love of Christ? Nothing. Life may go through one devastating trial after another and in the end, the person comes out better and tremendously blessed! 

 

Without faith in Jesus, we can not handle our trials and tribulations, make no mistake about that. As long as we are here on earth we must know that trials and tribulations will bring up their ugly head against us but through Christ who loves us we are more than conquerors 

 

In the case of persecution, anyone living a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted one way or another. ” Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. 2 Timothy 3:12

 

Those who don’t want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus, have nothing to worry about The world will love them. The world will embrace them and keep them as their own  “If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” John. 15:19 

 

Those who genuinely love Christ will have their good name slandered. There will be a point when people will either make false, damaging, or insulting statements about them because of their faith. The wickedness of the world can not stand the righteousness of God’s saints. 

 

The world will dig into your past to search for those forgiven sins, they will sift through your closets for some skeleton long since forgotten. Anything to portray you as a hypocrite, liar, Islamaphobic, hater or immoral.  Get used to it and get over it! The world is saying we will only tolerate you if you agree with us. 

 

However, anything they use to discourage and discredit us, we shall use to encourage and empower ourselves! We shall embrace their mockery. They may cause us tears but later we can turn and smile at God, and thank Him for their persecution.

 

Lastly, distress can be from anxiety and fears of the unknown! The Bible says,  “Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’  Isaiah 41:10

 

Fear brings anxiety and anxiety brings distress! Fear causes you to believe what the devil can do… Sometimes, distress from where the next meal is coming from, no money at home to keep the home running, news of terrorists in town, and news of a natural disaster are things you must get over with and trust God for your safety.

 

Whether in form of tribulations and trials, persecution and distress, we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.