Today I begin my study of the final verses of Romans 8. At “The Way Assembly” we have been working our way through that marvelous chapter for several months. Now, we come to the conclusion. It begins with Paul’s final questions: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?” [Rom 8:35 NIV]
His answer for those questions is the summit of Chapter 8, perhaps the summit of the entire Book of Romans. It may even be called the summit of the entire Bible. In Paul’s response he will also remind us that God’s love doesn’t just make us survivors (even when we face death all day long like sheep led to slaughter). God’s love makes us thrivers! He uses the term “more than conquerors.” “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” [Rom 8:37 NIV]
Too often we are just looking for ways to survive the difficulties and trials that come to us as Christians. Our Lord wants us to be more than survivors; He also wants us to be more than conquerors. He wants us to find that abundant life in Him even amid trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword! Paul had faced every one of these things (except the sword) when he wrote this, so he knew of what he wrote. And he also knew that the sword was in his future and when the time came for his martyrdom, he would be more than a conqueror.
Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword remain in this life, they cannot pass through the grave of a believer. They are rendered powerless forever and abandoned when a follower of Christ enters the presence of the Lord. The abundant life, the “more than conquerors” life goes with us and will find its fulfilment and greatest expression when we see our Savior face to face. Amen!
