More than conquerors

If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died-- more than that, who was raised-- who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? . . .

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. -Romans 8:31-39

More than conquerors. What a strange phrase! When I read this over the weekend, I wondered what Paul could possibly mean here. How can you be better off than the best? Then two truths hit me. First, no human is a conqueror 100% of the time. We all have failures, and usually more failures than successes. But in Christ we are always victors; He has achieved the ultimate success on our behalf, and once in Him, we can lay claim to His righteousness forever. And second, a conqueror only succeeds when he gets what he wants. A Christian, however, is well off no matter what. Tribulation, famine, sword, and death can all easily get in the way of a conqueror's agenda, yet they pose no threat whatsoever to a Christian's peace.

Today I give thanks for the blessing of being "more than a conqueror."