We Overwhelming Conquer

Introduction

There is certainly something to be said for a song that young children will sing at the top of their lungs. That was special. And Dean definitely got the memo on this morning’s lesson as we have sung several songs about the warfare that we are engaged in as the people of God. I want to welcome everyone. We have visitors from crazy far places today. It’s Come Visit Family Weekend. And so we are glad that all of you have come our way today. And this weekend has been quite the busy weekend. I’m feeling a little tired this morning, but it’s a good tire. As I agreed at Steve Garrett’s urging to preach Friday night and Saturday afternoon at Bel Air in Houston. And they also had a singing on Saturday afternoon with the likes of a young man named Mark Parson, who is an excellent song leader, and Glenn Tomlin and Tim Stevens all came in for the singing.

In fact, I was sitting there thinking as the singing was going on, this is the best singing I’ve ever been in my life. And then Sherry, not two minutes later, leans over and whispers to me, this is the best singing I’ve ever been in. And so it must have been good if we both had the same thought. In fact, we sang, You Are My Strength. And I don’t know what it is about that song, but the last two times it has really gotten to me. I couldn’t get through the first verse. I am sitting there crying, and I thought, I’ve got to pull myself together. I’ve got a sermon to preach here very shortly. But it was a wonderful weekend, and I’m so glad none of you came yesterday.

I know there were a lot of things going on, and you’re chasing children, and there were birthday parties and all of that, and I understand that you couldn’t make it. But I’m going to preach that sermon for you. That was brand new. In a week, first week of November, I’m going to have a crazy busy week. I’m going to spend two days in Bider and two days in Fort Worth. And so then I’m going to have to come back and preach. So I’m going to reserve that sermon, that new lesson. Those that were there Friday night heard an old repeat. But you do get extra credit for coming. Well, not you, Jerry, but Lauren does. And of course, those who were with them. Good to see you this morning.

We’re going to take two chapters of the Bible and time together this morning. And the connection I have not made in the past. And we’re going to read quite a bit out of each chapter and then make a few observations and we’ll be done. We’re going to start in the book of Romans this morning. Actually, the thoughts of Romans chapter 8 proceed from thoughts he’s already delivered in chapter 7 in what I think is one of the most challenging sections of Romans, the last 10 to 12 verses of Romans chapter 7, when Paul is talking about the things that he wished to do that he did not do and all of that. I don’t have all the answers to that text, to tell you the truth.

1. There Is Therefore Now No Condemnation

But I know where he’s going with it. When he concludes in verse 24 of Romans 7, wretched man that I am. Who will deliver me from this body of death? As Paul is describing his wretchedness of trying to live righteously but failing under a system of law. And the result of that being his wretched, sinful condition. He looks for deliverance. And he says, beginning in Romans 8 and verse 1, in that very powerful verse, there is therefore now. In contrast to what he has just described in chapter 7, he says, there is therefore now no condemnation. For those who are in Christ Jesus. If in this audience this morning you are a person who is in Christ, the richness of Romans 8 and verse 1 must not escape you.

What was condemnation under a system of law, under a system of justification by faith, there is now therefore no condemnation. It is the law of the Spirit of life, not death, the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus that has set us free. And therefore he concludes.

But instead, because we are the redeemed of God, because we are in Christ Jesus, we set our minds on the things of the Spirit of God. And thus we are indwelt by God. Oh, not literally so. God has not literally come to dwell inside of our bodies, but we have surrendered control to him. We are under his influence and in his domain. The Spirit indwells us as the word governs our lives. Jesus Himself indwells us. Christ in you is the hope of glory. Colossians 1 verse 27. And some of the results of that. We’re the sons of God. The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit. The way that we think, the way that we live, our conduct, all of that bears witness to who really is in control now.

That we are in Christ Jesus. That Jesus is our King. And we who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. And we are more than that. We are heirs. And there’s nothing not to like about such a statement. We have an inheritance, Peter says in 1 Peter chapter 1, and we’re going to 1 Peter 1 a little bit later on this morning. We have an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled reserved in heaven for you. We are heirs and joint heirs with Christ. He says in this context of Romans chapter 8. But everything that is on the earth, well, it’s still a place dominated by sin. And people suffer. And the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared to the glory that shall be revealed to us.

And we need to keep that firm in our thoughts. We are the heirs of God. And whatever sufferings and difficulties that we face, nothing, it is nothing, it is this low compared to the glory that is going to be revealed to us ultimately. And we are saved, he says in Romans 8 and verse 24. We are saved by hope. And with perseverance, we eagerly wait for it. But that’s not all. If that’s not enough, we who have been elevated from the depths and destruction and imprisonment of sin from our wretchedness and have now found the life, the law of the Spirit of life which is in Christ Jesus, who are setting our minds on things above, who are dwelt by God, a habitation of God in the Spirit that we’ll sing about in a moment.

The sons of God. Join heirs with Christ. Saved by hope. If that’s not enough, the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf. With groanings too deep for words. Not everybody sees that verse the way I’ve just read it, in Romans chapter 8 and verse 26. When it talks about sometimes we don’t know how to pray as we ought. But I really believe that is the thought of Romans chapter 8 and verse 26. Some have some convoluted way of approaching that has our spirits groaning and doing something. But it’s the Holy Spirit that’s interceding for us in Romans chapter 8 and verse 26. And not only does the Holy Spirit intercede for us, but Jesus intercedes for us. And one of the rich verses of this text, God did not spare verse 32, his own son.

But delivered him up for us all. How will he not also with him freely give us all things? And when you read that, he who did not spare his own son, I want you to put in a mental picture in your mind, Genesis 22. Abraham sacrificing his son Isaac. And of course, he was spared, and the ram was provided in the thicket. But a time was coming when the Son would not be spared. I think Romans 8, verse 32 has that Genesis 22 story written all over it, that he might freely give us all things. Mike read a passage this morning in 1 Corinthians 2 and verse 12. The Holy Spirit revealed the mind of God that we might know the things freely given to us by God.

2. In All These Things We Overwhelmingly Conquer

And that’s what this whole context is about. And so as we come to this final section, we come to the great conclusion of how blessed we are to be living lives of faith in a system of justification by faith. Who will bring a charge against God’s elect? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Verse 35. Tribulation. Distress.

You ever have any of that? Persecution. Famine. Well, we don’t have any of that, at least not now. Nakedness, peril, sword. For as it is written, for thy sake, we are being put to death all day long. We are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all of these things, we overwhelmingly conquer. I love the New American Standard rendering of that. We overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. And what this passage is telling us is that there is no force that is too great or too formidable to disrupt our relationship to God.

The very things to which many people succumb and allow their faith to be shipwrecked. The very things to which many succumb are not powerful enough in themselves to defeat us. And that’s what Romans chapter 8 is saying. And this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith. 1 John chapter 5 and verse 4. There is no government strong enough. There is no threat big enough. Not even that which emanates from the spiritual realm. Not anything in the past. Not anything in the future. Not even anything in the present. Not even death. Not even nukes. Not even Obamacare.

While this truth is firm and reliable. It is difficult not to waver when things in life threaten. And when our circumstances become greatly menacing. So how do we remain firm? In the midst of the onslaught of the evil one. And that’s why we’re having this study about how to resist Satan. And we see all the ways that he attacks us and all the thinking and the philosophy and the machinery that he set in motion in the world to discourage us and disrail us. Make up a word, derail us. Derail disrail. You get the idea. We’re off the rails. He has all of these mechanisms in place to destroy us. But this passage in Romans chapter 8 says, we have victory. And when you embrace that. Embrace that by faith.

3. Here's How We Survive

In the way that Romans chapter 8 is saying, we need to live. But there is also help in another text that fits right in line with what is being said by Paul in Romans chapter 8. And it was written by John in what we sometimes call the apocalypse. As he was writing toward the end of the first century to believers who are struggling with outside threats and forces. Many have died for what they believe. Many more will die.

And there’s a passage in the midst of a wonderful context of Revelation chapter 12. And so here’s what I’m tying together this morning Romans 8 and Revelation 12. And I mentioned this in Bible class recently, and Sherry said you need to preach a sermon on this, so here we go. So again, if this doesn’t work out, it’s sharing fault. Revelation chapter 12 and verse 11. Here’s how. Here’s how we survive. Even though these things are not powerful enough, and yet so often can derail us spiritually. Here’s how we do it. It says, and they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb. And because of the word of their testimony. And they did not love their life. Even to death.

We should not be surprised by troubles and conflict. As though some strange thing is happening to us. As the words of Peter say in 1 Peter chapter 4 and verse 12 of the fiery ordeal that those brethren were experiencing. You want to talk about passages that they needed to think about, those that Peter was addressing. Romans chapter 8 and Revelation chapter 12. Let’s not be surprised when things seem to be dismantling all around us, and our world is caving in. And there are frustrations and disappointments and sadness that grips our souls. And we say, how are we going to survive? This is how.

Why? Because in Genesis chapter 3 and verse 15, when sin entered the world, there was conflict between his seed and her seed. The seed of woman and the seed of the serpent. And he shall nip at his heels, but you shall bruise his head. That’s the whole Bible story in one verse. Genesis 3 and verse 13. Jesus dies on the cross. That’s the nipping at the heels. And he bruises and crushes the head and power of Satan by his death and resurrection from the dead. And the whole Bible story is about Genesis 3 15 and how that works out, and all the conflict and troubles, and God working out his plan and overcoming the evil. So we shouldn’t be surprised. And we come to Revelation chapter 12, and there’s war.

Michael and the archangel versus the great red dragon that is Satan. I love Revelation 12. I don’t know how many sermons I have on Revelation 12. The great red dragon whose tail sweeps away a third of the stars of heaven. I want to tell you that’s that’s powerful, scary, frightening image that’s being drawn for John here. And he wants to devour the man child. But he doesn’t get that done. The man child is caught up as we saw thee not, but we believe as he ascended to the sky, as we have sung this morning. The man child was caught up to his throne. But here’s the thing.

4. They Overcame Him by the Blood of the Lamb

And he breathes all of his hatred and destruction and trouble upon her. Saints are dying. And it says, they overcame him. We miss something in the translation here. Stott in his commentary in Revelation chapter 12 suggests that by the use of the heiress tense and an emphatic pronoun, that this is a very pronounced thing that he is saying when he says, and they overcame him. And this is the same way that we must overcome every force that is opposed to the will and righteousness of God. The only way to gain victory. Number one, they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. What is that saying? It says that salvation is of God. And that’s important. Any conditions that we are required to meet in order to receive the salvation of God does not trump the fact that this is salvation.

Though our souls are purified in obedience to the truth, 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22, it says that we are born again, not of corruptible seed, but that which is incorruptible, the living and abiding word of God. We come into Christ because of the work of God. Being baptized is it’s not like buying fire insurance. It’s not like circumcision in the Old Testament, where you became an Israelite by some fleshly ceremonial writer passage. That’s not what baptism is. Baptism is a reflection of me dying to myself and living for him. There’s a deafness taking place, a death to sin and a death to self, and a rising to walk in newness of life. It is God saving us. It’s an appeal to God for a clean conscience.

1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 22.

5. By the Word of Their Testimony

And we must never forget that as we are baptized into Christ, we are baptized into his death, and thus our redemption is the result of the precious blood of a lamb. Without spot and without blemish. And we are released from our sins by the blood of Christ. Revelation chapter 1 and verse 5. Alive to you, dead to me. Liberated by the blood of Christ. We must never forget the precious price that was paid so that we could be delivered from the wretchedness of sin and a selfish course. And they overcame him by the word of their testimony. That’s not just the things that they believed. But those things that they believed emanated from their lips. This has to do with the things that they believed that became their confession of life.

He who confesses me before men, him will I also confess before my Father who is in heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 10 and verse 32, but he who denies me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven. Verse 33. Because they were redeemed by the blood of the Lamb. The word of their testimony dictated their confession. This was a message they both trusted in and proclaimed. And this testifies to the truthfulness of John 6 63, when Jesus says, the flesh profits nothing, but my words are spirit and they are life. Living consistently and speaking consistently with his words, heal the inner man in producing spiritual life. And no power is strong enough to tear that away from us. But like the people we read about in Revelation chapter 12, the ongoing effectiveness of this word depends on our response.

6. They Did Not Love Their Lives Even Unto Death

In 1 Corinthians 15, 1 and 2, I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preach to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, and by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word, hold fast the word, which I have taught to you, which I have preached to you, unless you believed in vain. Everyone we lose to the forces of Satan are people who lose sight of their testimony, the things that they have professed in Christ, the things that they have believed, things that are the anchor for our souls by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives even unto death. They overcame because they did not cherish even physical life above their allegiance to the Lord.

And that, my friends, is the very reason why so many falter. They love their lives more than they love the Lord. That’s it. Not only to the extent that they would not die for what they believe, but that they exalt many selfish wants and desires above the call of righteousness. What did Jesus say about discipleship in Luke 14? If you love father and mother more than me, you cannot be my disciple. And he says, What? Yea, even your own life. If you love even your own life more than me, you cannot be my disciple. Well, how did these folks overcome? Because they love their lives even unto death. The watered down 21st century version, and I must read this to you. I can still serve me above everything and everyone else and claim to love Jesus at the same time.

That’s what 18 hypens. I can still, this is the watered down 21st century version. I can still serve me above everything and everyone else and claim to love Jesus at the same time. It will not work.

This is about when push comes to shove, self reigns over Jesus.

Conclusion

And that’s not victory. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb. And by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives even unto death. The recipe for our perseverance and being saved by hope. Romans chapter 8 and verse 24. Have you embraced the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus while there’s time and opportunity? And if you need to respond, we bid you come as we stand and sing.