God’s Love that Makes Us More than Conquerors (Rom. 8:31-39)
Let us bless and greet one another, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” May the great grace of God be upon the four regional churches that are worshiping together with us. The title of today’s message is, “God’s Love that Makes Us More than Conquerors.” To be a conqueror means there is also a loser as well, however, it means, if you are within God’s love, you will conquer or win. So, when we talk about “win,” what is the standard of winning? Is this “conquering” so that I can get whatever I want? What are we winning, exactly? I hope you will find this answer from today’s Word and place it into your heart well.
1. God’s salvation
1) Chosen before salvation (Rom. 8:30)
(1) Called (Rom. 8:30)
(2) Justified (Rom. 8:30)
(3) Glorified (Rom. 8:30)
Last week, in the last verse, it said, “God has predestined,” He has chosen us from before time. He has called us, meaning God has called you. Those He called, He also justified, that means He has made you into His child. Those He justified, He also glorified, and “glorified” means, after we die, we will be resurrected with a resurrected body. That is “glorification.” “Glorified” talks about an event in the future, but here it is written in the past tense although we have not yet experienced it, but for God, it is already done, and this is how He will lead us.
However, as we are living our lives on this journey, how shall we live? The answer to that is in Rom. 8:28, “And we know that in all things, God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” This is the direction of everything, and we must find God’s intercession and His plan within this. What does it mean that God works all things for His purpose? In Rom. 8:29, He says, “For those who conform to the image of God.” Those who have been conformed to the image of His Son, Jesus, He has justified and glorified, and He will guide them. The real problem though, is how we must correctly interpret how God is guiding us on earth. Many of us have the wrong standard when we interpret things that happen. If our incorrect standards are corrected, then you will correctly see how God is guiding you.
We were born as sinners, separated from God, we were under the law of sin and death, meaning, all of our thoughts were full of sin and they opposed God. Instead, there was a different “good” and “evil” that I’ve set for myself, that is the problem that came to Adam and Eve who ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. What they see with their eyes is not the problem; their standard is the problem. But we don’t think that us having standards is the problem, we think that what we think is a problem is a problem, and that’s why we’re not able to interpret what God is doing. He works all things for His good purpose, that means, in everything that happens, God has allowed it to make us into the image of God. “Why did I meet this kind of husband or this kind of wife? I don’t want that.” Parents will say, “Why did God give me such a child who gives me such a heartache?” Children will say, “Why did God give me parents like this?”
What’s the standard in all of that? We are interpreting everything based on what I think is my correct standard. Whatever I think is right is not aligned with God. Even if we have 1% alignment with God, we wouldn’t be fully sinners, but we are created so that every part of us does not align with God because I am the standard of my life. Whatever I think is right is right; whatever I don’t like, I don’t like it, and with that kind of mindset, we cannot understand how God is leading all things for His good purpose. What I’m saying is that, you needed this kind of husband for you to rise spiritually before God. We have our standards of, “Our husband needs to be like this, this, and this,” but that’s not true. God gives us the husband we need in order to stand before God. I need this kind of wife for me to stand before God. And among your children, there may be some who are causing you distress. Why do you think God allowed that? It is so that, through the child, the parents can stand before God. God works in all things for His good purpose.
God does not make mistakes, and if you think that God is making a mistake, that means you do not trust or believe in God. People say, “If God is alive, why did He give me this?” What does that mean? It means, “I don’t want this,” so you’re living with your standards, and the reason I believe in Jesus is because I have a standard for my life that I want. I need this kind of husband or this kind of wife or this kind of kid in order for me to believe in Jesus, but that is a god you created for yourself. God is the Creator God. Even right now, He is moving and working in all creation, and whoever you have met, God has allowed that. The real problem is, we’re not able to see that God is working in all things to fulfill His good purpose. “I just don’t like this,” or, “I like that,” so you’re not able to see what God is doing. God is moving all of creation to make us into people of God.
You know Joseph, Joseph experienced things, his brothers tried to kill him, even though he believes in God. And one of his older brothers said, “Let’s sell him instead.” “How can something like this happen to somebody who believes in God?” Most people will think like that. But God has allowed that to happen. But we don’t want to believe that. We think, “The God I believe in will never allow my older brothers to kill me or sell me,” but you are misunderstanding God, you’re creating a god that you want. That is a demon, that is Satan. That is not God; that is a lie. The god I create is Satan, that’s an idol, you’re drawing your own world, and that’s not right. God has allowed this to happen to us, God makes Joseph go into slavery, and then he was unfairly accused by Potiphar’s wife and was imprisoned, and he stayed in prison for a long time before he was released, and later, he became the governor. What are all these things that are happening? This is the process of God working in all things for His good purpose. David was running for his life, trying to escape from King Saul for 12 years. God had already promised David to make him the king of Israel, “So why doesn’t He just make me king, why is He making me go through this pain?” God does not make mistakes; that was necessary. That was the incident that absolutely needed to happen to raise David into a king who stands before God. Do you acknowledge that? When you acknowledge this, then you will have peace, otherwise, you’re looking for another god, and the Bible tells us that if you are looking for a god that is not the one in the Bible, that is Satan, that is demons and idols.
2) Regarding these things (Rom. 8:31)
(1) What do we say? (Rom. 8:31)
Then, He says, “This work.” So, what is “this work” that he is talking about? The work that He has called us, justified us, and glorified us. It says, “What then shall we say?” God is going to lead us into that direction, what can we say about that?
(2) Who can be against us (Rom. 8:31)
If God is for us, who can be against us? God called us and He drags us towards glorification and righteousness; no one can block that. God has allowed our present reality in order for us to become like people of God, and no one can block that. When you face a problem, that problem is not the essential thing. You need to see the true essence, “How is God using this to make me into a person of God?” But instead, you complain, “Why is this problem happening?” That’s what Satan does. Satan prevents you from seeing the work God is doing. Even though you believe in God, Satan makes you leave God. Let’s say there’s a disease in your family, “How is that possible? I believe in God, how would He allow a disease?” God has a plan so that through this disease, you will become more of a person of God, but instead, you’re questioning why God allowed it, so we leave God spiritually. The essence is not the disease itself, then the true essence is finding and following God’s plan in the midst of this. But Satan makes you go outside of the true essence, Satan makes you completely bound into solving the problem or not, and that is how he completely destroys our spiritual state.
(3) God is for us (Rom. 8:31)
What is the problem you’re facing now? That is not the essence, because God promised us so that there is no one who can block the way God guides us. Whatever problem you’re facing cannot go against you. But instead of believing in God, you keep falling into your problems, why? Because you have another standard of what you want. Because of that incorrect standard, you keep falling into problems. Even if you don’t have a problem, you’re afraid of when a problem will come, then that’s not a walk of faith. What is a walk of faith, then? It is a promise that God will lead us according to the promise He has given us.
3) God
(1) Gave up His son for us all (Rom. 8:32)
In Rom. 8:32, “He Who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all.” A parent has a heart that can die for the child. That is the love of the parent. However, to even give your child up to die first? That’s impossible. Even if the child passes away before them, that is like a stake driven through the parent’s heart. But God sent His one and only Son to die, not only did He just die, but He sent Him to die? That is beyond what we can understand. God told Abraham to sacrifice his only son; that’s hard to do. It would even be better if God asked Abraham to kill himself or his wife, but instead, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son? That is too hard. But he does. At that time, the LORD stops him and says, “Now I know your heart.”
(2) With the son (Rom. 8:32)
What is our degree of love, what is the amount that you love God, and what is the amount with which God loves us? God loved us so much that he sent His one and only Son to die for us, and so, this God, how will He also, along with His Son, graciously give us all things?
(3) Gave all things (Rom. 8:32)
He even gave us His Son, and as God’s plan of salvation is getting carried out, He will give us everything; there is nothing we lack. He even gave us His Son, what else would He possibly hold back from us? Do you acknowledge that God? Do you know and believe in this God? The Bible says, “My people are being destroyed because of their ignorance of God.” We have a god we created by our own imagination; he is not from the Bible, then you are using the word, “God,” but that is not God; that is Satan and evil spirits, that is an idol, it’s something you created yourself. The God of the Bible says, “I have given you My one and only Son, and I will give you anything,” and there is not a single one who can go against God’s plan that He is carrying out.
2. Those chosen by God
1) Who can bring any charge (Rom. 8:33)
Rom. 8:33, “Who can bring any charge against those He has chosen?” “Bringing a charge” means to accuse someone, and there is only one entity that accuses, and that is Satan, the devil. Satan, the devil, will accuse mankind of their sins to God, and because God is a God of justice, the Word of God is the law and He must punish sin against that law. That’s why we call God, “a God of Order.” If there were no laws in America, then the most violent and abusive people would live the best lives here, and the entire world would not have no order; it would be in a state of chaos. God carries out justice and He does this according to His Word.
He then says, “YOU have sinned,” and Satan is the one who brings this law, this charge to us before God. Yes, God is a God of justice, but He is also a God of love, so He forgives us and then raises us up correctly. So if God says we are righteous, then who can charge us of sin? The way Satan attacks people the most is by making people feel guilty. If you go to the mental hospital, then all of them are very nice and kind, so for people to be “nice” is not good. Then, does that mean you should be mean? That’s not what I’m saying; I’m saying we must believe in Christ. What happens if you’re too nice? The devil oppresses you with guilt and you just agree to that and follow the devil. That’s why, when you go to the mental hospital, all of them are very nice, because those people who are mean are not oppressed by Satan’s guilt trip, so when people say, “My kid is so nice,” they’re going to be so easily manipulated by Satan because Satan will tell your kid, “Look at this bad thing you did, oh, no one else did this, but you want to do that, don’t you?” and your child will say, “Oh, that’s right,” and be so oppressed. So, the devil can no longer accuse us in front of God; however, the devil will keep tricking us with his lies and make us feel guilty. Every time Satan does that, hold onto, “Christ has made me righteous through the cross.” And the devil will keep accusing you, “You’re sinning now, you did this to somebody else, you’re thinking like this now,” and the devil will keep hitting our hearts like that. and if you fall down to that, you will be dragged by Satan away.
Without a doubt, God says, “No one can bring charges against you,” because He has declared on the cross that anyone who believes in Christ has no sin, but what happens? I sin again, “even though I believe in Jesus, what do I do? By the Lord’s standard, you are regarded as sinless. Then what do you do with somebody like that? God gives them grace and God guides them forward, so don’t worry. That is up to God; He is the Shepherd. The reason why you have such a hard time understanding that is because you have your own standard of justice. You’re so forgiving of yourself but you cannot forgive anyone else. That’s your own justice. For yourself, you have unlimited forgiveness, you have a lot of forgiveness for yourself, but for other people, no mercy,” That’s the problem, that’s why the Lord says, “Sinless.” Then the devil runs away. Even if we do fall into sin, the Lord says, He has crucified our sin on the cross, then do you think people will change? It’s been promised, “I will change this person into the image of God,” that’s why there’s nobody who can accuse you. Who can bring a charge against you? You need to have this firmly to cast out Satan.
People who are suffering from addiction, “I didn’t want to do it, but I did it again,” then later on, we give up. “It’s hopeless for me,” it doesn’t matter. Again, hold onto the covenant of Christ. The Lord has forgiven me, the Lord is with me even now, the Lord is guiding me, and God will make me glorified,” that’s the way to win. You want to set your mind on something? That doesn’t work. We go forward in faith, based on the evidence of what God has already done for us.
(1) Satan’s charge – High Priest Joshua (Zech. 3:1-9)
Who can judge us? No one because Christ Jesus Who died, more than that, Who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God, and is interceding for us. In Zechariah 3, there was a high priest named Joshua, and the high priest is the one who is supposed to sacrifice the animals to atone for the sins of the Israelites. However, the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon for 70 years, so Satan accuses the high priest Joshua to God, saying, “Look at him, he is a high priest, but his clothes are dirty, and he has not given a sacrifice to you, even once.” And then in Zachariah 3:4, God says, “Take off his filthy clothes,” and He says, “I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”
(2) Satan’s accusation – Job (Job 1:6-12)
(3) God justifies (Rom. 8:33)
2) Who condemns? (Rom. 8:34)
(1 Jesus Christ – Intercede (Rom. 8:34)
(2) In Jesus Christ – No condemnation (Rom. 8:1)
Then in a later verse, He says, “I will take away your future sin as well, so walk in obedience with me.” In the Old Testament, God did not forgive sins, He just covered them up. However, Jesus Christ dying on the cross and resurrecting has forgiven our sins. In the Old Testament, Satan keeps on accusing us to God. But Jesus Christ has already paid the price for sin, and He is seated at the right hand of the throne of heaven, and He is interceding for us continuously.
(3) Liberated from the law (Rom. 8:2)
The Holy Spirit is groaning and is praying for us, for what? God is doing all of this so that we can go down His journey of salvation that He has given to us. That is why, for those who are in Christ Jesus, we have been set free from the law of sin and death, into the law that is spirit and life. That means, we are not saved by the law; we are only saved by the cross of Christ. Now, the Law of the Spirit that gives life is inside of me. We can no longer judge others based on the standards of the law, then what do we do with the law? That is the way that the Holy Spirit of God guides us, according to the law. Even with your actions, God will give you grace and guide you down the correct path. Through things like our mental suffering and our physical suffering, God guides us down the correct path. The real problem is, not believing in that God.
The depression itself is not your problem, but through that depression, you take your eyes off of God and stop believing in him; that’s the problem. How can that depression ever stop God from guiding your life? It can never do that, but we think, “I have depression.” If you do, you do; what must we do about that? The salvation that God has given me, He will bring it to completion. If you face God, then your depression will not be a problem; in fact, it becomes an instrument for you to look to God and be strengthened spiritually. Do you have problems with your kids? Why is God giving me these problems when I believe in Him? Did God make a mistake? You need to have that kind of child. God did this, this is how you look to God. God did that. How do we think though? “Why is God making me have such heartache?” The kids will say, “Why did God give me these parents and make my life like this?” You needed parents like that in order for you to become a person of God. “I wish I never met my husband,” or, “I wish I never met my wife,” but that’s exactly what you need. So, in all things, God knows, and He works for the good of those who carry out His good purpose.
“I wish my pastor were a little more soft-spoken,” no, this is actually what you need. This is the best way for you. I’m trying to respect you, and for me, I need people like you, because that is how I become more and more like a servant of God. “Why is the church making me do so much?” Because you need that, then that is how you will be raised up as a person of God. But you have your own standards, “I don’t want to do things that are hard, I don’t want to be with someone I don’t want to be with,” in order to break down that standard specifically, God specifically brings that kind of person to you.
3) Love of Christ (Rom. 8:35)
(1) No one can separate (Rom. 8:35)
Rom. 8:35, what shall separate us from the love of Christ? God lives within us and guides us towards His good purpose, there is no one who can separate us from His love.
(2) Trouble, hardship, persecution, famine (Rom. 8:35)
(3) Nakedness, danger, sword (Rom. 8:35)
Even trouble, hardship, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, or the sword, cannot block that. Why has God allowed this? God doesn’t do things that are not necessary. This was necessary for us and even so, there is no one who can separate us from the love of God, because no matter what, God is always with us, God gives us grace and calls us according to His original plan to which He has called us. That’s what God did to David. God called David when he was a shepherd, he called David when he had nothing about him, and God had anointed him as the future king, and the journey of fulfilling that promise was filled with so much hardship. Why did God allow all of that? Because that is the process for David to change into a good king and person. Are there any of you who are complaining, “Why am I facing this hardship and persecution?” It needed to happen, that needed to happen in order for you to look to God and be changed into the image of God.
I hope you will believe in that God. Not believing in that is the problem. So right now, the persecution you are facing is not the real problem, not believing in God is the problem. But we say, ”Why doesn’t the hardship go away?” Instead of asking God what His plan is, we complain about it. So, Satan will prevent you from facing God and asking God, and instead, make you focus physically on the problem. So, persecution is not the problem, because God will guide us according to His promise, no matter what. Exactly like God promised, He led David to be the king, He led Joseph according to His promise. No matter what happens, this or that, God guided them, and that God is alive with us even now.
3. God’s love that makes us more than conquerors
1) Environment
(1) For the Lord we face death (Rom. 8:36)
(2) Considered as sheep to be slaughtered (Rom. 8:36)
Is there something that is uncomfortable for you? Through that discomfort, God is making you look to Him; that is God’s love, and there is no one who can separate you from the love of God. “As it is written: for your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” This is in Psalms 44. That’s what the Israelites felt, that, day by day, they faced death, they felt like sheep being led to the slaughter. Even so, it is okay, that’s what He is saying.
(3) Through him who loved us (Rom. 8:36)
2) More than conquerors (Rom. 8:37)
(1) Faith overcomes the world (1Jn. 5:4)
Rm. 8:37, “No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” We do not overcome with our own willpower or stubbornness or ethics or morals. No, it is through Him Who loved us. By His love, Who has called us and will lead us all the way to glorification. People who run a marathon, say around the halfway point, they feel like they’re going to die and they cannot run any further, and there’s a difference in skill level, yes, and some people believe, ”I will make it across the finish line.” They say, “If I have that certainty, I will keep going.” Why would you keep giving up in life? Is it because you have a weak mind? No, even people with strong minds give up. If you don’t have certainty in the work with which God has called you for, then you’re going to give up on it, but if you do have that certainty, then you’ll keep going. If there is a young new couple who are so in love with each other, the parents cannot stop it because they are so sure of each other’s love. If we are so certain in the love of God that guides us forward, there is nothing that can separate us from that. So what does it mean that we need to be more than conquerors? It means far exceeding just winning, it is an overwhelming victory. This is not by our mental strength, but by God’s love.
(2) Jesus Christ has overcome the world (Jn. 16:33)
What love is that? That, God Who has called us in advance, will lead us through glorification, and through that love, we win. There is nothing else that can overcome. Even if you receive special military training, even if you receive special Harvard training. God has called us and He guides us; with His love alone, we overcome. And He says, “I am certain of this.” What is that conviction? I’m convinced God will guide us like this. If you don’t have this conviction, then you will shake. If I’m not convinced of this person, then of course I will shake. Yes, the Nobel Prize winners are very intelligent, but they also need to have confidence that they will receive the result; then, they can keep going. If someone wants to create something that doesn’t exist, they need to have certainty to guide them through many trials. Same thing for us, if we don’t have the certainty that God has called us and will guide us towards His hope for us, then we will lose hold of it.
For I am convinced that neither death or life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus, our Lord. The faith that believes in God, in order to raise this faith in you, God has allowed your present circumstances. God can get rid of your circumstances in one second, but God has put us into this situation because we absolutely need it. God has allowed this person, this circumstance, this problem in my life, so that I can become a person of God’s image who can testify of that to others.
In Matthew 26:39, while Jesus is praying before His crucifixion, He prays to God, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may Your will be done.” What is this “cup” Jesus is talking about? If He drinks it, it means He has to die on the cross. So even for Jesus, it was hard for Him to die because He had a physical body, but we’re under the misconception that, “These things shouldn’t happen to me if I believe in Jesus,” but that’s our will. What is God’s will? Not my will but may Your Will be done, God.” So He died on the cross, and you can know what this means; we are trying to exert our own will, “God, give me what I want,” but what we want is from death and sin; it has nothing to do with God, it’s what Satan wants. But instead, pray for God’s Kingdom to be established on earth as it is in heaven.
My mother is in the hospital right now, and during the Korean Thanksgiving, she wasn’t able to eat food because she can’t get it past her throat, that means she’s about to die. Even when she does take in some kind of food, her body is not able to digest it, so her brain is preventing her from intaking food. When I asked about the symptoms or diagnosis, it didn’t seem to be cancer. I was thinking, “My mother is all I have left, and if I lose my mother, there’s nowhere for me to go back to in Korea.” And, that’s actually how big of a deal it is to have your parents. Going to your sibling’s house is very different from going to your parents’ house, and I did feel the sad bitterness of life. So, I called my mom over a video chat. I asked her, “Are you really a child of God and is it true that God is with you?” she said “Yes.” She said, “I’m going to be able to eat later on,” she lived like that even before she believed. She would say, “Don’t worry about me, even if I cannot eat right now, I can eat later,” but if you’re not able to live right now, you’ll die. But my mom was speaking out of boldness because she didn’t want me to worry as her child. She’s lived her whole life like this with that mentality.
3) Convinced (Rom. 8:38)
(1) Death, life, angels, demons (Rom. 8:38)
(2) Present, future, powers (Rom. 8:38)
(3) Height, depth, anything else in all creation (Rom. 8:39)
(4) In Christ Jesus (Rom. 8:39)
(5) From the love of God (Rom. 8:39)
(6) Cannot separate us (Rom. 8:39)
I told my mom, “You have a mission right now. There’s only a few people in our entire family line who believe in Jesus Christ, it’s you and me. Your job is to pray for our family right now, pray for them to receive the gospel,” and she said okay, she only agreed to that because she’s sick right now. I got a contact from the hospital this morning, and one of my inlaws says she’s okay now. That’s what people are like. No matter what, we’re all going to die at some point, but it seems like such a big issue. But the real problem is that we are not interested in what God is doing through this, but instead, we just want them to be healthy and out of the hospital. That’s what I want, but even if that does happen, she’s going to die later. So, she’s going to be okay in the hospital and she is going to be released in a week. I’m not saying it’s a good thing that she’s going to come out of the hospital, I’m saying it’s good that God has a plan for her, and in order to fulfill God’s mission for her, even a disease cannot stop here.
There’s not a single thing that can separate us from the love of God. Even if you have a physical disease or cancer, nothing can block God’s will from being fulfilled. At first, I was a little worried, and then I entrusted it all to God, I told God, “I’m doing the gospel movement here,” so I entrusted her fully to God, I said, “God, I’m doing the gospel movement here in America, You take care of Korea. I’m doing the evangelism movement here, so make my mom’s prayers, convert people in Korea first,” then I can go back to Korea to my mom’s house and see my relatives.
Conclusion
1. Love of Christ
2. Can’t separate from the love of God
3. Life of an apostle with victory
So for you and me, we have been called into this journey of salvation God is carrying out, there is no one who can block it, no one who can separate that. God even gave His One and only Son for us, who can take us from Him? God is holding onto us, God gives us His grace, and God leads us forward. God wants us to stand as a witness of that. May you be a witness of this throughout the week.
Message Prayer
Let us pray holding onto the Word we have received.
Offering Prayer and Newcomer Blessing
God, we thank You. We were dead in our sins and transgressions; yet You saved us, and we were following the ruler of the kingdom of the air, but You have set us free. We were by nature objects of wrath, following our cravings and desires, and yet You have saved us, so we praise You. We believe that the Lord Who has called us, predestined us, and will guide us towards glorification will fulfill Your calling for us, regardless of what is happening, no matter what we face.
We have returned Your materials as offering. Everywhere it is used, may the will of God be fulfilled and revealed. We pray You will bless the hands that have given the offering so they may continue to do the work of saving those who are dying. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Announcements
1. 10/26(Sun.) – Church Organizational Restructuring (Church Officer’s Room) – Members, Church officers, President/VP of each missions group and department.
2. 10/31(Fri.) Holy Wind day, 6-8PM.
3. RU lecture – Gospel Communication; 10/13-11/13, Every Mon.,Th. – 20 Lectures
4. Offering can be given to the church venmo: @Antiochmissionchurch
Benediction
Now may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the unending love of God, and the indwelling, working, guidance, and fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be upon the heads of all the people of God, the people of all nations, and the remnants and future generations who desire to remain in the love of God, have assurance that He will guide them to glorification, to overcome and be more than conquerors, be with them now until forever always, amen.
God’s love makes us more than conquerors!