Concerning Being a "Hyper-Conqueror" (Part 2)

In our self, we may be a conqueror.  We may conquer many things in our life. We may be a conqueror at work, maybe hiking that summit, or even at home with our perfect family. Life may be good here for you.  I hope it is.  But you are just a conqueror.  It is only through accepting God’s mercy through the blood of Christ that you can be “hupernikOmen” - more than a conqueror.

What makes us more than conquerors is the overwhelming news that although we have done nothing to achieve our “more than conqueror” status in the eyes of God, we have been given the ultimate gift of being made a “conqueror” vicariously through the conquering life and death lived by Jesus Christ.
  
As long as we are willing to trust in our conqueror to continue conquering on our behalf, then unlike an earthly conqueror, we do not have to fear that anything can take away what has been granted to us through Christ.   We do not have to fear death.  We do not have to fear evil originating in this world or the next.  Regardless of this daily world’s impact on us, we can live in peace and joy, knowing we are to be fundamentally provided for here and that we are ultimately destined to bask in the warmth of Heavenly light with our creator.

Now, the only “human effort” that may still apply to us becoming “more than conquerors” is that effort of an individual actively making the initial decision to accept Christ as their conqueror.  However, although I will concede that on the most basic level we must “decide” to follow Jesus, God has even stacked the deck against us here in order to make it as simple and likely as possible for us to choose Him.  Here we see God bring the efforts of his Holy Spirit into our daily life.

The whole of Romans 8 deals with the role and authority of the Holy Spirit over all of humanity.  The word spirit is used 22 times in this chapter alone. The Spirit of God is active in our life from beginning to end, with or without our consent.  It’s activities and level of influence vary greatly depending on our inclination towards accepting it, and ultimately, on God’s purposes.  However, looking at vs. 30 of chapter 8 gives us a fair indication of the position the Spirit takes in the time-line of people choosing to follow God.

And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. – Romans 8:30

If you believe, as I do that we are all predestined for Heaven in a general sense through the blood of Christ, then you understand that when Paul writes “and those he predestined…” he is referring to everyone Christ died for, which is everyone.  Now, Paul continues by saying “he also called”.  Here we have the previously alluded to role of the Spirit coming into play. This “calling” is the calling of God by the Spirit that occurs in everyone’s life.  Not a specific calling to be a preacher, or be a missionary in Africa, but a general calling to accept God as your authority. 

Here we have the one singular moment in the Christian faith (though this moment can repeat itself) that is actually up to you to be a conqueror, not Christ.  However, prior to this moment of calling, the Spirit of God has already been working in your life, preparing you for your calling.  After all, “God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.” – Genesis 1:27 We have a natural, inborn desire to seek God bred into our very DNA.  I am confident that the Spirit is commonly used by God to lead us toward our moments of calling.

Following the acceptance of our “calling”, we are “justified” through Christ’s obedient life, sacrificial death, and conquering resurrection.  And lastly, we are “glorified” by God’s merciful willingness to use this process as the means of preparing us for eternity in Heaven.   After the “calling”, the Spirit becomes the most active part of the triune Godhead in our daily life.  It helps guide our decisions. It acts as a mediator when necessary between our self and God.  The Spirit is God in us, until we are called and offered to be in the complete presence of God forever in Heaven.

We didn't call our self, the Spirit did.  We didn't justify our self, Christ did. We didn't glorify our self, God did. We did not conquer!  We accepted conquering by the most noble and merciful king there will ever be.  This king has chosen to give to us the one thing we could never have on our own: the title of hupernikOmen.  We have won no wars, battles, or other achievements that bring us anywhere closer to being more than a conqueror.  Yet, in Christ, our conquering is so overwhelming that we rights to the Heavenly kingdom.   

In fact, God’s ultimate mercy was first offered to us when we were in as vile and ignoble a position as we possibly could have been.  We have been handed our title as conqueror essentially because we were willing to accept it.  And as long as we remain faithful to our conqueror, neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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. - Romans 8:38-39.  So today, and everyday, live your life as a true conqueror.  Not because you conquered, but because in Christ you are more than a conqueror.