Today we begin a three part series entitled: "Holiness: Mission Possible." For many, the idea of being good seems like mission impossible. But the Bible teaches Biblical principles that help us do more than become good--God designed each of us to be holy.
Title: "MORE THAN YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE"
Text: Romans 8:26-39
OPEN:
In the 8th chapter of Romans, Paul says, In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:37) I love that phrase: "More than conquerors." In the Greek: hupernikao= a compound verb literally meaning to hyper-conquer, to conquer, as it were, with success to spare. It may be translated "overwhelmingly conquer."
It reminds me that God didn't create us to limp through life, getting knocked around by the devil, or our circumstances, or anything else. We're made to win--and not just by a narrow margin in the closing seconds of the game. We're made to win by a blowout. We're not mere conquerors, we're more than conquerors. For those trying to become holy, this is great news. Too often the battle against sin seems to be one we're destined to lose. The truth is, we lose only when we choose to lose--when we don't take advantage of the weapons God has provided for each of us.
Holiness begins in your mind: it's the result of what you believe about God, yourself, salvation, sin, and God's power in your life. The key to holiness is also found in controlling your thought life--setting your mind on what the Spirit desires. This week we'll see how the ability to overcome sin--to be more than a conqueror--is a matter of finding strength in God's goodness.
I have good news for you today: You are more than you thought you were.
God says you can be more than a conqueror. You can find strength in him, if you're willing to put his promises to work in your life. Today we'll look at three ways he helps you. These are things that you can't do for yourself--he does them for you. If you will rely on him, trusting in his goodness along the way, you will experience his power--you will be more than a conqueror in life. Here are the three things we need to keep in mind:
I. The Holy Spirit is Your Prayer Partner.
(v. 26) ...the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.
Many times I haven't known what to pray for, or how to pray about a particular situation. There were days of discouragement when I didn't have the words to pray. During those times I could only yield to the Holy Spirit and allow him to pray for me.
This is what the Holy Spirit does. He talks to God the Father on your behalf. He prays for you. You may not know what to say, but he does. He always prays the right prayer for you; he always prays in accordance with God's will. As Paul said, (v. 27) And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will.
When you pray, remember that the Holy Spirit is praying with you. We don't always know how we ought to pray, but he does. And he intercedes for us according to the will of God.
Have you heard the saying, "Be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it." The only way you can believe that statement is if you don't believe in the goodness of God. A cruel, apathetic God might not stand in the way of you receiving some of your foolish requests--like a bad parent might give their kids cupcakes every time--but our God isn't like that.
When you ask for things that aren't good for you, or aren't in accordance with God's will for your life--the Holy Spirit searches your heart and intercedes on your behalf. You have an all-powerful, all-knowing prayer partner. In fact, not just one prayer partner, but two. Paul said... (v. 34) Christ Jesus who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
This is an example of God's goodness towards you. Jesus prays for you. The Holy Spirit prays for you. You're a member of an Almighty prayer team. Remember this when you pray; it will help you become more than a conqueror. Secondly, keep in mind...
II. God is in Control of the Events of Your Life.
(v. 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.
If your heart is yielded to God, nothing bad can happen to you, ever. Period. Now, take note. I didn't say that nothing unpleasant can ever happen, or nothing irritating can ever happen, or nothing sad can ever happen. These things are a fact of life. But when they happen, God has promised to work them out for our good...for our benefit.
Don't you know someone who lost a job, only to find a better one? Don't you know someone (maybe yourself) whose heart was broken in a bad relationship, only later to find true love? I'm sure we've all seen the occasional negative experience turn into something positive. For believers, these experiences aren't just lucky coincidences. This is part and parcel of our everyday experience. God makes the events of your life work out for the best.
To benefit from this promise, you must trust in God's goodness. Otherwise, you'll fall apart every time things don't go according to plan. One minor setback will cause you to think that God has deserted you and the world is caving in on you. This isn't what God intended for you. He made you to live above your circumstances. He wants you to live with absolute, total, and complete confidence. That's why Paul said, (v. 31) If God is for us, who can be against us? No situation need get the best of you, because God is in control of the events in your life. Through him, you are more than a conqueror. But, to experience it, you must believe it. You must trust in God's goodness. Thirdly, keep in mind...
III. You are Surrounded by God's Inseparable Love.
(v. 35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?... (v. 37) No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (v. 38) For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any power, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you're tempted to think God no longer loves you, stop and ask yourself, "What caused me to think such a thing?" Was it a business failure or financial problems? Were you victimized by some cruel and hateful person? Was it a health problem, or the death of someone close to you? Was it the memory of a sin you committed long ago? Or a sin you committed yesterday? If it was a hardship, Paul says hardship can't separate you from God's love. If it was mistreatment, Paul says persecution can't separate you from God's love. Neither can sickness, poverty, crime or danger. Nothing in all creation--not even sin--can separate you from the love of God
There's strength in knowing God's love. When you focus on him, the fickleness of others becomes insignificant. He promised he'll always love you, but if you don't believe that promise, you'll miss out on the benefits. If you don't believe his promise, you'll be a slave to the opinions of others. But if you trust in God's goodness, if you rely with all your heart on his promise to love you forever--you can approach challenges with strength and security. If you want to be more than a conqueror, remember that nothing in the world can separate you from God's love.
CLOSE:
Do you want to become holy? Do you want to become good? Paul says, Be transformed the renewing of your mind. (Romans 12:2) The battle for holiness is fought and won in the mind. It's all about what you think, what you believe. When you believe the right things about God, you experience his power--the power to become good.
To become more than a conqueror, you must learn to trust in God's goodness. Believe his promises. When you pray, he prays with you. When hard times come your way, he works them out for your good. And when others turn their back on you, his love remains eternally faithful. Relying on these promises--that's what makes you more than a conqueror.
(Dr. Dane Fowlkes)
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