I Am Uber-Conquerer Through the One Loving Me

One of my favorite passages in Scripture is all of Romans 8.  I'm not alone in this, because this is true for my wife as well.  We have fond memories of growing tied to it as well as deep meaning.  It ends with the declaration of victory through Jesus in verses 31 through 39.  In verse 37 Paul says, "But in all these we are 'uber-conquerers' through the One having loved us."  And yes, he does use a compound word combining "conqueror" with "over", so "uber-conqueror" is a valid translation even though it invokes current slang, ironically borrowed word from German.  Our two languages share a lot of words, so it works.

I like the victory plan or basis.  I am an uber-conqueror because of the One loving me, not because of me.  I suffer affliction, anguish, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and/or sword (at least as Paul puts it in verse 35), but none of these can separate me from the Love of God.  In fact, not only do these fail to separate me from His love, but Paul makes another list to drive home his point; death, life, angels, rulers, present things, future things, hostile powers, height, depth, or any other created thing are all powerless to separate me from the love of God in Christ Jesus. 

Now this does not mean that my devotion never lapses.  I would have only one post to this blog if that were true.  It does not mean that I do not have times where I doubt, or fail to follow through, or become angry with God, or a litany of other things that damage my ability to rely on my Master.  Nothing inhibits His ability to hang on to me.  That is what it means.  So, the difficulties in my day; silly traffic, grumpy customers, family squabbles, and corporate mentalities; all serve to accentuate rather than diminish the love of my Master for His servant.  I am not what I am, a knight and servant, because I was the strongest, or bravest, or because I inherited the position from my dad or something.  I am in the role I am because my Master says I am.

What a relief.  One less thing to worry about, or rather the one thing that means I have nothing to worry about.  If God is for me, who can be against me?  What does the rest of my day really mean if I have already established that the love my Master has for me is as unassailable as He is.  The Judge is my adopted Father, and His Only Son is the Defense Attorney, Who already has been punished in my place.  Yes, this trial is rigged, and in my favor too.  Bring it on!  (queue the "Rocky" Theme while I bounce around with my hands in the air)