Our falls and bruises

“After conversion we need bruising, that reeds may know themselves to be reeds and not oaks. Even reeds need bruising by reason of the remainder of pride in our nature, and to let us see that we live by mercy. . . . Thus Peter was bruised when he wept bitterly. This reed, till he met with this bruise, had more wind in him than pith. ‘Though all forsake thee, I will not.’ The people of God cannot be without these examples. The heroic deeds of those great worthies do not comfort the church so much as their falls and bruises do.”

Richard Sibbes, “The Bruised Reed,” in Works (Edinburgh, 1979), I:44. via Ray Ortlund's Blog.

Do not despair then, O faithful soul.

“Christ has been judged in order to free us from the judgment of God. He has been prosecuted as a criminal so that we criminals may be pardoned. He has been scourged by godless hands to take away from us the scourge of the devil. He called out in pain in order to save us from eternal wailing. He poured out tears so that he could wipe away our tears.

He has died for us to live. He felt the pains of hell through and through, so that we might never feel them. He was humiliated in order to bring forth the medicine for our pride; was crowned with thorns, in order to obtain for us the heavenly crown.

He has suffered at the hands of all so that he might furnish salvation for all. He was darkened in death so that we would live in the light of heavenly glory. He heard disgust and contempt so that we might hear the angelic jubilation in heaven.

Do not despair then, O faithful soul.”

—Johann Gerhard

More Than Conquerors

I love me some Romans 8. It is by far my favorite section of the Bible and it has brought me so much joy, peace and comfort through so many different situations. It is tattooed on my heart and runs through my brain all the time. One section that I have been meditating on lately is the verse 37. Let me give the verse in it's context:

Romans 8:31-37

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. How can one be MORE than a conqueror. A conqueror is one who is victorious, who defeats his or her enemy. But how is one more than that. In the verses preceding 37 Paul lists various trials, tribulations and hardships that Christians will face. The beauty here is that not only will these be defeated and conquered but there is more. In Christ we are more than conquerors because those trials and tribulations are not only defeated but they actually serve us. They strengthen our faith. They grow our love for Jesus. They increase our holiness. Those trials, though painful and often difficult, are actually working for us like captured prisoners or slaves of war! God uses those circumstances and trials to make us more like His Son. God bends even our own sin and foolish decisions in on themselves and uses them for our good, to teach us and to increase our love and appreciation of His grace and mercy. So as the trials and tribulations come let us remind ourselves that through Christ we are more than conquerors and these afflictions are actually serving us and conforming us to the image of our wonderful savior.