DAILY ENCOURAGEMENT - TUESDAY: More Than Conquerors

Whatever you do, you need courage. Whatever course you decide upon, there is always someone to tell you that you are wrong. There are always difficulties arising that tempt you to believe your critics are right. To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires some of the same courage that a soldier needs. Peace has its victories, but it takes brave men and women to win them. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
----------------------------------------------------------
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. -- Rom 8:37 (ESV)

Continuing on from yesterday, now that we have been born again and said yes to the new life that Christ has given us, we need to comprehend how we can be More Than Conquerors. For starters, we must believe what God has told us in His word… “...we are more than conquerors!"

In the third century, Cyprian, the Bishop of Carthage, wrote to his friend Donatus: "It is a bad world, Donatus, an incredibly bad world. But I have discovered in the midst of it a quiet and good people who have learned the great secret of life. They have found a joy and wisdom which is a thousand times better than any of the pleasures of our sinful life. They are despised and persecuted, but they care not. They are masters of their souls. They have overcome the world. These people, Donatus, are Christians... and I am one of them." -- Source unknown

We Must Believe Who We Are
We must believe in Him who has created us in righteousness... and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. -- Eph 4:24. The new nature must be embraced and we must manifest righteousness and holiness as God Himself is righteous and holy!

We must believe in Him who has made us righteous... For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous.-- Rom 5:19. Adam’s sin brought the death sentence on us, but by the obedience of Jesus taking our place and dying for us, this sentenced was completely cancelled by His sacrifice on the cross, and those who believe in Him are made righteous!

In the Antarctic summer of 1908-9, Sir Ernest Shackleton and three companions attempted to travel to the South Pole from their winter quarters. They set off with four ponies to help carry the load. Weeks later, their ponies dead, rations all but exhausted, they turned back toward their base, their goal not accomplished.

Altogether, they trekked 127 days. On the return journey, as Shackleton records in The Heart of the Antarctic, the time was spent talking about food -- elaborate feasts, gourmet delights, and sumptuous menus. As they staggered along, suffering from dysentery, not knowing whether they would survive, every waking hour was occupied with thoughts of eating.

Jesus, who also knew the ravages of food deprivation, said… "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for RIGHTEOUSNESS." We can understand Shackleton's obsession with food, which offers a glimpse of the passion Jesus intends for our quest for righteousness. -- Source Unknown.

We must believe in Him who is the author and the perfector of our faith... Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. --Heb 12:2.

The joy that Jesus embraced, was the joy of the redemption of God's creation, He set us free to be part of the family of God! Praise His wonderful and precious name!

Let’s keep running the race that Jesus started and keep our eyes on Him, the finishing line. During this race He moulds and shapes our new nature, and shows us how to be more than conquerors, so that none of the obstacles that the enemy puts in front of us, can cause us to lose this race! Believe we are what God says we are! And that is, that we are more than conquerors! Praise His mighty Name!

Loving Father, I thank you that having accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour, I am born again to my new life in Him. I believe I am what you say I am, the righteousness of God in Christ. By the power of your Holy Spirit, help me to put all these principles into action, so that I can be more than a conqueror! In Jesus wonderful name I pray! Amen!