Risk is RIght (Part 3)

Final extracts from John Piper's book, Risk is Right:

In all these things we are more than conquerors.

Romans 8.37

Conquerors = Not separated from Jesus' love.

But what does more than conquerors mean? How can it get better than being conquerors?

A conqueror defeats, subjugates, nullifies the purpose of his enemy, makes his enemy serve his own purposes.

This slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.

2 Corinthians 4.7

Here we could say that 'affliction' is one of the attacking enemies. What has heappened in Paul's conflict with it? It has certainly not separated him from the love of Christ.But even more, it has been taken captive, so to speak. It has been enslaved and made to serve Paul's everlasting joy. 'Affliction,' the former enemy, is now working for Paul. It is preparing for Paul 'an eternal weight of glory.' His enemy is now his slave. He has not only conquered his enemy. He has more than conquered him.

Affliction raised his sword to cut off the head of Paul's faith. But instead the hand of  faith snatched the arm of affliction and forced it to cut off part of Paul's worldliness. Affliction is made the servant of godliness and humility and love. Satan meant it for evil, but God meant it for good. The enemy became Paul's slave and worked for him an even greater weight of glory than he would have ever had without the fight. In that way Paul- and every followerof Christ- is more than a conqueror.

This is the promise that empowers us to take risks for the sake of Christ. It is not the impulse of heroism, or the lust for adventure, or the courage of self-reliance, or the need to earn God's favour. It is simple trust in Christ- that in him God will do everything necessary so that we can enjoy making much of him forever.