Who Are You?

Yesterday would have been my beloved wife’s and my 49^th Wedding Anniversary.  And even though she passed on to her eternal reward back in 2018… it seems like it was just recently when we began our friendship adventure as seniors in high school, back in the fall of 1970!

With the occasion of our 49^th Anniversary, I found myself preoccupied with thoughts of the countless special and unique times we enjoyed together during our marriage years, as well as the five years we dated before that wonderful day in July of 1975.  Looking back, I can see that our relationship rapidly took on a personality all of its own.

As I’ve mentioned before, I was a practicing Catholic who had a hunger for the things of God… but to be honest… didn’t really know much about Him.  Piper, on the other hand, lived her faith on the sleeve of her shirt, and knew and acted like Jesus was her best friend… and… whether she knew it or not… drew me into her exuberant, exciting and loving lifestyle of faith… and the rest is just history… OUR HISTORY!

One of the very first portions of Scripture that I learned, memorized and applied into my daily life is found in Philippians 4:13 where… when writing from a cold jail cell… the Apostle Paul declared to the church in Philippi that,

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” (EMTV)

As a young couple, Piper and I grabbed onto the truth of this verse and it quickly became the foundation of our Christian walk.

The modern language Message Bible brings out a truth in this verse, that I believe Paul was trying to teach us, that is not necessarily seen in the more classic translations.  It states Paul’s words as,

“Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” 

Throughout his letters to the early churches, Paul regularly emphasizes the importance of who we (as born-again Christians) are in Christ, and even though it is a major thread within his teachings, it is a revelation that is often over-looked or simply misunderstood.  The Message paraphrase brings out this truth by stating that like Paul, we Christians,

“can make it through anything in the One who makes us who we are!”

And so… if you’re anything like me… our immediate thought as we read this verse should be… “Well then, according to the scriptures: Who Am I?”

My automatic response to this question led me directly to another one of Paul’s teachings, as found in the book of Romans where, when speaking of all the trials and tribulations that we face in this life, he unequivocally and from personal example stated that,

“in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us.” (Romans 8:37 – KJV) 

So therefore… according to the truth of God’s Word… as Christians… you and I are not supposed to just barely get by in life… but by and/or through our ever-increasing FAITH in Christ and His Word… we are designed by the heavenly hand of God to live as MORE than CONQUERORS through Christ and His unconditional LOVE for us!

I used to love to watch Piper teach and/or preach… and especially to the adult members of the congregation.  She had a spark and contagious joy in her presentations that just seemed to draw those in attendance into her topic and especially with the humorous examples she used.  She loved to give the practical example of Romans 8:37 that we had heard from a well-known Christian teacher, who had taught during a weeklong convention that we had attended in Anaheim, California in the mid 1980’s. 

In his session on Romans 8:33-37, he described the difference between a CONQUEROR and the one (like you and me) who is MORE than a CONQUEROR.  He spoke of the heavyweight boxer who wins the championship bout as the CONQUEROR… while his wife, to whom he comes home to and presents the prize money check, as the one who is MORE than a CONQUEROR!  

For while the husband did all the work to gain the prize… it was his wife, who had no actual part in the fight… who receives the benefits and is consider MORE than a CONQUEROR. (You’d appreciate this even more if you saw Piper, during her sermon, acting out the part of the champion boxer in contrast to the petite, quiet demeanor of the wife…)

In relation to our Biblical understanding of Paul’s teaching, we would therefore see Jesus as the boxer who died for our sins and went to hell… where He became the CONQUEROR as He

“spoiled principalities and powers, and made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15 KJV) 

And we Christians, as the beneficiaries of His victory, live our faith-filled daily lives as MORE than CONQUERORS in all that we do.

Now that is pretty exciting, wouldn’t you agree?  And that is only a cursory explanation of all that we are and can have as Christians in our daily lives!  Remember… God doesn’t want us to have just ENOUGH… but, in fact, consistently tells us throughout both the Old and New Testaments… that His desire is for us to have MORE than ENOUGH… by living as MORE than CONQUERORS in, through and for Him!

So Yeah… I’ve enjoyed the sweet sorrow of remembering many of the wonderful and special times that my Piper and I enjoyed during our years together… but you know?  Even more… do I look forward to the MORE than a CONQUEROR experiences that I have yet to live in my present and future!

How about you?   What will you say when someone asks “Who you are?

Have a GREAT weekend and think about how you might turn your everyday life into opportunities to be MORE than a CONQUEROR in and through Him!