WAR IS OVER

WAR IS OVER
After mother died I was going through her possessions and I found a newspaper
that made an announcement, a proclamation, which went to every person in the US who subscribed to a Newspaper. Big, bold, headlines dealing with the end of World War Two which proclaimed, 'WAR IS OVER.' The proclamation was a statement of fact, the fact that the war was over.

What a sign of relief came upon those reading that announcement. No more loss of life because of war, no more preparing to go to battle, no more separation between the ones at home and those fighting on the front. Rejoicing in the streets, parties, celebrations of life occurred that day.

The sad part is, some people didn't receive that announcement and continued to fight a war which was officially ended because of their lack of knowledge. Some, even after receiving the news continued to fight because they didn't really want it to be over. Some, even today are still fighting with the Japanese because they bombed Pearl Harbor. They fight with their anger which separates them because they have never forgiven them for their offense.

Jesus fought a battle against sin which separates us from God. He was tempted but didn't give into that temptation proving Him to be sinless and the only acceptable sacrifice for sins. But sin still was a barrier between us and God because sin demands a payment. God in His sovereignty set it up that way. When Adam sinned God made a statement of debt to all of mankind. That debt of sin had to be paid. But
since we are in sin, in Adam, we could not make that payment. Jesus, on the cross, made our payment for us. He didn't make that payment to Satan, He made that payment to God clearing the way for us to be in fellowship with Him.

God made a proclamation in Acts 13:38 Be it known unto you therefore, men [and] brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: 39 And by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses. 40 Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in the prophets; 41 Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish: for I work a work in your days, a work which ye shall in no wise believe, though a man declare it unto you.

2605 kataggello {kat- ang-gel' - lo} 1) to announce, declare, promulgate, make known 2) to proclaim publicly, publish 3) to denounce, report, betray

He proclaimed forgiveness, it is not an offer to accept, it is a fact to be believed! Forgiveness cleared the way but it didn't bring us to God. God wasn't satisfied with just a repaying of debt. We are forgiven for sins but that doesn't make us righteous. He demands also righteousness. A righteousness which we can't gain because we are bound in these bodies in which the principle of sin
exists (Rom. 7:17- 20). We need to be justified, declared righteous, in order to fellowship with God. Righteousness has to be credited to our account, the same way the debt on our account had to be paid. When we believe we are forgiven by Christ we are then justified. Righteousness is credited to our account. It does not mean we become righteous but we are credited with the righteousness of Christ and that righteousness is a gift of God to be believed.

It is only from the knowledge that we have been forgiven for all of our sins, past, present, and future by Christs death on the cross that we are free to love and forgive others.

Here is a test. When you sin, and you will, do you thank God that He has forgiven you or do you beg Him to do that which He already did? Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness so if you are asking Him to forgive you what are you really asking? You are asking Jesus to come back to earth, crawl up on that cross again and die for your sins again. Is He going to do it?

This is the test of faith with which we are to examine ourselves.
(John 8:23 KJV) And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
(John 16:7 KJV) Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not on me;

The opportunity of salvation comes to one not because they believe something about Jesus Christ. It comes because they believe something specific about Jesus Christ. It comes because they believe the Proclamation that that through this man (Jesus Christ) is preached (proclaimed)unto you the forgiveness of sins. When we have faith in that proclamation, God gives us the gift of the righteousness of whom we have believed, Jesus Christ.

Romans 5:8 and God doth commend His own love to us, that, in our being still sinners, Christ did die for us; 9 much more, then, having been declared righteous now in his blood, we shall be saved through him from the wrath; 10 for if, being enemies, we have been reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved in his life. 11 And not only [so], but we are also boasting in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom now we did receive the reconciliation; 12 because of this, even as through one man the sin did enter into the world, and through the sin the death; and thus to all men the death did pass through, for that all did sin; 13 for till law sin was in the world: and sin is not reckoned when there is not law; 14 but the death did reign from Adam till Moses, even upon those not having sinned in the likeness of Adam's transgression, who is a type of him who is coming. 15 But, not as the offence so also [is] the free gift; for if by the offence of the one the many did die, much more did the grace of God, and the free gift in grace of the one man Jesus Christ, abound to the many; 16 and not as through one who did sin [is] the free gift, for the judgment indeed [is] of one to condemnation, but the gift [is] of many offences to a declaration of `Righteous,' 17 for if by the offence of the one the death did reign through the one, much more those, who the abundance of the grace and of the free gift of the righteousness are receiving, in life shall reign through the one -- Jesus Christ. 18 So, then, as through one offence to all men [it is] to condemnation, so also through one declaration of `Righteous' [it is] to all men to justification of life; 19 for as through the disobedience of the one man, the many were constituted sinners: so also through the obedience of the one, shall the many be constituted righteous. 20 And law came in, that the offence might abound, and where the sin did abound, the grace did overabound, 21 that even as the sin did reign in the death, so also the grace may reign, through righteousness, to life age-during, through Jesus Christ our Lord.