No Longer A POW

"Have you heard? It’s over!”  I sometimes wonder what that would have been like in 1945 to hear the conversations going on amongst people as World War II ended.

What a relief that must have been for them to know…the war is over!  Unfortunately, in most wars there seems to be some that remain in the aftermath of the war as POW’s.

As believers though, unlike POW’s in war, incredibly, we have a choice to remain prisoners or walk out free and alive.

I was thinking about this thought this morning in relation to my life and forgiveness.
Jesus is saying to us in John 19:30; ‘Have you heard? It is over, finished, and paid in full.’
The war is over!!!

How often do we forget this big news in our life?  When Jesus said ‘it is finished’, he meant it. We don’t have to continue to fight the war with the wrestling of shame and guilt in our life for things we have done in our past.
Once we believe and receive Him, confessing our junk to Him, then that’s it. No more shame. No more living in the spirit of sin and death. Now we live in Christ, with the Spirit of NEW LIFE.

How are you doing today? Are you choosing to remain a POW from not receiving forgiveness from our Father, not forgiving others or not forgiving yourself? We no longer have to hold onto the shame from our mistakes, nor the resentment for wrongs done to us any longer either. He wants to take that away too.
Maybe it’s time to surrender, not to the enemy, but to the One who defeated the enemy for us.

The battle is no longer ours to fight. Christ’s words, shouting from the cross, as a broken, battered and bruised Savior, saying, “It is finished!” reminds us of this Good News.

“But by the free gift of God’s grace we are all put right with Him through Christ Jesus who sets them free.” Romans 3:24

 Have a great day alive and free in Him.
 
Rodney Holmstrom

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