The Civil War spanned four years and, cost our nation 600,000 lives. When the confederacy finally collapsed under the attack of the Union’s force, slavery was abolished and the difficult reconstruction process began. The war had dire effects on the men and women of our nation, and while the war was over, many battles waged for the unity of our nation, the guarantee of rights, and the abolishment of slavery. It was a long process of our nation coming to the results of that war, living in accordance to the new laws that were put in place. Years went on and still pockets of people and communities held on to their side, even though the war was over and they had lost. While the events took place to change a nation, the battles still waged on years afterward to see the result of what had already been attained.
The same thing happened when Jesus died on the cross for our sins and rose from the dead. He was the atonement for our sins, fulfilled the prophecies as the Savior of mankind, and took the punishment of death for our sins so that we could be united with God for eternity. The war was won with Christs sacrifice and resurrection, He purchased all of humanity back from the separation from God because of our sin. Salvation and redemption through Jesus Christ in our lives is exactly the same as the war being won, but there is still a battle that wages on. Just like after the Civil War we were a new nation with new principles and laws and standards, but it took a time for those things to come into fruition. The war is won in our lives when we ask for forgiveness for our sins and accept salvation. We are made new in the likeness of Christ.
Colossians 3:9-10 “Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.”
Paul had amazing revelation to this in Philippians that shows us the worth of our actions and good deeds in comparison to the riches of Christ. In Philippians 3:1-11 Paul explains that by the standard of the Law he was the best of the best. As best as he could he did all the right things and was in a high position as a Pharisee and had done everything he possibly could by the Law to merit God’s approval. But he realized that it still wasn’t good enough, and he considered all of those things a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus (Phill 3:8), so much so that he had lost all things and considered it all less than garbage, in comparison to having a righteousness that comes from faith in Jesus Christ, rather than trying to earn merit in good deeds. Only one trespass of the law warrants us sinners, and the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But Romans 3:21-24 lays out the exciting promise that we hold on to, “But now righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, the sins committed beforehand unpunished - he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.”
Even Paul said that he did not consider himself to have taken hold of becoming what he had been made, but he was pressing on toward the goal to live up to what he had already attained, because he had been made pure and free from the bondage of sin through faith in Christ. He did this by forgetting what was behind him and straining toward what is ahead (Phill 3:13). Let us leave the junk and the baggage of our imperfections and mistakes in life behind, right wrongs where they need to be, and press on toward the goal. It is an exciting adventure to come into understanding of who He has already made us to be.
While the war has been won, there is still a battle for our hearts daily. We still have many faults and imperfections, but we continue to press toward the goal, with our eyes fixed on the prize, so that we may become who God has already made us to be. We are never disqualified. Let us never lose sight of the hope that God has called us to. Christians are far from perfect, but we are forgiven for our trespasses so that we can enjoy a life of abundance and an eternity with God.
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