By Evangelist John BJ Hall
On May 8, 1945 Germany surrendered to the allied forces and brought an end to the war in Europe. That day is called VE Day. The Japanese held on for a little over three more months until August 14, 1945 when they finally surrendered. That day is known as VJ Day. This brought an end to World War II.
Even though the war was over, there were pockets of resistance for many years. The last Japanese holdout did not surrender until March of 1974. For almost 30 years Hirro Onoda refused to believe that Japan had lost the war. He continued guerrilla warfare until he finally walked out of the jungle in the Philippines.
I share this story to remind myself that there are still people who have not acknowledged the end of hostilities between God and man. The war is over, and the victory has been won. Sin was defeated on Golgotha's Cross, and death was defeated when Christ rose from the dead.
Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:57).
We should observe the source of our victory—"Thanks be unto God." The God is greater than the blessing. He has given us peace and hope. Only He could bring an end to the hostilities.
We also need to consider the nature of our victory—"which giveth us the victory." It is the gift of God. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9 (NASB) “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast.” We should be grateful for His unspeakable gift to us.
When we behold the means of our victory—"through Jesus Christ our Lord," we find total victory over sin, death, and the grave.
It is daily victory. Every heart ought to be a "victory garden."
It is final victory.
Vance Havner said it this way, “ ‘This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.’ It does not explain the world, nor endure it, nor enjoy it—it overcomes the world. But not just any kind of faith. It must be faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, for our victory is through Him.”
Every day is V-Day when our faith is in Him. And every day is Thanksgiving Day for the victory through Him.
Don’t be the last one to surrender.
The Difference
My life was filled with selfishness.
I was filled up with pride.
I thought the whole world I could bless
If they’d stand by my side.
I worked and tried my best to give
The world a better day.
I tried a good clean life to live,
What better price to pay?
But in my house my family knew.
They’d see me fuss and fight.
And people in the world saw too,
Something was just not right.
But I have bowed unto the Lord
And asked Him to forgive,
For I can no longer afford
Without His power to live.
No longer do I live alone,
With aching heart so sore;
For God's own power to me He’s shown.
It’s Him I’m living for.
And now the difference I can feel.
In Jesus my heart burns
For other’s souls now to appeal,
Until sin their heart spurns.
“For me to live is Christ,” Paul said,
“To die it would be gain.”
Now my heart is no longer dead
And I can say the same.
© Copyright 2001 by Passages Ministries, All rights reserved.
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