In a spiritual sense our sins are like adding rocks to our backpack. But forgiveness releases the burden. Without the forgiveness of Jesus, the backpack gets heavier and heavier with our sins. We feel the burden of guilt and hopelessness as our sins weigh us down. When we ask Jesus to forgive us, we leave our sins at the cross.
I remember when I was in my early twenties I went backpacking in the Rocky Mountains with my brother. I was exhausted after a long day of hiking and toward the end, my brother carried both his backpack and mine. Without that extra weight, I felt refreshed and easily finished the hike. For a short time, my brother literally carried my burden.
If you were backpacking, Jesus is the one who takes our backpack of sin. When we are forgiven the Lord no longer remembers our sins. Hebrews 8:12And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins. [1] We may remember our sins, but God does not. Forgiveness releases the burden and is an amazing gift the Lord.
Forgiveness was Life Changing for Israel
When confronted by the prophet Samuel about their sin, the Israelites humbled themselves and turned from their sin and turned toward God. They turned from their wicked ways and began to worship the Lord. In God’s mercy He sent Samuel to correct them so they could be released from the burden of sin. What an amazing move of God. Can you imagine how inspiring their worship must have been after forgiveness released their burden?
1 Samuel 7:3 Then Samuel said to all the people of Israel, “If you want to return to the Lord with all your hearts, get rid of your foreign gods and your images of Ashtoreth. Turn your hearts to the Lord and obey him alone; then he will rescue you from the Philistines.” 4 So the Israelites got rid of their images of Baal and Ashtoreth and worshiped only the Lord. [2] When we ask the Lord to forgive us, it is life changing.
Releasing our Burdens
Carrying the burden of sin in our life and all the guilt that goes with us can take a toll on a person’s health and personal relationships. It is hard to be happy and have a sense of well-being when we feel the weight of sin. The good news is we don’t have to carry the weight of our sin. We can take our sin to the cross of Jesus and ask the Lord to forgive us. Forgiveness is life changing.
1 John 1:9But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.[3]
Ephesians 1:7 He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.[4] These verses give us insight into the mercy and grace of God who paid the price for our sins so we could be forgiven.
A Prayer for Forgiveness
Father God, I have sinned against You in so many different ways. In what I have said and done, as well as in the dirty thoughts that flood through my mind. As a sinner, I was the cause of the Lord Jesus being crucified on the cruel cross to take the punishment that I justly deserve, to pay that price for my sins. Lord, I know that I am unworthy to come before You, but I ask Your forgiveness of all my sins, for the sake of Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Wash me I pray, in the purifying blood of Jesus. Fill my heart with righteous thoughts and clean desires, for I no longer want to wallow in the cesspit of sin that has for so long separated me from You. Thank You, Lord, that You have promised that all who trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior will have their sins forgiven forever. Praise You Lord, for Your grace and mercy on me. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.[5]
To hear more on how forgiveness releases the burden of sin, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/faith-makes-a-difference-samuel
[1-4] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[5] https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Prayers-for-Forgiveness