Hebrew 12:1b Let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us and persevere in running the race that lies before us.
The heaviest burden that crushes the soul is sin, shame and guilt. Weight of sin is like a wet sandbag on our back. What the devil touts as leisure, pleasure, freedom and autonomy is only slavery and stigma. The race will slowdown when we carry a heavy backpack on our back. Similarly, the burden of secret sins will slowdown, stagger and stumble us into smirch. “All men make mistakes, only wise men learn from it.”
The treachery of trespassing is unbearable. The same demons that lure us to temptation are the same demons that will push us into guilt. There was one rotten apple in the basket of ‘the disciples of Jesus’. Judas the Iscariot, was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it (John 12:6). While Jesus was teaching the “Lord’s Prayer”, He would have looked at Judas when he said, “do not lead us into temptation” (Matthew 6:13). Judas was never fired from his position of the treasurer even though Jesus was fully aware of the robbery and practice of usury. Jesus gave Judas 3 ½ years to repent.
The same demons that enticed Judas to steal and even sell Jesus for 30 silver coins, barraged him with guilt. Judas could not bear to see Jesus being dragged to the cross. He threw the silver coins back at the Pharisees and cried, “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” (Matthew 27:4). The tempting demons also tortured him to take his life for betraying Jesus.
Three ways get rid of the sandbag of sin:
1. Repent: The only antidote to wipe away the stain of sin and shame is the “blood of Jesus”. Repentance means making a ‘right about turn’. It is a pledge never to go back to our sinful past. When we repent, Jesus deletes all the corrupt files of our life and throws them into the deleted folder. No demon has access to the deleted folders of our life. Past and pitiful pitfalls are drowned and never to be revisited. The blood is the seal over our repented sins (deleted folders). Repentance removes the sandbag of sin.
2. Record: The blood of Jesus re-records our birth certificate in Heaven. Our surname, legal title and sonship is rewritten with the Book of Life. Rahab the prostitute is recorded as a “redeemed hooker” not a regretful harlot. Our sin-sandbag is under the altar, covered by the blood and no one has the right to revisit it, including ourselves. The records are re-written.
- Repaid: The blood pardons. We are not under parole but have been pardoned. When the devil tries to bring up our past to condemn us, Jesus will show His blood as the full and final settlement for our sins. Our past, present and future sins have been repaid by the blood. Repaid in full.
The blood eradicates the burden of sin.
Psalm 84:6 I removed the burden from their shoulders.
Prayer: Jesus my Redeemer, Thank You, Thank you for your precious blood that has removed my truckload of sins. Amen.
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