Shedding Your Burden

“This is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26;28, NKJV).

The greatest burden that we carry is sin which separates us from God. Not confessing and shedding sin causes the weight of that burden to weigh even heavier upon us. David wrote of the weight of this burden. “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (Psalm 32:3-4, NLT).

The Law given to Moses was never meant to forgive sin. The Law only revealed sin. Shedding the blood of animals could never bring a perfect and complete atonement for the sin which the Law revealed (Hebrews 9:23). A perfect sacrifice was needed, and God chose His son, Jesus Christ, to be that perfect sacrifice. In the Upper Room the night before His death, Jesus raised a cup of wine, gave thanks and said, “'Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins'” (Matthew 26:27b-28, NIV). Jesus shed his blood on Calvary to forgive you and to forgive me. He shed His blood so that we might, when shedding the sin which so heavily burdens, find lasting freedom from its ability to control our lives.

“Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,” writes the author to the Hebrews (Hebrews 12:1, NIV). “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9, NIV). If we confess and shed the sin that entangles, He faithfully forgives. He not only forgives but purifies our heart. There is no sin too great that cannot be forgiven. Where sin increases, the grace of Jesus increases all the more (Romans 5:20).

“Everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard” Romans 3:23, NLT). There is not a day that goes by where sin does not try to rear its ugly head. Not one of us is perfect. Only Jesus was perfect, and became the perfect sacrifice to forgive us. Never allow the weight of sin to tear your life apart. Continually and daily lay your life before the perfect sacrifice, and the power to shed whatever sin plagues your life will be yours.