He Carries the Load

I have a husband who was taught to act like a gentleman.  That means he sweetly grabs anything from my hands or grasp that is heavier than an envelope!  There have been times when I’ve seen that he’s already carrying something else and I’ve said,

“It’s okay, I’ve got it.” To which he replies,

“Denise, give it to me.”

It’s then that I open my hands and hand it over.  My load is lighter and I have appropriated all he desires to be as my husband – loving, leader, gentleman, and helper.

My load may not have been extremely heavy, but nonetheless, it was removed from me.

What kind of loads do you carry? Who lifts them from you?  Have you ever felt the weight of your sin bearing down on you?  There’s nothing heavier than feeling the heaviness of it.  The weight of guilt and sorrow can nearly bury us under its shame. It will often be the reason some Christians turn away from following the Lord!They figure their sin is too much to hand over to the Lord.  It’s been done too many times in their lives and they are ashamed, so they simply walk away.  But the sad thing is, they’re so very wrong, and they go on carrying their own load of sin.

What are we to do when we feel we are in a deep place because of our sin?

Since all sin is alike to God, it doesn’t’ even matter if it is what we would call a “little sin” or a “big one.”  It all is the same before a holy God.

I clearly remember one time as an adult that I was having a conversation with an old friend who was visiting.  She asked me a question about something – something that caused me embarrassment and my answer was… a lie.
I had my reasons which all seemed logical – but it was a sin!
As soon as I said it, the Spirit of God convicted me.  The weight of it was heavy. It brought sorrow to my heart.

Later that day when I was alone, I asked God to forgive me, and I have the promise in His Word that He did.  Then I made it right with my friend by confessing it to her and asking her forgiveness.

After confessing it to God, my load was lifted!  I had joy and peace once again!

I am comforted that I am not alone in this deep sorrow and weight of my sin…

Such is the case with the psalmist in Psalm 130.  Listen to what he says,

 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord.

² Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications.

The psalmist is in a deep place.  Self help is of no help when we are in deep places.

Where does he turn?  To the Lord.

The psalmist is feeling the weight of his sin.  As a child of God, we can expect the Holy Spirit to convict us when we sin.  But the blessing of that conviction is that there is a place to take it.  We don’t have to continue under its weight.

Remember what I just shared about my husband carrying my heavy things?  In a far greater way, the Lord Jesus wants us to let Him carry our load of sin and guilt.

I John 2:1,2 says

 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:

² And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is the propitiation, which means he has the power to atone for sacrifice.  Jesus is the satisfaction of God’s wrath for our sin.

Recently I picked up a bucket of ice and moved it across our patio.  My husband stepped out just as I was setting it down.

”Why are you carrying that? Why didn’t you ask me to help you? I’m right here and happy to help you.”

That’s exactly what Jesus is saying to us –

Why are you carrying the burden of your sin? I’ve already taken care of that!  Why don’t you bring that load of sin to me?”

The task of Him taking our sin is already done on the cross, but when we confess our sin (call it what God calls it), we are appropriating what He did for us on the cross!

The psalmist goes on to say,

³If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?

 “The word rendered above ‘mark’ is literally keep or watch, and seems to mean to take account of, or retain in remembrance, in order to punish.”

“It is true, the Lord marks all iniquity to know it, but he doesn’t  mark any iniquity in his children to condemn them for it: 

V 4 – But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

Years of previous relationship with God had taught the psalmist that there is, in fact, forgiveness with God.

It may be that you have sinned many times and grievously; but ‘there is forgiveness.’ Though a child of God, you have gone far astray from him; but ‘there is forgiveness.’ You have backslidden sadly and horribly; but ‘there is forgiveness.’ The devil comes and howls at you, and tells you that your doom is sealed, and your damnation is sure; but ‘there is forgiveness.’ Oh, blessed sentence!” ~ Spurgeon

Do you feel the load being lifted?  The weight of your sin being taken off of you and placed into the loving nail-scarred hands of Christ?

What then should be our response to God?  That You may be feared –

One of the great purposes of God’s great forgiveness is to build a sense of gratitude and reverence in those He forgives. His pardon should lead to purity and His forgiveness to an appropriate fear of displeasing the One who has been so gracious.

If I can use the illustration again of my husband carrying heavy things for me to illustrate this point consider that I’m about to lift, move or carry something heavy because I don’t want to bother Dale, or I’m in a hurry, and I hear him coming, I have a “fear” of him.  I can hear him in my mind saying, “Denise, what are you getting ready to do?” I remember how gracious he was to me in the past. Then I stop and call him to help me.

Rather than sin, we stop when we remember how merciful He’s been to forgive. (V. 7 ⁷ Let Israel hope in the Lord: for with the Lord there is mercy).  This comes from a healthy fear of displeasing our loving God!

Too many Christians have trusted Christ, then fallen away because of the deep sin that is overwhelming them. They may feel their sin is “too great” to be forgiven. We must remember what has already been appropriated for us – FORGIVENESS!
It’s ours already.
Remember it, then do what I do each time I stand before something heavy – Call out to the One Who has lifted that load so many times before and then enjoy the journey of walking with no burden of guilt in your arms!

How refreshing is it to remember that we don’t have to carry the load of our sin?!  Praise His sweet Name!