The Be Attitudes of the Christian Walk ~ Be Forgiven

“My guilt overwhelms me—it is a burden too heavy to bear”. Psalm 38 Many of us carry the weight of our past sins, believing we must bear the burden alone. But God’s forgiveness is available to all who ask for it, offering freedom from guilt and a fresh start. Ephesians 1:7  reminds us that, ^“He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins.”  “And when sins have been forgiven, there is no need to offer any more sacrifices.”  Hebrews 10:18 This is the power of God’s grace and mercy, giving us the opportunity to be healed from guilt and live in the freedom Christ offers. 

In the classic tale, Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian is weighed down by the burden of guilt. He can’t seem to find relief from the plaguing weight he is carrying. He goes on a journey to find freedom from the guilt but is constantly distracted and mislead. He is told where to go and what to do to unload his burden, but he takes the long road to get there. 

For a long time, Christian didn’t know the heavy burden he was dragging along was guilt. He may have  believed since the sins that created the guilt were his, he must bear the burden of guilt alone. His guilt made him unproductive, physically weak, and less than effective in life. 

Christian read a book that told him about his sins. But somehow, he missed the part about the forgiveness of sin and the sacrifice that had been made once and for all. He carried the weight of his guilt far longer than was necessary.

How often, even as believers who know our sins are forgiven, do we carry the weight of guilt on our backs. Like Christian, we think we need to pay the price for our folly or earn God’s forgiveness. 

It is like a classic plot line in Hallmark movies; We will not accept charity. We don’t deserve it. I can take care of my problem myself. I got myself into this trouble, I will get myself out of it. 

As the old hymn says, “Oh, what needless pain we bear…”

Christian finally is relieved of the weight when he reaches the Celestial City and places his knapsack at the foot of the cross. But why did he have to carry the burden for so long? Was he not willing to part with it? Was he wallowing in self-condemnation? Did he think carrying his burden around would somehow make him more righteous or serve as a reminder to not do that particular sin again?

I can’t pretend to get into the mind of Jon Bunyan and know exactly what his character’s, Christian, intentions or thought were. But I can tell you I probably could answer yes to many of the above questions for myself.

I imagine Jon Bunyan read Psalm 38 in preparation for writing the epic odyssey. He journeyed with David as he relived the guilt for his sin and sought forgiveness and redemption from the only one who could provide it.  

Friends, we do not have to carry a knapsack full of guilt around with us. We can lay our burden at the foot of the cross and NEVER pick it up again. We are told that our Father has removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. And the east never meets the west! 

Scripture tells us that He forgives ALL our sins (Psalm 103) and to forget the past and fix our eyes on what lies ahead, and that is Heaven! 

^“ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” Philippians 3:13

If you struggle with guilt, I encourage you to believe that the God who created the universe, the one who gave His only son to die for our sin, has the power to forgive. We must let Him pry our fingers loose from that proverbial knapsack we carry and let Him relieve us of our burdens. 

Let’s lay down our knapsacks of guilt at the foot of the cross. We don’t need to carry our mistakes any longer. God has forgiven all our sins, and we are set free by His grace and mercy. 

We do not need to strive to be forgiven, we only need to ask and receive His forgiveness.

Amazing Love – I am forgiven, because you were forsaken…because you died and rose again. (click the link for an encouraging reminder of His forgiveness)

Reflection Questions:

1. Is there an incident or sin in your past that encroaches on your peace? 
2. Are you ready to accept God’s forgiveness and walk in the freedom He offers? 
3. Can you forgive yourself, knowing that God has already forgiven you? 
4. How can you use this as a path to forgiving others? 

Prayer:

Heavenly Father,

Please help me, once and for all, release the burden of guilt and receive the gift of forgiveness. Please show me the way and help me to walk in it the freedom You offer through Christ 

In Your Precious Name, Amen

For further reading:

Psalm 38

Ephesians 1

Hebrews 10

Next Week: The Be Attitudes of the Christian Walk ~ Be Forgiving