Your guilt--buried!

Surely He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows (Isaiah 53:4).

In his book The Pilgrim’s Progress, John Bunyan presents a striking scene. He describes a Christian who is trying to escape the evils of the world, but is burdened with a large bundle he is carrying on his shoulders. The man arrives at a hill; on top of the hill stands a cross, and at the foot of the hill lies an open grave. As the man approaches the cross, his heavy burden is suddenly released from his shoulders, and it rolls downhill until it disappears into the open tomb.

This story gives us a wonderful picture of what our Savior is willing to do for us. Jesus, the Son of God, suffered and died on a cross to pay the penalty that we have incurred by all the ways that we have angered God. Jesus was buried in the grave that we deserved as just punishment for our careless disregard for God and our callous treatment of His children, our fellow Man. But Jesus rose from that grave alive, proving that all of God’s punishment of our sins has been carried out to completion and that death is not the end for those who believe in Jesus.

We carry around a heavy load of guilt and worry. We are burdened with regrets over the past, about things we should not have said and things we should have done. We are stressed about the present, wondering how we can correct the mistakes that are now making our lives miserable. And we worry about the future, wondering how we can find the strength to make it through another day.

Jesus can free you from those burdens. It was on the cross that Jesus offered Himself in compensation for all your mistakes; ask Him for forgiveness, and the Lord will remove your guilt. Your mistakes will roll down into Jesus’ grave, where they will lie dead and buried forever. This frees you to stop agonizing over the past so that you can be happy and productive today. And with the knowledge that your Savior will always forgive you, you can face the future with confidence, because nothing can separate you from the love and mercy of God's Son, Jesus Christ. Please join me in praying:

Lord Jesus, we thank You for loving us so much that You gave Your very life in exchange for ours. Please forgive us for our mistakes and free us from our guilt that we may serve You and each other in joy. Amen.