When the Burden of Sin is Overwhelming…
You are a sinner.
You have sinned in thought, word, deed
by your fault, your own fault, your own most grievous fault.
You cannot hide your sin and guilt from God
and you do not deserve His compassion.
You stand convicted before a holy God.
And yet, God the Father, in His love and mercy,
has given His only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ,
to take all of your unrighteousness upon Himself by His sacrificial death.
Yes, all the world’s sin was placed upon Jesus on the cross,
and He was crushed for it.
Jesus was crushed, so we would not be crushed.
Jesus bore the weight of our sins, so we could be forgiven.
Jesus died and then rise from the dead, so that we who die, could also rise to life again.
Now, you may rejoice that your grievous sins are completely forgiven in Christ.
Thus, when the burden of your sins is overwhelming,
look to your Saviour Jesus and believe these words:
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit”. Acts 2:3
The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy. Proverbs 28:13
He touched my mouth with it and said: Now that this has touched your lips, your iniquity is removed and your sin is atoned for. Isaiah 6:7
If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:8-9
Jesus Christ the righteous one… is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world. 1 John 2:1-2
“Come, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool. Isaiah 1:18
For I will forgive their wrongdoing, and I will never again remember their sins. Hebrews 8:12
For while we were still helpless, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person—though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die.But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:6-8
This is what the Lord says—I am the one, I sweep away your transgressions for my own sake and remember your sins no more. Isaiah 43:16, 25
Who can bring an accusation against God’s elect? God is the one who justifies. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is the one who died, but even more, has been raised; he also is at the right hand of God and intercedes for us. Romans 8:33-34
How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit! When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Psalm 32:1-5
In Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.…Therefore,…we plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-21
Lord of mercy, my sins are a burden too heavy for me to carry. Sometimes, the guilt feels overwhelming. Please lift my eyes about my sins to behold the cross of Christ. Help me to remember that Jesus took all of my unrighteousness upon Himself by His sacrificial death. Lead me to rejoice that though my sins were as scarlet, they are now as white as snow—completely forgiven and erased. Thank You for giving me a Saviour who did for me what I could not do for myself. Because of Jesus, I want to thank and praise You, serve and obey You forever. I pray this in the name of Jesus, who removed my sins as far as the east is from the west. Amen.
* Prayer from Equipped: The Armor of God for Everyday Struggles, by Christopher M. Kennedy and available for purchase from Concordia Publishing House
With great joy in the Lord’s gift of forgiveness, Trinity Lutheran Church provides Holy Absolution every Sunday morning at our 10:00 service. All are welcome. The following excerpt from Luther’s Small Catechism is a helpful summary of what our church teaches concerning confession and absolution.
What is confession?
Confession has two parts. First, that we confess our sins, and second, that we receive absolution, that is, forgiveness, from the pastor as from God Himself, not doubting, but firmly believing that by it our sins are forgiven before God in heaven.
What sins should we confess?
Before God we should plead guilty of all sins, even those we are not aware of, as we do in the Lord’s Prayer; but before the pastor we should confess only those sins which we know and feel in our hearts.
Which are these?
Consider your place in life according to the Ten Commandments: Are you a father, mother, son, daughter, husband, wife, or worker? Have you been disobedient, unfaithful, or lazy? Have you been hot-tempered, rude, or quarrelsome? Have you hurt someone by your words or deeds? Have you stolen, been negligent, wasted anything, or done any harm?
What is the Office of the Keys?
The Office of the Keys is that special authority which Christ has given to His church on earth to forgive the sins of repentant sinners, but to withhold forgiveness from the unrepentant as long as they do not repent.
Where is this written?
This is what St. John the Evangelist writes in chapter twenty: The Lord Jesus breathed on His disciples and said, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven” (John 20:22-23).
What do you believe according to these words?
I believe that when the called ministers of Christ deal with us by His divine command, in particular when they exclude openly unrepentant sinners from the Christian congregation and absolve those who repent of their sins and want to do better, this is just as valid and certain, even in heaven, as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.
* Luther’s Small Catechism, available for purchase from Concordia Publishing House
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