The Weight of your Sin
If you were to describe the commandments of God using 2 or 3 words, what would you say?
You might say true, perfect, right. Or you could describe them as good, sweet, and pure. You could think of words that describe the effects of the Word of God, like, reviving.
These are all correct answers that you know in your head. And hopefully we don’t just know these things, but we believe them.
What if I was able to ask your heart that same question, what word might it say? Our hearts may answer in a way that reveals what we actually believe in any given moment.
If I were to ask your hearts, “How would you describe the commandments of God?” In their honesty, they might answer and say: burdensome.
When you hear a commandment of God, what do you really think? Does your heart think perfect, pure, reviving? or burdensome? How does your heart respond when you hear:
“Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly.”
“Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable.”
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Is that reviving? or burdening?
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,”
“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.”
“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”
Perfect, pure, reviving? or burdening?
“Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”
These commandment are instructive and corrective, and I’m not saying they are easy, but it is the sin in our hearts that sees these commands as burdensome. It is our sin that has a fierce grip on our hearts, that can see these things as unbearable tasks. In our pride and selfishness, we think God’s asking too much, that he is burdening us with all his commands. But the burden we bear is the weight of our sin.
God’s Word leads us to life, our sin leads us to death. God’s Word revives and uplifts us. It is our sin that weighs us down and breaks our backs. God’s word helps us to see where the real problem lies.
I want to do something a little different this morning and end this short word of reflection by reading a longer passage from the book of Isaiah. I’d like us to hear directly from God’s Word how burdensome and destructive sin is, and God’s wonderful invitation to set us free from our burden.
Isaiah 1:2–18,
Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth;
for the LORD has spoken:
“Children have I reared and brought up,
but they have rebelled against me.
The ox knows its owner,
and the donkey its master’s crib,
but Israel does not know,
my people do not understand.”
Ah, sinful nation,
a people laden with iniquity,
offspring of evildoers,
children who deal corruptly!
They have forsaken the LORD,
they have despised the Holy One of Israel,
they are utterly estranged.
Why will you still be struck down?
Why will you continue to rebel?
The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint.
From the sole of the foot even to the head,
there is no soundness in it,
but bruises and sores
and raw wounds;
they are not pressed out or bound up
or softened with oil.
Your country lies desolate;
your cities are burned with fire;
in your very presence
foreigners devour your land;
it is desolate, as overthrown by foreigners.
And the daughter of Zion is left
like a booth in a vineyard,
like a lodge in a cucumber field,
like a besieged city.
If the LORD of hosts
had not left us a few survivors,
we should have been like Sodom,
and become like Gomorrah.
Hear the word of the LORD,
you rulers of Sodom!
Give ear to the teaching of our God,
you people of Gomorrah!
“What to me is the multitude of your sacrifices?
says the LORD;
I have had enough of burnt offerings of rams
and the fat of well-fed beasts;
I do not delight in the blood of bulls,
or of lambs, or of goats.
“When you come to appear before me,
who has required of you this trampling of my courts?
Bring no more vain offerings;
incense is an abomination to me.
New moon and Sabbath and the calling of convocations —
I cannot endure iniquity and solemn assembly.
Your new moons and your appointed feasts
my soul hates; they have become a burden to me;
I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands,
I will hide my eyes from you;
even though you make many prayers,
I will not listen;
your hands are full of blood.
Wash yourselves; make yourselves clean;
remove the evil of your deeds from before my eyes;
cease to do evil, learn to do good;
seek justice, correct oppression;
bring justice to the fatherless,
plead the widow’s cause.
“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD:
though your sins are like scarlet,
they shall be as white as snow;
though they are red like crimson,
they shall become like wool.”
Let’s pray,
Father, in your word we see the ruin that is brought about by the wickedness of your people in the Old Testament. And we at various times and in various ways, have done the same things. We have forgotten you and rebelled against you. If you were to mark iniquity no one could stand, but with you, there is forgiveness of sins. We are blown away that even after all we have done you would say “Come, let us reason together..” That you would invite us to think about what you are like. That you have told us that you are merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. So Father help us now to be quick to repent in this moment of silent confession…
Father we thank you that Jesus stepped into our place. That Jesus took the crushing weight of our sin and carried it to the cross. That our sin that had left a crimson stain was washed white as snow. That our darkened hearts have been cleansed and made new. Help us to delight in your Word that leads us to life, and help us worship Jesus who is The Word of Life. I ask this in Jesus name, Amen.
