“Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.”
Galatians 5:4
“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10
“For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”
1 Corinthians 3:9
Before diving into this sensitive subject “The Burden of Sin,” understand one thing: we are all sinners. We’re all specks of dirt, and we all deal with the same sins. My husband is a preacher, but he is still a human being with a sin nature just like you and me.
Type 1: Living in Open Sin
Therefore, there are two types of people when it comes to the burden of sin. There is a group of people that are saved, and they know they are going to Heaven. Consequently though, they are living with a bad mindset. They openly sin because they think, “I’m still going to Heaven, so how I live doesn’t matter.” The church in Galatia had this same mindset. Paul addresses them by saying in Galatians 5:4, “Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.” This means that they were not living unto Christ. They were saved, but they were living however they wanted instead of living a sanctified life.
Do you identify with this group? If so, you’re not alone. Most Christians have found themselves with this burden of sin, but take heart. There is grace!
What Should I Do With This Burden of Sin?
So how do we combat this mindset? First, we have to realize that we’re living in sin. How can we correct a behavior if we do not know it is wrong? Acknowledge to God that you have been living in sin, and just be honest with Him. Tell him you don’t want to live this way anymore. You desire for God to renew your mind. You can even pray, “Create in me a clean heart, oh God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). King David found himself praying this prayer because he had fallen from this same grace. He had taken another man’s wife, and she became pregnant. To take her as his own wife, David had her husband killed. David was living openly in sin, and lots of family problems stemmed from this.
However, David started to pump the brakes there. He realized he wasn’t right with God. So, he prayed for God to “renew a right spirit within (him).” David got right with God, friend! Then he forsook some of those sins. Why? He did it because it hurt his relationship with Christ. We have to have that same mindset; we want God to create in a us a “clean heart” so that we can have a better relationship with him.
Type 2: Newborn Christians Needing Instruction
As for the second group of people, these are also fellow saints that sin. Nevertheless, they hate their sins. This person might be a drunk, but he hates every drink he takes. Many people that identify with this group are newborn Christians.
As new converts, these people are searching for guidance and instruction. What these people need the most is love and support from the body of Christ. God says to “resist the proud and give grace to the humble.” These are people that have been humbled by their sins. Instead of us turning our nose up at them, we need to embrace them because they’re in need of our grace. Paul writes to the church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 3:9, “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.” As the body of Christ, we are knit together closely for the purpose of loving one another. Through love, we can help encourage others to forsake sin and live a holy life.
What Should I Do With This Burden of Sin?
If you find yourself in the shoes of this second group, you’re in great company. Many of us had to learn how to forsake our sins. Trust me, it didn’t happen overnight either! Leaving your sin is all done through sanctification. Sanctification means to be set apart as a life of service unto Christ. This looks different for everyone, but it’s us trying to live a life for Christ. Sanctification is a life-long process. It takes time to break away from sin. So if you find yourself struggling, be of good cheer! We’ve all been there or are there with you, but for the glory of God, I’m thankful He never leaves us where He found us!
God is a God of forgiveness and grace. He can pick you up, brush you off, and set your feet on solid ground. His love doesn’t run out just because you’ve sinned. He doesn’t give up that easily, friend. He has a way of taking the dirtiest feet and cleaning them off. He also has a way of purging us white as snow. We just have to be willing to let Him search us. Only then can we be delivered from the burden of sin.
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