HOW BIG IS YOUR BURDEN?

THE BURDEN IS BORN        
At the dawn of time in the Garden of Eden the devil perpetrated the first deception on man. That was that man could be LIKE GOD. Nothing could be further from the truth. By getting man to buy into this lie, the devil was able to gain dominion over God's creation through the lust of man. That is why bad things happen on the earth. Man gave up his God Given authority over creation to the devil through the lust of his own flesh. The devil knew that man was not like God and through man's weakness, the lust of the flesh, he was able to manipulate man into destroying God's creation starting with himself.
     The law demonstrates the very attributes of God Himself, therefore, the only one that could fulfill the law was God Himself. God became flesh and fulfilled the law completely thus proving that He, Jesus Christ was God. He proclaimed that He had fulfilled it on the cross when He said, "It is finished." (John 19:30)

HOW BIG IS YOUR BURDEN?
       The bible is abundantly clear that our salvation is accomplished solely by the works of Jesus Christ alone. Why do many persist on putting so much emphasis on their own works for acceptance before God? Why do they continue to believe that their salvation is a GIFT that they must WORK to keep? How can a gift that is freely given unconditionally be kept conditionally? If you can keep your salvation by your own works, then you have reason to boast in yourself effectively proclaiming that you no longer need Christ to stay justified. How big is the burden of keeping yourself sanctified and justified by your own effort?
     It is abundantly clear in the gospel that we have been freely given the gift of righteousness and justification by faith in the works of Jesus Christ and not our own. (Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.) According to the Apostle Paul, the law was simply a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. After we come to Christ we no longer need the schoolmaster (the law of works) because we are justified by FAITH in Jesus. The law was simply meant to teach us of our need for Christ.

Galatians 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

     Paul explains this to the Romans in Romans 3:21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24  Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
     Did you see that? It is His righteousness that justifies us, not our own.


PUT DOWN THAT BURDEN
     Sadly, now when someone receives the forgiveness that is only by Jesus Christ, there are those that will teach them that they must go back to the schoolmaster and keep the law again which we have already learned by the law that we could not do. If we couldn't do it before we met Christ we can't do it after we know Him. We must DENY OURSELVES (our own works) and take up our cross and follow JESUS. We follow Him because He is the one that fulfilled the law and nailed it to the cross and our justification is only through faith in the name of Jesus. Christ has no effect to you if you seek justification by your own works.
 Galatians 5:4 Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

THE BURDEN IS THROWN DOWN
     The bible says that Christ BECAME SIN for us. (2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.) Did you get that? Jesus BECAME SIN. If He became sin then sin was crucified with Him on the cross and died there with Him. John says in 1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. The work of the devil is to get man to sin against God. Sin is no longer an issue when you come to Christ because Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death having experienced it in our place on the cross and we stand in His place as the righteousness of God as a GIFT. It is not of works that we became the righteousness of God. (Ephesians 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.) So you see, Christ has destroyed the work of the devil.

DON'T PICK UP THE BURDEN AGAIN

     God forbid that we should pick up that burden again after all that Christ has done to move it out of our way. Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Jesus proclaims:

Matthew 11:28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

CONCLUSION

      How big is your burden? Jesus promised eternal life to all who will believe. John 3:16. Eternal means forever, therefore, if you accept this gift IT IS FOREVER. There is NOTHING that can separate you from ETERNAL LIFE because by it's very nature it is ETERNAL. Jesus promised that He would NEVER leave you or forsake you. You can trust Jesus when He makes a promise. He will NEVER leave you for any reason. If you try to leave Him, you will simply take Him with you because when you invite Him into your heart, He will never leave. So put down that burden and take it to the cross and leave it there.

Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.