Mariposa Kisses (aka Dianne's Blog)

You’re probably thinking, “Now that’s an odd title for an article?” What does the cross have in common with a dumpster? Well, in fact, the two have quite a bit in common. The cross is the place where Christ bore all the sins of the world, including yours and mine, absolving us from our past, present, and future guilt. According to Webster’s New World Dictionary, sin is defined as, “…any offense or fault.” For the Christian, the cross is the place where we can lay down all of our offenses and faults and not have to feel guilt for them. We no longer have to pay for our sins with our own good works or with physical sacrifices or offerings as the Jews of the Old Testament had to do. We get to set our burdens at the foot of the cross and walk away empty handed, because Christ paid the price for us. In Matthew 26:28, Christ is recorded saying, “For this is my blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.” The weight of our sins is gone, paid for in full. There is no outstanding balance. Or, is there?

We know cognitively that we are not required to pay for our sins once we have confessed them to the Lord, but many of us lay them down at the cross and then take them back. We feel compelled to pay for them on our own, even though it does no good. The Bible makes it clear that we can add nothing to the payment Christ already made for us, for it was perfect and wholly adequate. We must simply put our faith in Christ and confess our sins to him. The Bible says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1John 1:9). Likewise, the Bible clearly affirms in Acts that it is belief in Christ that clears one of his sinfulness. Acts 10:43 declares, “…whoever believes in Him (Christ) will receive remission of sins.”

Similar to the cross sits the average household dumpster. It is the place where you can deposit all of your household waste, the things that you want to get rid of permanently. People do not generally throw their trash into the dumpster with the intention of taking it back. The rubbish is thrown into the magical bin and it never returns to your home. The trash company takes it from you, forever. It might sound insulting to equate God with the trash company; however, metaphorically speaking, it works, if you think it through. He too wants to pick up your garbage and take it from you eternally. He doesn’t want you to sift through the trash can to retrieve your old waste. Isn’t that a disgusting thought, to sort through your old trash? And yet, we as Christians rummage through our spiritual trash bins looking for old offenses and faults.

It seems obvious that we as Christians should not take back the burden of our past sins. Once we lay them down at the cross, we should walk away and not look back. Sure, we will need to deposit new ones at the cross, asking the Lord for forgiveness and cleansing, and then similarly walk away with HIS peace. We should take a deep sigh of relief that says, “Ah, it’s paid for and I’m free.” Hebrews chapter ten affirms the adequate payment Christ made on the cross for the believer. It proclaims in verse twelve, “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God.” It then goes on in verse seventeen quoting Jeremiah 31:34 stating, “…‘Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’” Paul concludes this point in verse eighteen saying, “Now where there is remission of these, there is no longer an offering for sin.” It doesn’t mean we should take what Christ did at the cross lightly. But, it does mean we should take it seriously enough to honor what Christ did when he paid for our sins in full. Because of this, we should not take back our sins as if his payment was inadequate. Next time you take your trash cans out to the dumpster and dispose of your household refuse, think of the cross and how you can correspondingly let go of your personal garbage for good. You can walk away and feel your burdens lifted. When Satan tempts you to take them back, picture Christ hanging from the cross saying, “It is done.” Then, spend some time in prayer thanking Jesus for the amazing forgiveness he offers you.