I stumbled up this site looking for the inspiration of a song by United Pursuit. Found this gem of a site full of interesting blogs and came across one titled "Talking to Tombstones" I wanted to share this with you because it's such a great reminder that as Jesus left the grave behind so can we. The past sins of our lives don't have to be carried into our future holding us back from what the Lord has for us. The life won for us is death to sin and choosing a life in abundance with the one who has the victory.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
Below is the blog post copied as well as the link to their website.
Talking to Tombstones, pt. I
I don’t know about you, but mistakes always seem to haunt me, and there are sins that I struggle with that can make me feel like I’m in this vicious “lather, rinse, repeat” cycle. It can feel like you're carrying a huge weight or like you’re trapped in a corn maze and can’t find a way out or like you’re playing Chutes & Ladders and you’re killin’ the game but then you keep landing on the stupid chute that basically takes you back to square one. I could keep going, but you get the point.
For a really long time, I tried to deal with my sins (and the mess that followed) on my own. I was sold on the idea that I would rather take them with me to my grave than talk to God about it and ask for His forgiveness. I John 1:9 (NIV) says. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” It seems so simple, right?
I knew that that’s all I had to do, but I was too ashamed and embarrassed to do that. I couldn’t even get myself to ask for prayer at church or talk to my close friends about those things. I’m not lying when I say that I was dead set on taking them to my grave. As I was getting myself ready to write this, I started listening to "So Will I (100 Billion X)" by Hillsong United, which I’ve heard a hundred billion times (lol), but this time, a particular verse caught my attention - “If you left the grave behind you, so will I.” I never really realized it before, but dang - that’s such a beautiful picture. When Jesus died, He took our sins with Him to His grave so we didn’t have to take them with us to ours. And in the same way that He left His grave after coming back to life, we are free to leave the graves of past mistakes and the sins we struggle with. Growing up in Sunday school, the Easter Sunday message was boiled down to the simple phrase - "Jesus died for our sins." I never really sat on how huge that is. He straight up died for EVERY sin we’ve ever committed and EVERY sin that we’re going to commit. Through Jesus, we are set free from the bondage of sin and death. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:3 NIV)
Through Jesus, the sins we’re struggling with and the mistakes we have made have already been proclaimed dead. I know that that sounds like a simple or "too good to be true" response to the complications and mess of sin and regret, but I'm telling you - it is as simple and as good as that sounds. Through Jesus, the sins we’re struggling with and the mistakes we have made have already been proclaimed dead.
God knows that we're human and we aren't perfect, and that's why he provided a way out for us. That's why he provided a way for us to have a life of freedom and victory. That's why He provided Jesus. To this day, He continues to provide us mercy that is new every morning, grace that never runs out, and an endless supply of love. All we have to do is turn to Him and lay down the mistakes and sins that we carry. There are graves dug up for our sins, and it’s up to us whether we want to keep carrying them with us or if we want to bury the sins that Jesus already died for.