Suppose you went out hiking one day somewhere in the mountains, and you brought along a very heavy backpack. The farther you hiked, the more exhausted you got, all because of that backpack.

But then suppose someone came along who was obviously much stronger than you, and he offered to carry the backpack for you. What would you do? You could refuse, of course, perhaps out of pride or stubbornness. But it would be far better for you to accept his offer and let him carry the backpack. And once you did, you wouldn’t be carrying it any longer. You would be free.

This is similar to what Jesus promises to do for us. We have sinned—every one of us—and our sins are like a heavy burden that weighs us down. But on the cross Jesus paid the price for our sins. All our sins were transferred to Him and He took the punishment we deserve. And when we come to Him and accept Him as our Lord and Saviour, He takes the burden of our sin from our shoulders and puts it on His. Now we are free!

By a simple prayer of faith ask Christ to take away your burden of sin—and He will. His promise is for you: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Take the burden of your sins and give them to Him—and when you do, you can be confident that you are now forgiven.