"LET IT GO"

By Jay Pearson

Let me start with an assumption. I’m assuming that we have something in common. What I believe we have in common is sin in our life. One more assumption is that we don’t like it, we don’t want it, and battle to get rid of it. Now speaking of myself my problem is the reluctance to let it go, the sin in my life. I struggle with myself trying to fight these sins in my own way and with my own strength. I do this even after I have gone to the Lord and given to problem to him. It is a sin to not trust the Lord. There are consequences to sin. If you also find you have such a problem that I have described. We need to let it go and trust the Lord.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Not fully trusting the Lord is one of my problems. The word fully should raise a flag here. Like trusting a little is a good thing. No I think trusting the Lord is what Proverbs is talking about. I’m either trusting or not trusting. Doubt is the wedge between the two. Maybe you have this problem or one similar in your circumstances. So what are we going to do with our sin and not trusting the Lord with our doubt, worries, fears for our self or loved ones.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

I profess to have faith in God. My actions though seem to point to more faith in myself. If you can relate to any of this struggle I thank the Lord to help strengthen us toward his deliverance and away from our own solutions. I’m reminded of the wonderful hymn He Giveth More Grace. The line that resonates to me is, When we reach the end of our hoarded resources, Our Father’s full giving is only begun. Please God, help us to cast our cares upon you in faith and let it go.

Psalm 103:10-13
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

The Father doesn’t keep our confessed sins close by. Before men had Holy Spirit within and Jesus Christ as the Lord and savior, God provided a temporary way for man to be free from sin. He instructed the Israel High Priest to offer sacrifice two goats for the sins of the people yearly. One was killed as a sacrifice. One was a scape goat. The High Priest would lay his hands upon the goat’s head and transfer the people’s sins upon the goat and send it off in the wilderness taking the sins of the people away. It would be nullified if the High Priest or the people chased after the goat and brought it back. That would be crazy. They had to let it go. This was commanded by God. God explains it much better than I can in Leviticus chapter 16 for further reading. Here are a couple of verses on the subject. 

Leviticus 16:22
And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities unto a land not inhabited: and he shall let go the goat in the wilderness.

Leviticus 16:26
And he that let go the goat for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward come into the camp.

It was important to let it go, the scape goat to carry their sins away. Taking it back was not a faithful thing to do nor even an option.  It would not end well for the pursuer.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

If we are going to cast our care upon Jesus in faith, we have to let it go. Thankfully we don’t have a scape goat that takes our sin temporarily out in the wilderness that we can’t see and feel. We have the residing Holy Spirit within to reassure us and forgive our short comings of doubt, worry, and fear. Christ within to whisper, Let it go, I’ll care for you.

What time is it? It’s time to Let it go. Cast your cares on him in faith and don’t take them back. Let it go.

1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Proverbs 3:5-6
5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Jesus has got this. Let it go.

 

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Presented August 13, 2017 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana