"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)
There was a soldier who had burning sensations on the bottom of his feet. All he could think about was a sermon he had heard as a child. It was a fire and brimstone sermon it went something like, "you are dangling over hell by a piece of thread and God is going to cut that thread anytime." The preacher goes on to tell of a man whom on his death bed had burning sensations on the bottom of his feet. The preacher tells the man it was a warning from God and that he needed to repent or he would go to hell. But the man could not repent, he tried but could not, so he died and went to hell the preacher said. The soldier relates to the man on the death bed, he tries very hard to repent but can't. Years later he was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in his feet, nerve damage which causes burning sensations, most likely due to walking, in the Infantry, with heavy loads on his feet. The soldier later comes to Christ and tells this story. A heavy burden was placed upon him, a yoke he could not lift. Jesus said this of the pharisees, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4). Repentance is of the will of God, with no regrets, but the sorrow of this world produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
"For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Those who believe in Jesus are free from the yoke of slavery, "for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery" (Galatians 5:1). Those in Christ are taught by him, "the helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you" (John 14:26). And they find strength in weakness (Romans 8:26), and with His yoke can do His will, “if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you" (John 14:15-17). No one can be saved without His Spirit drawing, "no man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day" (John 6:44). Neither will they be persuaded though someone rose from the dead. "If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead."
Only through Jesus can one be saved, he is the word of truth and gospel of salvation, "in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13). Jesus brings life not death, "a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). And He is Spirit and freedom, "now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). And He gives hope beyond wishful thinking, "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:1). And He leads us (Luke 4:1). And He loves us, "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5 ). And He justifies and sanctifies, "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). And He gives us the will to do His will, "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good" (Philippians 2:13).
There was a soldier who had burning sensations on the bottom of his feet. All he could think about was a sermon he had heard as a child. It was a fire and brimstone sermon it went something like, "you are dangling over hell by a piece of thread and God is going to cut that thread anytime." The preacher goes on to tell of a man whom on his death bed had burning sensations on the bottom of his feet. The preacher tells the man it was a warning from God and that he needed to repent or he would go to hell. But the man could not repent, he tried but could not, so he died and went to hell the preacher said. The soldier relates to the man on the death bed, he tries very hard to repent but can't. Years later he was diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy in his feet, nerve damage which causes burning sensations, most likely due to walking, in the Infantry, with heavy loads on his feet. The soldier later comes to Christ and tells this story. A heavy burden was placed upon him, a yoke he could not lift. Jesus said this of the pharisees, "For they bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers" (Matthew 23:4). Repentance is of the will of God, with no regrets, but the sorrow of this world produces death (2 Corinthians 7:10).
Only through Jesus can one be saved, he is the word of truth and gospel of salvation, "in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit" (Ephesians 1:13). Jesus brings life not death, "a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" (2 Corinthians 3:6). And He is Spirit and freedom, "now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). And He gives hope beyond wishful thinking, "may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope" (Romans 15:1). And He leads us (Luke 4:1). And He loves us, "And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us" (Romans 5:5 ). And He justifies and sanctifies, "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God" (1 Corinthians 6:11). And He gives us the will to do His will, "for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good" (Philippians 2:13).
If Jesus is light and the Spirit lives in us then abiding in Him is walking in the light and by the Spirit and the Spirit will draw others to him by our walk and words (1 John 1:7; Galatians 5:24-25; John 6:44). Without His yoke we have what Paul called the ministry of death and condemnation (2 Corinthians 3:7-9). Jesus conquered death and there is no condemnation in Him, a house divided can not stand. Oh, death and condemnation is a heavy burden to put on someone, why would you when there is Good News. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved" (John 3:16-17). Jesus came to save and not to condemn! If it is good enough for Jesus it is good enough for me. We have an anointing to proclaim the Good News! “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed," (Luke 4:18).