11 March 2026

We have heard for ourselves … and we know that Jesus is truly the Saviour of the World. He is the one, nay, he is the only one who can ultimately remove the burdens which we carry on  our backs like an  erstwhile Pilgrim making his progress to the Celestial City.  

‘Rarely will anyone die for a righteous person …!’ says St. Paul. Can you name one? ‘Though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die.’ And who comes into this category of goodness?

‘But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.’ Now we have no problem asking, ‘Who comes into this category?’ It’s not just  one nor two nor one here nor there. It is  everyone and the beauty of it all is that we are all united in our need and in our sin!

We may miss being classed as righteous and we may miss being classed as good. But none of us will ever miss being classed as a sinner. And if our boast is not in this categorisation, it is most assuredly in the fact that Christ died for all of us!

It’s this amazing grace that Bunyan wanted to share with his readership in his famous ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’. It’s the cross which loosens the burden on Christian’s back. The discovery that there is a love in our universe which transcends all that we do and embraces all that we are!

There isn’t anybody in ur Kirk who doesn’t sense their need nor is untroubled by the baggage which they  carry around. Turn to God and be free. Let his forgiveness and mercy transform your hearts and rise with Bunyan and Wesley to sing of his goodness and grace:

And can it be that I should gain

an interest in my Saviour’s blood?

Died he for me, who caused his pain –

for me, who him to death pursued?

Amazing love! how can it be

that thou, my God, shouldst die for me?

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