I think one of the hardest things for Christians to admit is their complicity in the whole scheme of things. That was driven home to me a while back when my church developed a program which had those in attendance write down something they needed to be forgiven for on a piece of paper and then nail it to a wooden cross on good Friday. The actual act of hammering those notes onto the cross had a profound effect on me and my walk in faith.

I came across lyrics in a Leeland song called “My Chains Hit the Ground”. Ponder this concept for a moment from the lyrics. “The thorns of my pain You wore in a crown.” Lord have mercy, the crown of thorns which was pressed down on Your brow was made from my pains, wrongdoings or sins. I have viewed the image enough times to be shaken by that thought. The love of Christ Jesus trickling down over His face in the droplets of blood caused by my sins. Though your sins be like scarlet they soon will be white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

The rest of that particular song verse says, “when You bowed Your head Your love was poured out and my chains hit the ground.”

Symbolically at least, when Easter morning came, the cross which had the multitude of sins hammered to it, was clear on Sunday morning, all the pieces of paper removed indicating that the forgiveness of those sins was complete and the chains hit the ground.

It does not matter how great our love is for the Lord, each of us is a thorn in His crown, as well as the nails that hammered His Hands and Feet to the Cross. That is the basis for our faith; that the only redemption is through His place in our belief. The cycle is only complete when we admit to our iniquities, seek Him for our forgiveness, and His blood is shed for us. Only then can our chains hit the ground……