Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole.” –Galatians 3:13
I’ve read this verse many times. It’s about the crucifixion of Jesus. But lately it popped into my mind and I became curious about it. I realized I had never really spent much time mulling this one over. It was straightforward, right? Or was there something I have been missing? Why do I now have questions?
First of all, what does it mean to be redeemed from the curse of the law?
Redeemed – The only thought that comes immediately to my mind is redeeming a coupon. But here it doesn’t really represent “to buy back” as this word is commonly used. In the original language (Greek) it means to make payment, but especially carrying the idea of a transfer of ownership. In a context of salvation, as here, believers become Christ’s unique and special possession. (J. Thayer) So Christ was crucified (made a payment) so we could become His own, private, highly-prized, special treasure. How awesome is that!!?!
Curse of the law – In modern usage we usually use curse to describe using all those four-letter words we use when we get angry. But in the context of Galatians it is more closely aligned to invoking a magic spell by speaking with evil intent or harm toward another person. It is the penalty for disobedience to God’s Laws describe in the first five books of the Bible. It is spelled out in detail in Deuteronomy 28. There are many horrible and ghastly things that go along with this curse.
I am only going to highlight a handful of those things that are included in the curse of the law:
- sicknesses and diseases
- fear
- anxiety
- despair
But which sicknesses and diseases are included? Are you sitting down? Ready? Here we go—ALL OF THEM! Really? There are lots of bad diseases, conditions, and sicknesses recounted in chapter 28. How can you say all sicknesses? There are so many diseases being found every year in modern science. Surely not all of these are listed in a document that is several thousand years old. On that note, you are correct. They are not listed individually. But take a look at this verse:
The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed. –Deuteronomy 28:61
There it is. Plain as day. An all encompassing verse covering any sickness or disaster that is not even listed here. Whoa! So what does this really mean? Are you saying that Christ’s death and resurrection frees us from every sickness, disease, or condition? Well technically I am not saying anything new. It’s already there. Read it yourself in you favorite version.
But if that is true, then why do Christians get sick? Um. I’m not sure. But what I do know is that we don’t have to take it on the chin and accept everything that comes our way. If it’s part of the curse of the law we can actively resist it by giving thanks to God for what Christ has already accomplished. Every time you think of it, thank God for redeeming you from sickness and disease. Even if it seems like it isn’t working. And don’t take a guilt trip if you don’t see immediate results. And don’t feel bad if you don’t understand. Just know that God has made His promise to you on the merits of the blood of Jesus. And we found out from the last blog that you cannot break a promise that you didn’t make. It is God’s promise to you. You didn’t earn it. You didn’t deserve it. But He loves you and has extended His favor toward you. He wants you well. You belong to Him. You are His own child. You care for your own children and would never want them to be sick. How much more Your Heavenly Father wants you well!
Now what about fear? Isn’t that an emotion? And aren’t there a bunch of different kinds of fear? How can that be part of the curse of the law? Well. Take a look at this:
You will live in constant suspense, filled with dread both night and day, never sure of your life. In the morning you will say, “If only it were evening!” and in the evening, “If only it were morning!”—because of the terror that will fill your hearts and the sights that your eyes will see. –Deuteronomy 28:66-67
Wow! Constant suspense? Suspense in a movie is ok, but in real life? Not so much. And filled with dread night and day? No thanks. Never sure of your life? That sounds pretty debilitating. Terror filling your heart and in all you see? Oofah. That is some horrible fear. But that is part of the curse of the law. And Jesus blood has saved us out of this gripping fear. Say goodbye to fear eating away at your mind and paralyzing you. We are free from that fear because of all that Jesus has accomplished. Even if you are currently experiencing fear. Say with you mouth “Thank you, Jesus, for freeing me from the curse of the law. Thank you for releasing me from the bondage of fear!” You would never wish fear upon your own children. God is the perfect Father. How much more He wants you to walk in the freedom that is already yours because of what Jesus has accomplished!
Today, anxiety seems to be everywhere. People are bent over with the weight of many worries and cares. In fact, in some folks, the anxieties are so frequent that all the causes seem to blur. They are anxious but they no longer even know why. Every day they wake up worried, nervous, and burdened down. Despair is a close relative of anxiety. After you’ve been entangled by the tentacles of anxiety long enough your future begins to get dark. You lose hope. And you find yourself in despair. Let’s see how these things occur in the curse of the law:
Among those nations you will find no repose, no resting place for the sole of your foot. There the Lord will give you an anxious mind, eyes weary with longing, and a despairing heart. –Deuteronomy 28:65
There they are—an anxious mind and a despairing heart. These are part of the curse of the law. They cannot cling to you anymore because of Christ’s death and resurrection. Maybe you are in the middle of a fight with anxiety and hopelessness. You don’t have to fight in your own strength. Again, thankfulness is the key. Say it out loud with your own mouth, “Help me, Lord! Thank you, Jesus, for saving me from anxiety and despair. Thank you for redeeming me from the curse of the law!” Do you feel like you don’t deserve this? Perfect! There is nothing you can do to earn your way out of anxiety. There is nothing you can do to merit being free from despair. But, in acknowledging your own weakness and consenting to the miracle-working power and love of the risen Christ, you will open yourself up to receive comfort and healing for your broken heart. It’s His promise to you. He cares for you more than you can possibly imagine. He knows your pain. He knows your hurt. He knows your weaknesses. God doesn’t love you any less for any of those things. He wants you well. He wants you to be sound and in your right mind.
If you are already seeing a doctor or psychologist or other professional, then keep seeing them. Let them give you a pronouncement of cured or healthy. And if you think you need the help of a professional, then by all means you should go. But your faith should be in God whether or not you are getting help or not.
If this all seems foreign to you, then put it on the shelf of your mind. Think about it. Pray about it. Check your heart. Listen to God. Mull it over. Read more Scriptures.
I have written this in simple fashion. I do not mean to belittle your circumstances or your situation in any way. These things are very powerful. These issues can keep you from your destiny. They can keep you from your dreams. They can prevent you from doing what God wants in your life. They can ruin you financially. They can destroy your hopes. They can cause relationships to go sour. They can steal your peace.
Remember from the last post that Jesus is our New Covenant. All of the requirements were fulfilled in Him. And all of the penalty was satisfied in Him. All we have is a promise from Jesus. A promise to make us joint heirs of all that He has earned. There are no requirements to break in a promise that is given by someone else. So it is with Christ’s promise to us. We cannot break a promise we didn’t make. All of our penalty for disobedience was swallowed up in Christ’s blood. All of the blessings were made available to us through Him.
In Christ, we have all of the blessings and none of the curses. And He offers it freely to us—undeserved and unmerited. He gives it to us out His great love for us. And this my friends is real grace. He paid for us with His blood on the cross so we could become His very own family. We are His special, prized treasure! He looks out for us every day. He is with us always. And nothing can separate us from His love!
Duct Tape Rx 