Daily Archive

“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.” Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, “The man who does these things will live by them.” 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 tree.” He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit” (Galatians 3:10-14).

The Bible is filled with blessings. We like to focus on these positive affirmations of God’s goodness towards His children. The Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-12) come quickly to mind as an example of God’s graciousness towards His people. But the Bible is also filled with curses and there is a curse motif that threads its way through God’s word. Although we prefer to think of God as totally beneficent we must know that He is as fully capable of cursing people as He is blessing them. The Old Testament prophets (and Jesus as well) remind us of this fact. We do well to understand this because, in the end, it is a propitiational curse from God that most blesses us.

We see God’s curse on sinful man early on in history. After Adam’s fall God pronounces curses on the Serpent, the earth itself, and God’s anathema included pain in childbirth (Genesis 3:14-18). The most significant consequence of man’s fall was his banishment from the garden and God’s presence. Later He struck a covenant with man that qualified his relationship with God. It was based upon obedience to the law of the Old Covenant. When man obeyed the law (covenant) he was blessed in every aspect of his life (see Deuteronomy 28:1-6). When he disobeyed he was cursed in a similar manner (see Deuteronomy 28:15-19). Hence the law, and man’s inability to keep it, became his greatest curse. A holy God demanded perfect obedience to His covenant we are incapable of such perfection.

In other words, the keeping of the law is only satisfactory to God if it is kept completely (James 2:10) and continually. That is why Paul says we are cursed by attempting to satisfy God’s righteous demands by obeying the law (v. 10) because such a pursuit will result only in failure (see Romans 3:9-20). We are only justified by faith and a life that is based upon faith. But faith in what? Christ’s redemption from the curse by His substitutionary atonement for our sin (our inability to keep all of the law all of the time). And He did this by becoming a curse and by absorbing our curse – the judgment and wrath of a holy God against sin and sinners. In this sense Jesus satisfied His Father’s demands. Paul sums it up this way: “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (Romans 10:3-4).

How did he do this? By hanging on the cursed tree – the cross of Calvary. Therein lays the blessing! Jesus became the curse for us as He absorbed the rightful judgment, wrath, and curse of God against sin. This is why Isaiah 53 says He was “stricken by God, smitten by Him and afflicted” (v. 4).and that “it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life a guilt offering (v. 10). Christ’s experience of being forsaken by His Father while He hung upon the cross reminds us of His being the object of God’s anger and taking on the curse of God against sin (see Matthew 27:46).

In other words, as strange and incomprehensible as it may seem to us, it pleased God to bruise His son for those whose righteousness would be by faith in Jesus alone (v. 11). It was the plan and purpose of God to pour out His wrath upon the spotless (completely righteous) Lamb of God, Jesus, so that His chosen would experience redemption from the curse of their sin, the curse of the law. So Jesus became cursed so that we might be infinitely blessed. This is the grace that is imparted and imputed to His children and His children alone through faith. All others remain under the curse and condemnation of the law. That is why Paul boldly proclaims that he “resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). And that is why we should join in the chorus, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Revelation 5:12).