Bible League: Living His Word Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us--for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree"What is a curse? In the Bible, a curse is understood to be a pronouncement of evil or misfortune of some kind on someone or something. It is the opposite of a blessing. What is the "curse of the law?" In the Old Testament, curses are the penalty for not keeping the Law of Moses. The law itself is not a curse. Violations of the law lead to curses. Obedience, on the other hand, leads to blessings. In Deuteronomy 28 there is a list of the curses that would befall the people of God if they violated the law. It includes things like sickness and disease, crop failure, defeat before enemies, and a number of other things including, ultimately, deportation to foreign lands. In Galatians 3, the Apostle Paul tells us that any attempt to obtain salvation by obedience to the law is doomed to failure. The reason for this is that no one can keep the law perfectly: "None is righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10) and "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Anyone who tries, as a result, is under the curse of the law, "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them" (Galatians 3:10). Obviously, if we are to obtain salvation, it will have to be in some way other than by obedience to the law. The good news is that there is another way---faith in Jesus Christ. Our verse for today explains that this is because Jesus "redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." Although Jesus kept the law perfectly, He became a sacrifice of atonement for us by bearing upon himself the curse of the law. He who did not sin became sin for us so that through Him we might become righteous before God (II Corinthians 5:21). Since we are now counted as righteous before God because of our faith in what Jesus did for us, we have the right to claim freedom from the curses of the law. And we also have the right to claim the blessings of the law. Bible in a Year Old Testament ReadingJudges 20, 21 Judges 20 -- Israelites Defeat the Benjamites NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Judges 21 -- Wives for the Benjamites NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB New Testament Reading Luke 11:1-28 Luke 11 -- Instruction about Prayer; Casting out Demons; the Sign of Jonah; Woes upon Pharisees NIV NLT ESV NAS GWT KJV ASV ERV DRB Reading Plan Courtesy of Christian Classics Etherial Library. Tyndale Life Application Daily Devotion Don't lust for her beauty.Don't let her coy glances seduce you. Insight Regard lust as a warning sign of danger ahead. When you notice that you are attracted to a person of the opposite sex or preoccupied with thoughts of him or her, your desires may lead you to sin. Challenge Ask God to help you change your desires before you are drawn into sin. Morning and Evening by Spurgeon Psalm 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.In this solemn confession, it is pleasing to observe that David plainly names his sin. He does not call it manslaughter, nor speak of it as an imprudence by which an unfortunate accident occurred to a worthy man, but he calls it by its true name, bloodguiltiness. He did not actually kill the husband of Bathsheba; but still it was planned in David's heart that Uriah should be slain, and he was before the Lord his murderer. Learn in confession to be honest with God. Do not give fair names to foul sins; call them what you will, they will smell no sweeter. What God sees them to be, that do you labor to feel them to be; and with all openness of heart acknowledge their real character. Observe, that David was evidently oppressed with the heinousness of his sin. It is easy to use words, but it is difficult to feel their meaning. The fifty-first Psalm is the photograph of a contrite spirit. Let us seek after the like brokenness of heart; for however excellent our words may be, if our heart is not conscious of the hell-deservingness of sin, we cannot expect to find forgiveness. Our text has in it an earnest prayer--it is addressed to the God of salvation. It is his prerogative to forgive; it is his very name and office to save those who seek his face. Better still, the text calls him the God of my salvation. Yes, blessed be his name, while I am yet going to him through Jesus' blood, I can rejoice in the God of my salvation. The psalmist ends with a commendable vow: if God will deliver him he will sing--nay, more, he will "sing aloud." Who can sing in any other style of such a mercy as this! But note the subject of the song--"Thy righteousness." We must sing of the finished work of a precious Saviour; and he who knows most of forgiving love will sing the loudest. Daily Light on the Daily Path Psalm 41:3 The LORD will sustain him upon his sickbed; In his illness, You restore him to health.Isaiah 63:9 In all their affliction He was afflicted, And the angel of His presence saved them; In His love and in His mercy He redeemed them, And He lifted them and carried them all the days of old. John 11:3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, "Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick." 2 Corinthians 12:9 And He has said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness." Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. 2 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day. Acts 17:28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we also are His children.' Isaiah 40:29-31 He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. • Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, • Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is a dwelling place, And underneath are the everlasting arms; And He drove out the enemy from before you, And said, 'Destroy!' New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org. |
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