He Took The Curse

 

Read the scripture here: Galatians 3:1 – 3:14

After dropping what the Gospel is in the last section, Paul is on a roll. He begins by lamenting that the Galatians have walked away from what he just explained. He is really heart broken over their new set of beliefs. But now Paul needs to explain what he just said in the previous chapter. Over the next few devotionals, we are going to follow Paul’s train of thought and unpack the Gospel through history, examples, and implications.

COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUS

After asking five questions that point to how the church has walked away from the Gospel Paul does something that I find fascinating. He uses the OLD Testament to prove what most would consider a NEW Testament theology. If you are like me, you may have had this thought in the past: “If God knew we couldn’t be perfect through the law, and everyone broke the law, how were people holy before Jesus?”

The answer is shockingly similar to our understanding of salvation in the New Testament: Faith.

Before the Ten Commandments, before Deuteronomy and Leviticus (the books of law) and before there was even a line of priests, there was Abraham. Abraham was ‘counted as righteous’. Why? Not because he followed the law. But, because he believed.

Paul is showing here that it’s really always been about faith. Abraham’s relationship with God predated any law. He was righteous because of his belief in God. This covenant God had with Abraham pointed to a future covenant God would make with all mankind: a relationship not based on works, but faith.

But to get there, something had to happen. The curse for sin had to be overcome. Adam’s sin brought death and malice into the world. Someone greater had to take on that death and conquer it. Enter Jesus.

He died on the cross to take the curse of all mankind unto himself. A sinless man, becoming sin. It was the only way.

This is the truth Paul is fighting for. The meaning of his Savior’s wounds not becoming meaningless for people who want to live in the past of the law.

QUESTIONS

What came first, Faith or the Law?
How was the curse of the law broken?
Why is the death of Christ so significant?

PRAYER

Thank you Jesus that you have taken the curse of the law so that I do not have too!
I pray I do not take this for granted.
Help me to remember the price of my salvation. That I would defend it just as much as Paul does.
Allow me to live in the freedom of your grace. Knowing that even in my sin, the curse of sin still will never find me.
Amen.