Pray Psalm 2.7-9.
“I will declare the decree:
The LORD has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’”

Sing Psalm 2.7-9.
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
I will declare the LORD’s decree. He said, “My Son I have begotten Thee.
Ask Me, and I will give every land for You to rule as I have planned.”

Read Galatians 3.1-14; meditate on verses 10-14.

Preparation
1. From what has Jesus redeemed us?

2. Who remains under that condition?

Meditation
A curse remains for all who continue under the Law as breakers of that Law. This includes all who insist that they are justified before God by keeping the Law. We are justified by grace through faith in Jesus. No one is justified before God by keeping the Law of God or any law. A curse abides on all who believe and teach as much.

Jesus redeems us from the curse by becoming a curse for us. He took the penalty for our sins upon Himself, though He deserved no such thing. He bore the curse of the “tree” so that we could be redeemed from it and know the promised blessings of God by grace through faith. The Spirit of God comes with new and eternal life to all who believe in Jesus, not to those who are by any means trying to earn salvation—for they do “not [and cannot] continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

And that curse is an eternal—a forever—curse. We have our own false teachers today, some of whom teach a doctrine which goes by various names, such as “Christian Universalism.” This doctrine teaches that the love of God is so great that ultimately, He will forgive everyone “through Jesus.” No one will be cursed forever. To insist that some will be forever condemned is to make God monstrously evil.

Even a casual look at the psalms—one book of Scripture only—reveals the falsity of this view. God reigns forever (Ps. 45.6), and He gives eternal life—life forever—to all His redeemed saints (Pss. 21.4; 37.28). Conversely, all who continue in wickedness—who do not continue in all the works of the Law and who reject the offer of salvation by faith—are condemned and cursed forever (Pss. 9.5; 52.5; 92.7). It’s a tragedy and a mystery why this must be so, but it is, for this is what the Scriptures teach.

They live forever who have received the Spirit of God, believe in Jesus and repent of their sins, and are working out their salvation in fear and trembling.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
We receive the blessing promised to Abraham in Christ Jesus and,
we receive the promise of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3.14).

“He who is not with Me is against Me, and
he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.
Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men,
but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.
Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him;
but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him,
either in this age or in the age to come” (Matt. 12.30-32).

Either we believe the promise given to Abraham about the coming Savior for the Jews and Gentiles,
or we don’t. There are consequences to each choice: one good and the other not.

Jesus was telling the Pharisees, who loved nothing better than to obfuscate the Truth, that “grace comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10.17). And that He is the Word of God.

But Jesus was also telling them that they could be forgiven for their harsh words against Him before He was glorified; but afterward, all bets were off. Because to blaspheme the Holy Spirit, sent after Jesus’ ascension, is to not believe in the risen Jesus, His work of redemption, His victory over death, and His burdensome bearing of the curse of the Law for the whole world (Jn. 3.16). Blaspheme that, and you have negated God’s plan of salvation, and refused the gift of grace through faith offered to His enemies—namely every person ever born (Rom. 5.8).

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief
in departing from the living God…” (Heb. 3.12).
“Who is a liar but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ?
He is antichrist who denies the Father and the Son.
Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father either;
he who acknowledges the Son has the Father also” (1 Jn. 2.22, 23).
“Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law by observing them” (Deut. 27.26).
(Now the “law” that we must confirm is belief in Jesus by grace through faith).
“If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed” (1 Cor. 16.22).
“Oh, love the LORD, all you His saints!” (Ps. 31.23).

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…” (Gal. 3.13).
“Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
You are My friends if you do whatever I command you” (Jn. 15.13, 14).

“He took the penalty for our sins upon Himself, though He deserved no such thing.”

“Bless the LORD, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy Name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
Who forgives all your iniquities…” (Ps. 103.1-3).

Redeemed from the curse.

Reflection
1. What is “the curse” from which believers have been redeemed?

2. Should mention of that curse be included in our presentation of the Gospel? Explain.

3. How does it affect you, knowing that Jesus has redeemed you from the curse?

Though deliverance is not to be expected from the law, there is a way open to escape the curse, and regain the favor of God, namely, through faith in Christ. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law; being made sin, or a sin-offering, for us, he was made a curse for us; not separated from God, but laid for a time under the Divine punishment. Matthew Henry (1662-1714), Commentary on Galatians 3.6-14

Pray Psalm 2.10-12.
Pray that God will bring revival and renewal to His Church and a great awakening to faith in Jesus and redemption from the curse of the Law to the nations of the world.

Sing Psalm 2.10-12
(Agincourt: O Love, How Deep, How Broad, How High)
Be wise, O kings, O judges, hear, and tremble with joy, serve the LORD with fear.
Embrace the Son, keep His wrath at bay, or you shall perish in the way.

His wrath is kindled like a flame at all who refuse to bow to His Name.
Beware His anger and judgment grim: How blessed are all who trust in Him!

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. For sources of all quotations, see the weekly PDF of this study. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.