Daily Devotional for Thursday, July 21

Redeemed from the Curse

What is the curse of the Law? You must keep it. “For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them” (Galatians 3:10). (See Deuteronomy 27:26.) So, you keep nine of the Ten Commandments and break one. James writes, “For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). To be justified by the works of the Law, you must keep all of it perfectly, and Galatians 3:11 tells us this is impossible. 

But “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law” (verse 13) meaning you will not be punished for breaking the Law. Amazingly, Jesus was the only one who ever fulfilled the Law by keeping it perfectly (Matthew 5:17). But still, He suffered the curse of the Law for us. Jesus took all the punishment for our breaking the Law by being hung on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22, 23). On the cross, Christ was cursed by God for you and took God’s full wrath for breaking the Law. 

The person who tries to be saved by keeping the Law, or any other works, instead of being saved by the Law is cursed by the Law. In an effort to keep it, they break it. The person who puts his faith in Jesus Christ is redeemed, released from the curse of the Law.

Thought: Jesus became a curse that we might be cleansed.

Phillip Miller