Daily Devotional for Tuesday, December 31

Redemption from the Law

"Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree;' Galatians 3:13.

The practice of owning slaves has been apart of many cultures around the world as far back as recorded history reveals. Sometimes in battle or war, the victor enslaved the survivors of the opposition. Some people were born into slavery. Sometimes parents would sell their children into slavery because they could not afford to take care of them. Human beings were treated as property, beingbought and sold from owner to owner with no individual rights of their own. They had no possessions, no wages and no life apart from their owners. This despicable practice of dehumanizing aperson is the analogy used in the Bible for our relationship with sin.

Before you placed your faith in Jesus Christ, you were a slave to sin (John 8:34-36). You were under the curse of the Law. It was your master, oppressing you and defining who you were. The words "hath redeemed" in the key verse for today refers to being purchased from slavery or paying the cost of ownership. This means while you were born into the slavery of the Law and the curse that came from sin, Christ purchased you out of slavery by becoming the curse for you. His act on the cross freed anyone who placed their faithin Him from the oppression of the Law and sin. This new life of freedom not only removes the believer from slavery but places him in the family of God, making him a son (Galatians 4:7).

Paul wrote all of this to the Galatians to undoubtedly correct the misinformation they had received, but more importantly, it was to empower the believers to live in freedom and not turn back into slavery. Those who are in Christ are freed from the bondage of the Law and are indwelt with the Holy Spirit for guidance and strength.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY

Embrace the freedom in Christ and enjoy the blessings of being His child.

Ashley Ridings