Redeemed from the Curse: Embracing Christ's Freedom

 

Summary

In today's message, we explored the profound truth of how Christ's sacrifice on the cross redeems us from the curse of the law. The law, while holy and just, cannot justify us before God because it demands perfect obedience, which none of us can achieve. Instead, it reveals our shortcomings and places us under a curse. However, Christ accomplished what the law could not by becoming a curse for us. By being crucified, He took upon Himself the curse that was rightfully ours, thus redeeming us and offering us the blessing of Abraham through faith.

This redemption is not just a legal transaction but a transformative union with Christ. When we place our faith in Him, we are united with Him, and His righteousness becomes ours. This union means that the blessings promised to Abraham, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, are now available to us. The Spirit empowers us to live in the freedom and righteousness that the law could never provide. This is the essence of the gospel: that through faith in Christ, we are no longer under the curse but are recipients of God's promises and blessings.

As we reflect on this great redemption, we are called to walk in the freedom and newness of life that Christ has secured for us. This freedom is not a license to sin but an invitation to live righteously, empowered by the Spirit. Let us embrace this truth and allow it to transform our lives, leading us to a deeper relationship with God and a more profound love for others.

Key Takeaways:

1. The Inadequacy of the Law: The law reveals our sinfulness and places us under a curse because we cannot fulfill its demands. It serves as a mirror, showing us our need for a Savior. Christ's sacrifice is the only solution to this predicament, as He took the curse upon Himself, offering us redemption through faith. [01:08]

2. Christ's Redemptive Act: Jesus became a curse for us by being crucified, fulfilling the law's demands and redeeming us from its curse. This act of love and sacrifice is the foundation of our salvation, demonstrating that our redemption is not based on our works but on Christ's finished work. [02:02]

3. Union with Christ: Through faith, we are united with Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to us. This union means that we share in the blessings promised to Abraham, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live righteously. [03:21]

4. The Role of Faith: Faith is the means by which we receive the promised blessings of God. It is not through works of the law but through hearing and believing the gospel that we are justified and receive the Holy Spirit. This faith unites us with Christ and makes us heirs of God's promises. [09:31]

5. Living in Freedom: The redemption Christ offers frees us from the curse of the law and invites us to live in the freedom of the Spirit. This freedom is not an excuse for sin but a call to live in righteousness, empowered by the Spirit to fulfill God's purposes in our lives. [10:23]

Youtube Chapters:

- [00:00] - Welcome
- [01:08] - The Problem of the Curse
- [02:02] - Christ's Redemptive Act
- [03:02] - Union with Christ
- [04:19] - The Glories of Redemption
- [05:13] - The Curse of the Law
- [06:08] - Christ Bore Our Condemnation
- [07:08] - Old Testament Fulfillment
- [08:03] - Peter's Application
- [09:15] - The Blessing of Abraham
- [10:05] - Receiving the Promised Spirit
- [10:42] - United with Abraham
- [10:58] - Final Reflections

Study Guide

Bible Study Discussion Guide

Bible Reading:
1. Galatians 3:10-14
2. Romans 8:3-4
3. Isaiah 53:4-6

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Observation Questions:

1. According to Galatians 3:10-14, why is the law unable to justify us before God? How does Christ's sacrifice change this situation? [01:08]

2. In Romans 8:3-4, what does it mean that God sent His Son in the likeness of sinful flesh? How does this relate to Christ becoming a curse for us? [05:50]

3. Isaiah 53:4-6 describes the suffering of the Messiah. How does this passage illustrate the concept of Christ bearing our curse? [07:08]

4. What is the significance of the phrase "The Blessing of Abraham" in the context of the sermon? How does it relate to both Jews and Gentiles? [09:15]

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Interpretation Questions:

1. How does the sermon explain the inadequacy of the law in providing justification? What role does faith play in this context? [01:08]

2. The sermon mentions that Christ's redemptive act is not just a legal transaction but a transformative union. What does this union entail, and how does it affect believers? [03:21]

3. In what ways does the sermon suggest that the Holy Spirit empowers believers to live righteously? How is this different from living under the law? [10:23]

4. How does the sermon interpret the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 53 in light of Christ's crucifixion? What implications does this have for understanding redemption? [07:08]

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Application Questions:

1. Reflect on a time when you felt burdened by the demands of the law or religious expectations. How can the understanding of Christ's sacrifice as a curse-bearer bring you freedom? [02:02]

2. The sermon emphasizes the transformative union with Christ. How can you cultivate a deeper relationship with Christ in your daily life to experience this transformation? [03:21]

3. Consider the role of the Holy Spirit in your life. What specific steps can you take to be more open to the Spirit's guidance and empowerment in living righteously? [10:23]

4. The sermon calls us to live in the freedom Christ has secured for us. What are some practical ways you can embrace this freedom without using it as a license to sin? [10:23]

5. How can the understanding of being heirs to the blessings of Abraham through faith change your perspective on your identity and purpose as a believer? [09:31]

6. Think of a situation where you struggle to live righteously. How can the knowledge of Christ's redemptive act and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit help you overcome this struggle? [10:23]

7. The sermon encourages a deeper love for others as a result of our redemption. Identify one person in your life you can show love to this week, and plan a specific action to demonstrate that love. [10:23]

Devotional

Day 1: The Law's Mirror Reflects Our Need for a Savior
The law, while holy and just, serves as a mirror that reveals our sinfulness and our inability to fulfill its demands. It places us under a curse because it requires perfect obedience, which we cannot achieve. This predicament highlights our need for a Savior who can redeem us from the curse. Christ's sacrifice on the cross is the only solution, as He took the curse upon Himself, offering us redemption through faith. This act of love and grace is the foundation of our salvation, demonstrating that our redemption is not based on our works but on Christ's finished work. [01:08]

"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.' Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.'" (Galatians 3:10-11, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways have you been relying on your own efforts to earn God's favor? How can you shift your focus to trust in Christ's finished work on the cross today?


Day 2: Christ's Sacrifice: The Fulfillment of the Law's Demands
Jesus' crucifixion was not just a historical event but a profound redemptive act where He became a curse for us. By fulfilling the law's demands, He redeemed us from its curse, demonstrating that our salvation is not based on our works but on His finished work. This act of love and sacrifice is the foundation of our salvation, offering us the blessing of Abraham through faith. It is through Christ's redemptive act that we are no longer under the curse but are recipients of God's promises and blessings. [02:02]

"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'—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith." (Galatians 3:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: How does understanding Christ's sacrifice as a fulfillment of the law's demands change your perspective on grace and salvation? What specific area of your life can you surrender to His grace today?


Day 3: United with Christ: Sharing in His Righteousness
Through faith, believers are united with Christ, and His righteousness is imputed to them. This union means that we share in the blessings promised to Abraham, including the gift of the Holy Spirit, which empowers us to live righteously. This transformative union is not just a legal transaction but a profound relationship that changes our identity and empowers us to live in the freedom and righteousness that the law could never provide. [03:21]

"For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise." (Galatians 3:27-29, ESV)

Reflection: In what ways can you embrace your identity in Christ today? How can you allow the Holy Spirit to empower you to live out this new identity in your daily interactions?


Day 4: Faith: The Key to Receiving God's Promises
Faith is the means by which we receive the promised blessings of God. It is not through works of the law but through hearing and believing the gospel that we are justified and receive the Holy Spirit. This faith unites us with Christ and makes us heirs of God's promises. It is through faith that we experience the transformative power of the gospel and the freedom that comes from being in Christ. [09:31]

"So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. 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 3:9-10, ESV)

Reflection: What is one area of your life where you struggle to trust God fully? How can you take a step of faith today to rely on His promises rather than your own understanding?


Day 5: Living in the Freedom of the Spirit
The redemption Christ offers frees us from the curse of the law and invites us to live in the freedom of the Spirit. This freedom is not an excuse for sin but a call to live in righteousness, empowered by the Spirit to fulfill God's purposes in our lives. As we embrace this truth, we are called to walk in the newness of life that Christ has secured for us, leading to a deeper relationship with God and a more profound love for others. [10:23]

"For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.'" (Galatians 5:13-14, ESV)

Reflection: How can you use your freedom in Christ to serve others today? What practical steps can you take to live out this freedom in love and righteousness?

Quotes

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, how by becoming a curse for us, how by being hanged on a tree because cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree. He was crucified on a steak of wood made out of a tree all to what end so there's the great Redemption the Great ACT of Christ redeemed how becoming a curse in our place how by being hanged on a tree to what end so that in Christ Jesus now there's the connection between how can his hanging on a tree solve my curse." [00:02:02]

"When we put our faith in Christ, when we are awakened to the beauty the glory the worth of Jesus Christ and receive him as our Christ Our Savior our Lord our treasure we are united to him God creates a union so that in his eyes Christ and we are one and thus his becoming a curse is the bearing of our curse in Christ Jesus The Blessing of Abraham comes to the Gentiles in other words when we are united that's what this little word in means." [00:03:21]

"He redeemed us that means purchase out ex sagaro purchase out from under something some slavery in this case a curse the law pronounced a curse because we failed to walk in everything written in the book of the law now we are under a just curse it's called The Curse of the law but that means the curse of God who wrote the law and determined what punishments in the law would flow from his just hand if we do not obey the law and none none of us has." [00:04:41]

"The only remedy for being under this curse is Christ The Glorious work of Christ he steps in and he does what the law could not do now there are some different ways that the New Testament talks about understanding how this uh work was for us he became a curse for us consider Romans 8 3 and four God has done what the law weakened by the flesh could not do it could never redeem us it could never save us it could never pay the penalty that the law prescribes." [00:05:22]

"By sending his own son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin he condemned sin in the flesh now that's another way of talking about he became a curse for us H how did he become a curse for us how did he lift the curse from off of us and his answer is he bore our condemnation in the likess of sinful flesh that's Christ's flesh and for sin that's our sin God executed he he he gave the sentence of execution of condemnation on our sin through Christ." [00:06:08]

"Surely he Messiah Jesus has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we esteemed him stricken by whom by God Christ the Messiah Smitten by God and Afflicted what's the meaning of that he was pierced for our transgressions that's becoming a curse for us he was crushed for our iniquities upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace and with his wounds we are healed that's a glorious description of he became a curse for us on the tree." [00:07:08]

"All we like sheep have gone astray we've turned everyone to his own way so we're under a curse and the Lord laid on him him the Messiah the iniquity and the curse for the iniquity of us all and here's Peter's application of that text in his letter he himself bore our sins in his body on the tree he bore our sins the sins brought down the curse the sins need punishment he Bears our sins in his own body that we might die to sin and live to righteousness by his wounds we have been healed." [00:08:03]

"So that in Christ in Union with Jesus Christ Our curse the blessing not the curse but the blessing that's the opposite of the curse you got the curse Jesus Bears the curse delivers us from it and in its place flows blessing the opposite of cursing and it's The Blessing of Abraham remember in the first part of the chapter Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness Genesis 15:6 know then that it is those of Faith that's you Gentiles and US Jews who are sons of Abraham." [00:09:15]

"Those of Faith who are sons of Abraham and the scripture foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith preach the gospel before hand to Abraham saying in you shall the Nations be blessed the Nations the Gentiles are going to be blessed so those who are of Faith are blessed along with Abraham the man of faith and that's the point here so that in Jesus Christ The Blessing of Abraham that's justification and everything that flows from it might come to the Gentiles." [00:10:05]

"We might receive the promised Spirit through faith so the Capstone of the blessing is the promised spirit and it's through faith just like we saw in 32 and 35 let me ask you only this did you receive the Spirit by works of law or by hearing with faith yes or verse 5 does he who supplies the spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law no but by hearing with faith that's the point we receive the promised Holy Spirit which is The Blessing of Abraham through faith." [00:10:42]

"If we wanted to we could go later in the chapter and show how we're not only United to Christ but in Christ who is the Seed of Abraham we are actually United to Abraham and are his offspring and therefore get the inheritance in a legitimate way way but we can't say everything in every text can we let me point out one more." [00:10:58]

"Christ did something that the law could not do, Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law, how by becoming a curse for us, how by being hanged on a tree because cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree. He was crucified on a steak of wood made out of a tree all to what end so there's the great Redemption the Great ACT of Christ redeemed how becoming a curse in our place how by being hanged on a tree to what end so that in Christ Jesus now there's the connection between how can his hanging on a tree solve my curse." [00:02:02]

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Transcript
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