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 KJV)

Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself. Do you remember the Scripture that says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”? That is what happened when Jesus was nailed to the cross: He became a curse, and at the same time dissolved the curse.(Galatians 3:13 MSG)

Christ has redeemed us! That’s good news. We have been redeemed and Christ did it for us; we couldn’t do it on our own. But what did Christ redeem us from? Our text says Christ redeemed us from the Curse of the Law. The Law refers primarily to the five books of Moses incidentally the first five books of the Bible. In the books of Moses, there were consequences or curses for breaking the law. These curses can be categorised into three

Spiritual death came when man sinned in the Garden of Eden. There God told man that he would die the day he ate the fruit God forbade him from eating. Adam didn’t die physically that day but he died spiritually. He took on him the nature of Satan and lost his standing with God. He became a child of Satan and lost fellowship with God. It was spiritual death that brought physical death. Man would not have died physically if he hadn’t died spiritually. In Romans 5:12, the bible says by Adam’s action spiritual death came upon all mankind. So death is a curse of the law but, Glory to God, Christ has redeemed us from it, now from spiritual death and then when Christ comes, physical death will be swallowed up (1 Corinthians 15:26,54). We have been redeemed. Glory to God!

In Deuteronomy 28:15-68, we read other curses of the Law. In summary, Moses told the Israelites that the consequences of breaking the law would be sickness and poverty.

“He will bring on you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you. The Lord will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed” (Deuteronomy 28:60, 61 NIV).

So you see sickness is a curse of the law. Poverty also is curse of the law.

“The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed alway: Thou shalt carry much seed out into the field, and shalt gather but little in; for the locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant vineyards, and dress them, but shalt neither drink of the wine, nor gather the grapes; for the worms shall eat them. Thou shalt have olive trees throughout all thy coasts, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall cast his fruit. All thy trees and fruit of thy land shall the locust consume. The stranger that is within thee shall get up above thee very high; and thou shalt come down very low. He shall lend to thee, and thou shalt not lend to him: he shall be the head, and thou shalt be the tail” (Deuteronomy 28:33, 38-40, 42-44 KJV).

Let me stress something here. In these passages, you would think God is behind the sickness and poverty. The correct rendering is that God will permit the sicknesses and poverty. God doesn’t make people sick or poor. He can permit sickness anyway. For example, if you drive beyond the specified speed limit and break your leg in an accident, you can’t say God made you break your leg. You caused it by your lack of discipline. God had no hand in it. That’s the same with the curses.

Breaking the Law brought the curses upon the people. But the bible says Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Christ has redeemed us from spiritual death, sickness and poverty. He did that by becoming curse for us. We were under the curse but He took our place. He died on the Cross and became curse for us. The bible says Cursed is anyone that hangs on a tree, and Jesus was hanged. The curse came upon Him. We changed places with Jesus, who died and freed us from the curse and its effects. So today we are no longer under the curse of the Law. We have been made free. The curse of spiritual death has been broken. Away with sickness and poverty, lack and insufficiency. We have been redeemed. We have been set free. It does something in my spirit whenever I think of it. Christ Jesus has redeemed me from the curse of the law. I am no longer under the curse of the Law.

For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. (Romans 6:14 KJV)

You are not under the law, neither are you under the curse of the law. Therefore, sin has no dominion over you for you have been delivered from the curse of spiritual death. Sickness has no dominion over you. Poverty has no dominion over you. You are free. Glory to God! The curse is broken. Now you can walk in victory, success, prosperity and health. Halleluyah!

Our Message Bible rendering says “Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself”. He has absorbed the curse of the law and dissolved its grip upon our lives. Friend, I lack words to tell you what Christ has done for us. I pray the Holy Spirit will impress these words upon your heart. Don’t walk in poverty, don’t walk in sickness, don’t live in sin and death. Why? Because Jesus has set you free. The slave master has been defeated, the prison doors have been broken and burnt, the chains have fallen down, the death sentence has been annulled, Jesus paid the price.Now you are free. I am free? Yes, you are free! Free from what? Free from the curse of the law, free from sin, free from spiritual death, free from Satan, free from sickness, free from poverty. Glory!

Look at the Message bible again, it says “Christ redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life by absorbing it completely into himself”. Christ has redeemed us from that self-defeating, cursed life. A life of self-defeat. A cursed life! Yes, a life of sickness is a cursed life. If you doubt it, go to the hospital and try exchanging places with the sick fellows there. A life of lack and poverty is not a blessed life. A life of failure in anything you do is not a blessed life. Is life hard for you? Are you struggling under a cursed life? Jesus has redeemed you from the cursed life. The curse is broken. You are free from every curse. Christ has redeemed you from the cursed life! And whom Jesus has made free is free indeed!

To be continued