Sermon #1555 Miscellaneous Sermons
Title: Cursed, Redeemed,
Blessed
Text: Galatians 3:13-15
Subject: Redemption
Date: Sunday
Morning—
Tape # X-99a
Introduction:
Bro. Lindsay Campbell has
been teaching Galatians 3 for the past several weeks. A few weeks ago, after he
had finished explaining Galatians
Well, I have not yet fully
grasped the text; but I have been studying it regularly for the past several
weeks; and, I believe the Lord has given me a message for you. My text will be
Galatians 3:13-14. The title of my message is Cursed, Redeemed, Blessed. In these two verses the
apostle Paul describes God’s elect in these three states: cursed, redeemed, and
blessed. Read the text with me.
“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: that the blessing of Abraham might come on
the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith.” ―Galatians 3:13,14.
The law
cannot save. It cannot give life. It cannot justify. It cannot make a sinner
righteous. It cannot sanctify. It cannot bless. The law of God is holy, and
just, and good; but it can never produce good in us or
for us. The law is a ministration of death. It exposes sin, declares guilt,
curses and condemns the guilty, and ministers death.
It genders bondage, but never liberty. It condemns, but never blesses.
If we are to
be saved, justified, made righteous before God, and blessed by him, we must
look elsewhere. The broken law makes us lost sinners. And what the law once
does, it cannot undo. It destroys, but cannot build. It imprisons, but cannot
deliver from prison. The law kills, but cannot make alive. Sinai has the thunder
and the terror of the Almighty, but not the good news of his grace.
But, blessed
be his holy name forever, “Christ hat redeemed us from the curse of the law!”
Cursed
I.
First, our text speaks of God’s elect as men and
women who were once under the curse of the law.
This is the state of nature,
the state and condition of all Adam’s race by nature.
The curse of the law is
God’s sentence upon the guilty. It is the utterance of his holy anger. He
speaks in accordance with his holy law. He always speaks in accordance with his
holy law. The curse of the law is really God’s curse. The law simply proclaims
the curse upon the guilty.
It is written in the law, “The
soul that sinneth, it shall die.” We read here in Galatians 3:10, “Cursed
is everyone that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of
the law to do them.”
If
you are holy, perfectly holy, without sin or any deviation from the will and
glory of God of any kind, you have nothing to fear from God’s holy law. The law
has nothing to say to you. But, since, there are none like that upon the earth,
since, “ There
is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecc. 7:20), the Book of God
declares that all of us are by nature born under the curse of the law,
condemned, justly condemned (John 3:18-19, 36;Rom. 5:12).
(John
3:18-19) "He that believeth on him
is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he
hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. {19} And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the
world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were
evil."
(John
3:36) "He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life;
but the wrath of God abideth on him."
(Rom
Children of Wrath
Because we are all born
sinners, we are all children of wrath (Eph. 2:4) by nature, wrathful children,
under a conscious sense of wrath because of a conscious sense of guilt (Rom.
(Rom
1:18-20) "For the wrath of God is
revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who
hold the truth in unrighteousness; {19} Because that which may be known
of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them. {20} For the invisible things of him from the creation of the
world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his
eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."
Because of sin, the curse of
the law, the curse of God is upon all men by nature. The law is justice; and
justice is blind. It no pity, no mercy, no compassion. It gives no
consideration to age, circumstance, ignorance or learning. The law says, “The
soul that sinneth, it shall die;” and it executes the sentence with cold,
passionless, unfeeling, blind justice. The sentence of the law upon the guilty
is death. It will never reverse itself.
·
“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.”
·
“The wages of sin is death.”
·
“Thou shalt surely die.”
Death
What is that death that has
passed upon all men because all have sinned? What is that death which the law
of God coldly, without passion or feeling, justly pronounces upon the guilty?
·
That death involves the wrath of God.
·
It involves shame and bondage.
·
Death involves darkness, and unrest.
·
The dead are shut out, unaccepted, unwanted, unacceptable.
·
Death is banishment, exile, deprivation of good, of happiness, of life.
This death which the law
declares to be our rightful, just wage, that which it
is right and just for us all to suffer by the hands of God is…
·
Spiritual Death― Death with reference to God, death in our souls,
death to all things spiritual and truly living.
·
Physical, Temporal Death― The death of these bodies. What a long,
torturous process that is!
·
Eternal Death― The Second Death, the
death of body and soul forever in hell.
And, what is hell?
“To say Hell is a horrible place is an understatement. Most people think of Hell as the farthest point from God. It is the caves where Satan’s minions scamper about, poking feeble folk with tiny pikes and taunting them for all eternity. As bad as this seems, it does not even compare to what Hell really is. Hell is the very presence of God and His wrath without Christ as a mediator. Hell is the place where men face God without a savior, without anybody to pay their debt of sin. If you thought Satan’s minions were scary, imagine being face to face with all God’s wrath with no Jesus in sight.”
–Nathan
Terrell
This is the state and condition of all men by nature ― “Cursed!”
That is where we were when Christ came. That is where we were when God found us
by his grace. But, bless his name, he did not leave us
there. Our text speaks of another state. Look at our text again. ― “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.”
Redeemed
II.
Second, the Holy Spirit describes
all God’s elect in a state of redemption.
“Christ hath
redeemed us from the curse of the law.”― Our Redeemer is the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God. He was appointed and called to this work by
his Father. He voluntarily agreed to be our Redeemer because of his great love
for us. The Old Testament prophets spoke of him as that One
who would come into the world as our Redeemer. And in the fulness of time he
came here in human flesh to redeem us. By his obedience unto death as our
Redeemer, the Lord Jesus has obtained eternal redemption for us with his own
blood.
·
He was abundantly qualified to redeem us, as our Kinsman Redeemer.
·
He was willing to redeem us, because of his honor for God’s law and his
great love for us.
·
He was able to redeem, because he is God.
·
And he “hath redeemed!”
Is that good, or what? Now,
watch this. ― “Christ hath redeemed us!” The
Lord Jesus Christ, when he died upon the tree actually redeemed and actually
redeemed somebody. Here the people he redeemed are called “us.” I take
that to mean that our Savior did not redeem those who are not redeemed, and
that he did redeem all who actually are redeemed. The “us” that he
redeemed are…
·
God’s elect (2 Thess.
(2
Th 2:13-14) "But we are bound to
give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God
hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the
Spirit and belief of the truth: {14} Whereunto he called you by our
gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
·
Those for whom he prays (John 17:9, 20).
(John
17:9) "I pray for them: I pray not
for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine."
(John
17:20) "Neither pray
I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their
word."
·
Those the Father gave him to redeem before the world began and those
whom the Father gives him in the saving operations of his grace (John
(John
6:37-40) "All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast
out. {38} For I came down from heaven, not to
do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. {39} And this is the
Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should
lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. {40} And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one
which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I
will raise him up at the last day."
·
Those who believe him, receive him, and trust him (John
(John
1:12-13) "But as many as received
him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that
believe on his name: {13} Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will
of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."
We were lost, cursed, condemned,
under the sentence of the law; but Christ redeemed us, bought us out from under
the curse by his own precious blood.
How did our Savior redeem us? “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.” He was made to be a curse for
us! He was made to be sin, the cursed thing; and being made to be sin for us he
was made a curse for us. We were under the curse; but Christ was made to be the
curse!
(Isa
53:10) "Yet it pleased the LORD to
bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days,
and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand."
(2
Cor
“It is written, Cursed is
every one that hangeth on a tree.” The place where that is written is
Deuteronomy 21:23. The text Paul is quoting here actually reads, “He that is
hanged upon the tree is the curse of God.”
Deliverance
The word “redeemed” means “delivered.” Let’s think about
that deliverance which our all-glorious Christ has accomplished for us by his
sin-atoning death as our Substitute upon the cursed tree.
·
He delivered us from all to which the curse
subjected us, present and future, physical and spiritual, temporal and eternal: ― the bondage
― the exile ― the imprisonment ― the shame ― the misery
― the darkness ― the woe ― the death ― the wrath
― the hell! From all this Christ has delivered us; and the
is deliverance as complete as it is free.
·
Our blessed Savior delivered us by a just, lawful purchase. There was a heavy price
put on our heads by the law of God. The price must be paid in some way, else the full curse must be poured out upon us. But our great God says, “Deliver
him from going down to the pit, for I have found a ransom!”
·
Redemption is deliverance by a Substitute. Christ is our Redeemer,
our all-glorious Substitute and Surety, in whom we have redemption (Eph. 1:7).
(Eph
1:7) "In whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his
grace."
Our Savior
coined the ransom money out of his own Person. He took our legal place, bore
all our guilt, and endured all our curse. The Son of
God stood before the law in our place, as the offender, as the guilty one, and
the curse that was due us fell on him as his curse. He died the just for the
unjust, the blessed for the cursed, the holy for the unholy. He took the curse
and the sword of justice into his own holy being and exhausted both the curse
of the law and the sin that called for the curse by his one great sacrifice for
sin!
·
Redemption is deliverance by Christ (Isa. 63:1-5; 59:16).
(Isa
63:1-5) "Who is this that
cometh from
(Isa
59:16) "And he saw that there
was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore
his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained
him."
He loved us.
He pitied us. He redeemed us. He delivered us. His own right hand and his holy
arm have gotten him the victory. Christ is our Deliverer, our Ransomer, our
Substitute, our Savior. He sets the captive free!
·
Redemption is deliverance by Christ, but not merely deliverance by
power. Redemption from the curse of the law is deliverance by Christ
crucified, deliverance by a penal Substitute, deliverance by the crucified Lamb
of God.
We must be
saved by blood, or we cannot be saved. ― “Without shedding of blood is
no remission” (Heb.
There is
therefore now no condemnation and no possibility of condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. Who are they for whom there is no
curse, no possibility of condemnation? Who is in Christ? They are those who
believe God, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
(Rom
8:1-4) "There is therefore
now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. {2} For the law of
the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and
death. {3} For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through
the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for
sin, condemned sin in the flesh: {4} That the righteousness of the law
might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the
Spirit."
“Christ
hath redeemed us!” ― The work is done,
finished, complete, and effectual! The cross is the key that opens the prison
door, takes away the bars of death, and delivers sinners from hell. The work
was done by Christ alone upon the cursed tree. ― “Christ hath redeemed
us!” Redemption makes it a just and righteous thing for the holy Lord God
to justify the ungodly and release the guilty.
Are you
listening?
This fact, “Christ hath redeemed us,” brings God’s holy law, by which we
were cursed, over to our side. Justice satisfied demands release!
Blessed
III.
That brings us to verse 14. The connecting link between verses 13 and
14, “that,”, makes it clear that all the redeemed, though cursed
by nature, are brought into a state of blessing by grace.
(Gal
3:13-14) "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: {14} That
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that
we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith."
Redemption involves more
than merely removing the curse and making a way for the blessing to come.
Redemption brings the blessing of Abraham, the blessing of God upon Abraham,
upon the redeemed. The blessing must come upon the redeemed. Else…
·
redemption is incomplete,
·
grace is frustrated,
·
the love of God is meaningless,
·
the blood of Christ is insignificant, a worthless waste,
·
justice falls to the ground,
·
and God almighty, all-wise, all-good, is a cruel
monster who slaughtered his Son for nothing!
Our great God and Savior did
not leave his work incomplete. He not only took the curse away, he supplanted
it with the blessing! Let’s look at verse 14 line by line.
“That the blessing
of Abraham” ― What is that? Let’s
look in the Book of God and see. The Holy Spirit tells us that it is the
blessedness of righteousness by divine imputation, by faith, without works
(Gen. 15:6;
(Gen
15:6) "And he believed in the LORD;
and he counted it to him for righteousness."
(Rom
4:3-6) "For what
saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him
for righteousness. {4} Now to him that worketh is the reward not
reckoned of grace, but of debt. {5} But to him that worketh not, but
believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness. {6} Even as David also
describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness
without works,"
(Rom
4:9) "Cometh this
blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision
also? for we say that faith was reckoned to
Abraham for righteousness."
(Rom
The blessing of Abraham is
the blessing of free justification by the righteousness of Christ.
“That the blessing
of Abraham might come on the Gentiles” ― It was promised to
Abraham that in him, in his Seed, Christ, the Gentiles, God’s elect scattered
through all the nations of the world, would be blessed with this gift of free
justification by imputed righteousness, the blessing of redemption (deliverance)
from the curse of the law.
Obviously, this does not
mean that the blessing of free justification would come upon all the Gentiles,
for all are not justified. Rather, this blessing comes to all who were ordained
unto eternal life and redeemed by the blood of Christ. And, as John Gill
declares, “in consequence of that (they) believe in Christ.”
In other words faith is not
the cause of the blessing, but the consequence of it. Though God’s elect were
blessed with this blessing, along with all other spiritual blessings, in Christ
Jesus before the world began (Eph. 1:3; 2 Tim. 1:9), the curse of the law stood
between us and the personal knowledge, experience, and enjoyment of it. We
could have no peace and comfort in our souls until, trusting Christ, we see the
curse removed. It is not faith that makes a sinner righteous. Yet, there
is no righteousness to be had without faith in Christ.
“My soul looks back to see
The burdens thou didst bear,
When hanging on the cursed
tree,
And hopes her guilt was
there.
Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with
cheerful voice,
And sing redeeming love.”
― Isaac Watts
Now, watch this. ― The blessing is ours only “through
Jesus Christ.” ― Christ is the Mediator from and through whom
this and every blessing of grace comes to the children of God. We have it in
him, through him, and by him.
Look at the next line.
― “That we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
What does that mean? Is Paul here telling us that we receive (The word is a
very strong word. It means “take,” or “catch,” or “lay hold of.”), the Holy
Spirit by faith, that we induce the Holy Spirit to come to us and give us life
by faith? Of course not!
·
If that were the case, none would ever be blessed, because anything
left up to dead men must go undone.
·
To suggest such an absurdity is to make the efficacy of Christ’s
sacrifice and its result depend upon helpless, spiritually dead sinners.
·
Faith is the gift of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 2:8), the fruit of the
Spirit in us (Gal.
Paul’s meaning is that
Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, making a way for to receive
the Spirit of promise and all the blessings of the sons of God by him (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:4-7).
(Rom
(Gal
4:4-7) "But when the fulness of the
time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,
{5} To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the
adoption of sons. {6} And because ye are sons,
God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba,
Father. {7} Wherefore thou art no more a
servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ."
Now, look at the last two
words of verse 14. ― “through faith.” ― “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: That the blessing of
Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive
the promise of the Spirit through faith.”
The blessing cannot be
obtained by works. It is obtained by faith, by faith that it might be by grace
(Rom.
(Rom
Christ’s blood expunged the
black record of our sins and delivered us from the curse of the law. Faith in
him brings the blessing of redemption and righteousness, forgiveness and peace,
justification and reconciliation to us (Rom.
(Rom
4:23-25) "Now it was not written
for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; {24} But for us also, to
whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord
from the dead; {25} Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised
again for our justification."
(Rom
5:1-11) "Therefore being justified
by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: {2} By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein
we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. {3} And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also:
knowing that tribulation worketh patience; {4} And patience, experience;
and experience, hope: {5} And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love
of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
{6} For when we were yet without strength, in due
time Christ died for the ungodly. {7} For
scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some
would even dare to die. {8} But God commendeth his love toward us, in
that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. {9} Much more then,
being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
{10} For if, when we were enemies, we were
reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we
shall be saved by his life. {11} And not only so,
but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now
received the atonement."
Abraham got all he had, simply believing what God told him. Even so, we get all
the blessing of grace simply by believing God.
Application:
1. The curse of the law is no
idle threat. It is real, terribly real. “The wrath of God abideth” on him
on whom that curse lies. Flee from the curse. Flee the wrath of God! Escape for
your life! “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”
“Ye sinners seek his grace,
Whose wrath ye cannot bear.
Fly to the refuge of the
cross
And find salvation there.”
2. The blessing promised is no
idle promise. It is sure and true. God, who cannot lie, made the promise to his own
darling Son before the world began. He promised his Son that he would give
eternal life to his people (Tit. 1:2-3).
3. The way to obtain this
blessing of free justification, perfect righteousness before God; and
everlasting salvation in Christ is neither difficult, nor costly, nor
mysterious.
It is simplicity itself. It is the easiest of all easy things. Nothing but
pride and self-righteousness makes it difficult. To give up and let go all
self-righteous hope and drop into the open arms of Christ is all. ― To believe on the Son of God is to obtain the blessing.
― “He that believeth on the Son of God hath everlasting life.”
Illustration: ― Ed Solomon’s
comments about his relationship with B. H. Carroll ― “One day I will
stand in the presence of our Heavenly Father,” Dr. Carroll's voice radiated his
joyous faith as he continued. “And He will, because I have received His Son on
earth, He will receive me into His glory even as He would receive His only
begotten Son.”