Redemption from Disobedience
Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus
Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this
present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Galatians
1:3, 4.
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law," (Galatians 3:13.)
Some who superficially read this rush off frantically exclaiming, "We
don't need to keep the law, because Christ has redeemed us from the curse of
it," as though the text said that Christ redeemed us from the curse of
obedience. Such read the Scriptures to no profit.
The curse is
disobedience: "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things
written in the book of the law, and do them." Therefore Christ has
redeemed us from disobedience to the law. God sent forth His Son "in
the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, . . . in order that the just
requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us." Romans 8:3, 4.
Someone may lightly
say, "Then we are all right; whatever we do is right so far as the law
is concerned, since we are redeemed." It is true that all are redeemed,
but not all have accepted redemption. Many say of Christ, "We will not
have this Man to reign over us," and thrust the blessing of God from
them. But redemption is for all. All have been purchased with the precious
blood—the life—of Christ, and all may be, if they will, free from sin
and death.
Stop and think what
this means. Let the full force of the announcement impress itself upon your
consciousness. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law" —from
our failure to continue in all its righteous requirements. We need not sin
anymore! He has cut the cords of sin that bound us so that we have but to
accept His salvation in order to be free from every besetting sin. It is not
necessary for us any longer to spend our lives in earnest longings for a
better life. Christ comes to the captives of sin and cries to them,
"Liberty! Your prison doors are open. Go forth."
What more can be
said? Christ has gained the complete victory over this present evil world,
over "the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of
life" (1 John 2:16), and our faith in Him makes His victory ours.
The Glad Tidings, pgs. 60, 61 |
