What kind of person does God curse?
Jun 28, 2011
The Race for Grace - part five in a study of the book of Galatians
By Mike Gaudet
What kind of person does God curse?
The answer will surprise you!
“All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’ Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘The righteous will live by faith.’ The law is not based on faith; on the contrary, ‘The man who does these things will live by them.’” Galatians 3:10-12
We assume that people who neglect God’s law fall under His curse. It’s surprising to read that, “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse.” God curses the man or woman who relies on commandment keeping to earn His acceptance.
This is shocking to many of us.
We’ve been taught that God curses the disobedient. We’re used to thinking that if our good deeds outweigh our bad deeds we will escape God’s judgment. It’s surprising to learn that it isn’t the lack of good deeds that threatens us . . . it’s our reliance on good deeds that places us under God’s curse.
We overlook this fact: The man or woman who depends on “observing the law” must “continue to do everything” written in it.
Imagine with me that the bar a high jumper must clear represents the standard of performance God determines to be acceptable. “Clearing the bar” means that you made it! God accepts you! You’ve been “good enough” to merit God’s approval.
The question is; how high do we need to jump in order to clear the bar? The Ten Commandments are an enduring description of God’s will for our lives. How well do we need to keep them before God says we have “cleared the bar”? How good is “good enough”?
Jesus used two of the Ten Commandments to demonstrate how high God’s standard is.
“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder,’ and ‘anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment . . . You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:21-22
The people in Jesus’ day reasoned that if they never committed murder or adultery, they had nothing to worry about. Jesus corrected them. He taught that someone who uses angry words has broken the commandment “Do not murder.” He warned that someone who has lustful thoughts has broken the commandment “Do not commit adultery.”
Most of us assume that we are “good enough” to be accepted by God. We compare ourselves with others who are less upstanding than we are and comfort ourselves with the thought that our efforts surpass theirs.
Here’s the problem . . . God doesn’t grade on a curve. He doesn’t give A’s and B’s to those who try hard, C’s and D’s to those who don’t try as hard and F’s for those who don’t try at all. God grades Pass/Fail. To pass we have to keep the law perfectly. “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10
It’s impossible to “clear the bar” by trying hard to obey God’s Law.
We face a standard of righteousness that none of us can clear. This is why God gives us another option. “But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” Romans 3:21-22
God offers us “righteousness apart from law.” This righteousness is available “through faith in Christ Jesus.” It doesn’t rely on what we do for God. It is based on what God has done for us.
There are two paths to God. One is blessed. The other is cursed.
The “by law” path is cursed; we don’t connect with God when we rely on doing what He wants us to do.
The “by faith” path is blessed; we connect with God when we rely on believing what He wants us to believe.