“‘And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God. You shall not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance.'” Deuteronomy 21:22-23 (ESV)
God values holiness. His laws were established for the people of Israel to keep them from defiling their lives and to keep them from defiling the land He was giving them for an inheritance. God was protecting their covenant community and preserving their future. Consequences for sinful actions were enforced to ensure unity and solidarity.
- “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)
In our own effort, we do not have the capacity to generate the holiness that God demands and that God deserves. We fall short and do not measure up to God’s standard of righteousness. The Good News is that Jesus was willing to reverse the curse that our sin caused. Jesus was willing to become a curse for us by taking on our sin and by receiving the full wrath of God for our sin. Jesus paid our sin debt in full and enabled us to receive His imputed righteousness.
In Christ, you have a new identity. Your past has been forgiven. Your eternal security has been established. Now you can join God in His redemptive activity so that others can benefit from the reverse of the curse.
Riding HIS Wave,
Stephen Trammell
Lead Pastor
Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/stephentrammell