The Curse That Blesses

Paul resumes his defense of the true Gospel with a simple contrast: To live by works of the law is to be cursed, whereas to live by faith in Christ is to be blessed. Easy choice, right? Yet every human heart still naturally gravitates toward living by law. To convince (or re-convince) us, Paul first reaches back to four Old Testament scriptures that expose the futility of living by law. Then he throws a spotlight on the cross, where Jesus suffered the ultimate cursedness in order to bestow the ultimate blessedness on everyone who believes in him. This blessedness is characterized by receiving “the promised Spirit,” who connects us to God and his whole multiethnic family forever.