Redeemed from the Curse

Today we are going to discuss a word that I believe should get your attention, and that is the word CURSE! Many people think they know what a curse is, and everyone seems to know it’s not a good thing. We were taught when we were very young that using curse words was very bad, and we often suffered the consequence of using such words.

According to Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, to curse is “to utter a wish of evil against one; to imprecate evil upon; to call for mischief or injury to fall upon; to execrate.” To imprecate is to invoke against someone or something. To execrate is to feel or express great loathing for someone or something. Many pagan religions, witchcraft, and Satanism practice placing curses on people as a way of controlling them. Curses are real.

The Bible talks about something called “The curse of the law.”

Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree"), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Galatians 3:13-14 NKJV

If Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, what exactly is it?

The only way to find out is to go back to the law. The expression “The Law” as found in the New Testament usually refers to the Pentateuch, which are the first five books of the Bible.

When we study these books, we find that the curse or punishment for breaking God’s law is threefold:

1.     Poverty

2.     Sickness

3.     Spiritual death

According to Deuteronomy 28, sickness and disease would come upon the people if they failed to observe to do all of God’s commandments and His statutes. Every sickness and disease known to man is called a curse in this chapter.

How to Live Healed and Free From the Curse

Let’s look at a few of the curses listed.

The Lord will smite you with consumption, with fever and inflammation.

Deuteronomy 28:22 AMPC

Consumption is pulmonary tuberculosis. And any disease that would cause a fever or inflammation is included in this verse.

The Lord will smite you with the boils of Egypt and the tumors, the scurvy and the itch, from which you cannot be healed.

The Lord will smite you with madness and blindness and dismay of [mind and] heart.

Deuteronomy 28:27-28 AMPC

Boils are infected bumps. Scurvy is a vitamin C deficiency that causes fatigue, swollen bleeding gums, and joint and muscle pain. Madness would be any mental problem (anxiety, depression, etc.).

 Then the Lord will bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary strokes and blows, great plagues of long continuance, and grievous sicknesses of long duration.

Moreover, He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt of which you were afraid, and they shall cling to you.

Also every sickness and every affliction which is not written in this Book of the Law the Lord will bring upon you until you are destroyed.

Deuteronomy 28:59-61 AMPC

I want to bring some clarity to the phrases, “The Lord will smite you” and “the Lord will bring upon you.” Dr. Robert Young, a Greek and Hebrew scholar, points out that in the original Hebrew, the verb is in the permissive rather than the causative sense. Actually, it should have been translated, “The Lord will allow these plagues to be brought upon you.”

God permits evil when people move themselves out from His protective covering, but He does not create it.

God does not send plagues and sickness upon His people. Yet He repeatedly warns what will happen if we go against His Word. That’s called MERCY. The devil is just waiting to attack people, and the open door to him is disobedience to the known will of God.

Sickness and disease are not the will of God for His people. He does not want a curse to be upon His children due to their disobedience. God wants to bless us with health. That is why He warned us in Deuteronomy 28 what would cause blessing and what would cause the curse. Every person on this planet has the freedom of choice. If we are sensible, we will choose the blessing and life.

Since Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, then as believers we legally no longer have the curse in our lives. Many in the body of Christ teach that there are generational curses that believers must be delivered from. I want you to know that no man can curse what God has blessed. All believers in Jesus are legally redeemed from every bit of the curse of the law.

Some may wonder why then, are so many believers sick? If any believer experiences sickness or disease, it is no longer for the same reason as those who are unsaved. Because an unbeliever is in rebellion to God’s Word, he has no protection from the curse. The unbeliever is subject to the curse of spiritual death, sickness, and poverty. By contrast, believers have been redeemed and freed from the curse of the law through Christ; they have legal protection from the curse. However, many face difficulties, including sickness, because they give place to the devil.

Leave no [such] room or foothold for the devil [give no opportunity to him].

Ephesians 4:27 AMPC

Some of the ways believers can give place to the devil will be discussed in upcoming blogs.

But for today, I want to mention one way—through a lack of believing the Word of God. Romans 10:17 tells us that faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of God. We can school ourselves in faith by continually saying what God says about us.

I want to encourage you to quote these scriptures every day. Simply fill in the blank with the trouble or disease you are facing.

Say: According to Deuteronomy 28, __________ is a curse of the law. But according to Galatians 3:13, Christ has redeemed me from the curse of the law. Therefore, I no longer have __________!

As you continue to confess this, you will find that your symptoms and your troubles will begin to disappear.

If you're in the Aurora/Naperville area and are looking for a church that teaches the uncompromising Word of God, we invite you to visit Abundant Life Family Church. As a Word and Spirit church, we are committed to helping believers grow in faith, experience the power of God, and walk in His promises. Our services are filled with dynamic worship, Bible-based teaching, and an atmosphere where the Holy Spirit moves. Whether you’re searching for a church home or seeking a deeper relationship with God, we welcome you to join us and be part of a thriving community of faith!