Day 2 – How to Come Under a Curse ~ Julie Earl
Galatians 1:6-9
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you to live in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— 7 which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ.
8 But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let them be under God’s curse! 9 As we have already said, so now I say again: If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse! [Bold lettering mine]
Julie’s Nugget
Verses 6-8 are the verses I lovingly refer to when I talk with someone who is a Jehovah Witness, a Mormon or a legalist trying to earn their way to salvation or God’s favor through their deeds.
Sadly, they have stepped out of God’s amazing grace and have stepped into relying on their own works. Although they claim to be Christ followers, they are in fact disregarding and dishonoring all that Jesus accomplished on the cross. They are proclaiming to the world that Jesus’ sacrifice wasn’t enough, and that you have to jump through certain hoops, act a certain way or dress in a certain fashion in order to be saved and/or righteous before God.
The whole message of the gospel, the good news, is that we are saved by grace through faith – not by works. “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law” (Galatians 3:25). God is very serious about those who try to earn salvation and favor through their own good deeds rather than by believing in Jesus. “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse” (Galatians 3:10).
To Ponder
Even as a Christian who believes 100% in the finished work of the cross, it is easy to slide into a works mentality without realizing it. It’s easy to feel that if we just pray a certain amount, read more of the Bible, and do certain good deeds, that we will earn the favor of God. God doesn’t want that to be our motivation. He told us that righteousness is a gift (Romans 5:17). He wants us to simply fall in love with Him and let that love transform us and make us hungry for more of His presence!
What are some areas where you have fallen into a works mentality and placed yourself under a curse instead of under grace?
If you have, make a choice to believe that you are truly righteous in God’s sight, and that all He asks is for you to passionately love Him and allow Him to passionately love you in return. We are free from the curse of the law!
Many blessings as you walk in God’s amazing grace every moment of every day!
Julie Earl
[All scripture taken from the New International Version.]