A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (August 22, 2018)
But the Law does not rest on or require faith [it has nothing to do with faith], but [instead, the Law] says, “He who practices them [the things prescribed by the Law] shall live by them [instead of faith].” Christ purchased our freedom and redeemed us from the curse of the Law and its condemnation by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs [crucified] on a tree (cross)”— in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might also come to the Gentiles, so that we would all receive [the realization of] the promise of the [Holy] Spirit through faith. (Galatians 3:12-14, Amplified Bible)
Jesus became our substitute and redeemed us from the whole curse of the law. The curse, and how Jesus redeemed us, basically consisted of three parts.
The CURSE: (Deut.28:15-68)
1) Spiritual death 2) Sickness and disease 3) Poverty
The REDEMPTION (Blessing): (Deut. 28:1-14)
1) Eternal life (Hebrews 9:12) 2) Health and healing (1 Peter 2:24) 3) Prosperity (2 Corinthians 8:9)
Unfortunately, many people stop after one third of the curse has been broken in their life. Jesus paid the price to break the entire curse of the law, which included poverty, sickness, and spiritual death. We are good at telling people they need to become spiritually alive. We even tell them that when Jesus died on the cross, He became a curse (Galatians 3:13) and because He was cursed, we’re not cursed anymore. Why stop there? What about the curse of sickness and disease? What about the curse of poverty? He became our substitute in those things, too.
The Scripture clearly tells us so. He paid the price you couldn’t pay so that you can be rich. He took the curse of poverty for you and He paid the price. Second Corinthians 8:9 says, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” This scripture can only mean that Jesus was the substitute for your poverty. He was the propitiation for that part of the curse of the law for you. It means that though He was so very rich (in Heaven), yet for our sakes Jesus became like us (poor), so that we could become like Him (rich, enriched, and abundantly supplied)!
One time I heard a preacher say, “I don’t want to use the word ‘rich.’ I’m just going to say, ‘doing well.'” Is it wrong to quote the Bible? Some denominations don’t want to use the word “blood” because they’re afraid it’s offensive. Other denominations don’t want to use the word “rich” because it’s offensive. Who decides which words we take out of the Bible and which ones we don’t?
I believe if you are healthy, spiritually alive, and you’ve got some money in the bank, you can do more for the Gospel than if you’re lying on your back in a hospital with a dead spirit and you’re dead broke.
The devil does not want you living the Gospel. The Scripture says, “For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). What are the works of the devil? In John 10:10, Jesus tells us, “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy…” Sounds like the curse of the law to me. The devil wants to kill you. He wants you spiritually dead. He wants to steal from you. He wants to destroy your body. The devil wants you to live under the curse. Jesus shed His blood so you wouldn’t have to live under the curse.
