320 - The Work of Jesus Delivers Us from the Curse of the Law#
320 - The Work of Jesus Delivers Us from the Curse of the Law
(JP Text Group - Organized by the Little Prince of Heaven)
Galatians 3:10-14
For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 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.
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! At the beginning of a new week, thank you for preparing such a wonderful time for us to worship and praise you together, and through your word, let us understand the truth more, realizing that we are not under the curse of the law, but in the blessings of Christ. Help us understand this love, regain strength, and live with the power of Christ. We are Christians, bearing the glory and image of Christ. Please grant strength to every brother and sister; you know their inner needs, provide for them in due time, and let everyone live centered on Christ. Thank you and praise you! In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen!
The topic of sharing is: The Work of Jesus Delivers Us from the Curse of the Law
Why does Jesus save us from the curse of the law? Because under the law, we cannot bear God's blessings, so Jesus came to save us. Jesus means He will save His people from sin. In sin, we need a Savior; likewise, when we fail in life, we also need a Savior. Even in curses, we still need a Savior.
Someone might ask, what exactly is a curse?
Let me give you some common examples from life, and perhaps you will understand. Some children are born with hereditary diseases; in some families, there is a disease that causes family members to die at a certain age. Is this not a curse? There are also people who fail in everything they do, no matter how hard they try, they always fail. This can also be seen as a curse. So how can they completely turn their situation around?
In worldly terms, how can one change their fortune? They rely on luck, but in Christ Jesus, we will never rely on luck. Luck can be there sometimes and not at other times; it is unpredictable. We rely not on luck or feelings, but on God's promises.
Through what Jesus accomplished on the cross, we can be completely free from these curses, just as some people possessed by demons cannot escape by their own means, but as long as they believe in Jesus, they can be freed from these curses. Hallelujah!
The first point of sharing: Those outside of Christ live under the curse of the law
Why do we need to believe in Jesus? Because whether or not we believe in Jesus, we are all under God's law. No matter if we acknowledge Jesus as Lord or not, we cannot escape God's law. It is not that if you do not know, you are not under it; you are. If a person does not know Jesus, will they die? When did this law come into being? Many people do not know who Adam is; why did this curse come upon him? Why did this outcome happen to him? Because all people under heaven are under God's law; this is a fact. Let’s look at a passage of scripture, which is what God said to Adam and Eve when they sinned and disobeyed God's word, placing themselves under the law.
Genesis 3:17-19
And to Adam he said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”
If you do not accept Jesus, will this word come upon you? Yes, no matter which country you are from, you can deny Jesus, but you cannot escape this part. Why do Adam's descendants die? Because they disobeyed God's word. Some might say, what is so terrible about eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? Why is there such a serious consequence? Brothers and sisters, this is actually a choice.
God gave Adam two choices: first, to choose to let Him provide for him. When God created everything, did He make Adam work? In the act of creation, Adam did not exert even a bit of effort. Did God say, “Adam, this planet is not very good; go fix it,” or “There is no water on Jupiter; go get some water”? How long would it take to complete this work? That would be very difficult. So after God created everything, He let Adam come in and enjoy His rest.
If the first thought is management, it becomes troublesome. In Genesis chapter one, God blessed them and then let them manage. Brothers and sisters, it is after God gives you blessings that you feel energized and say, “Lord! I want to do something.” God says, “Alright! Since you have nothing to do, go and fix something.” Just like a gardener. Some people buy a pot of flowers for tens of thousands, just a little pine tree, and every day they take a little pair of scissors to trim it bit by bit. We think that is a waste of time; sometimes they even hire someone to come and trim it. Do you know what that is called? Pruning; it is an art.
Adam started in this process; after God created the world, everything was abundant and the best. God said, “Adam, look around; you can do whatever you like, just do not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” Brothers and sisters, this is in God's provision. If you do not eat from that tree, God will continue to provide for you... The abilities you have also come from God. But Adam made the wrong choice and ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which meant he was unwilling to receive God's provision and wanted to provide for himself.
This passage of scripture should make it clear: since you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, how will you live from now on? Cursed is the ground because of you. Brothers and sisters, because Adam chose to be self-reliant, the ground is no longer as it used to be; it can no longer produce things by itself. If you look closely at the first two chapters of Genesis, was the ground good? It bore fruit in due season, and there was mist rising from the ground to water everything, completely without our effort. Now, in flooded areas, it floods heavily, and houses are washed away; in drought areas, it is extremely dry, with no rain at all. Did such things happen before? Absolutely not. After Adam sinned, the world immediately changed because Adam placed himself under the law and disobeyed God's word, so the curse came upon him. Do you all understand this now?
Why are there so many births, aging, sickness, and death in this world? These are not created by God; they are the result of Adam's sin. This is some of the fruit brought by sin, including the ground being cursed because of Adam. This is when thorns and thistles appeared. Some say that thorns and thistles were also created by God. The act of creation was completed in the first two chapters of Genesis; were there thorns and thistles there? No, so this was not created by God; it was the result of the curse after man disobeyed God's word. In God's blessings, there is peace, joy, and abundance; is this not the fruit brought from God?
On the contrary, living under a curse, with death and disease, is that created by God? No, it is because you chose a different path, so different fruits appear. Adam made the wrong choice; he chose the second path: relying on himself.
So he began to toil for life. Brothers and sisters, do you know? Is there anyone who can escape this law? If you do not toil, will the ground automatically produce crops for you? You must toil for life, so people say it is very difficult. How can this be broken?
Let’s look further; you shall eat bread by the sweat of your face. Previously, Adam could eat whatever he wanted without any issues like diarrhea or disease. But now it is different; when he lives by himself, various problems arise. Brothers and sisters, you can also choose to rely completely on God's word to manage your family, company, and life. You can also choose to rely on yourself. I tell you, those outside of Christ are all relying on themselves and are under the curse of the law.
The next part says, until you return to the ground, for you were taken from it; you are dust, and to dust you shall return.
No matter how arrogant or proud a person is, this word will be fulfilled in them; this is their end. Is that our end? If this is your end, what is the use of believing in Jesus? This is not our end; it is just a journey of life. After we die, in God's eyes, it is just sleeping. When you sleep, will you wake up again? Yes, tonight, when you fall asleep, you will know nothing, but when the rooster crows the next morning, you will wake up.
One day, when the new heaven and new earth come, we will be in this state. When our life ends, it will be like sleeping; suddenly one day you wake up, oh! This dream was so long; when you wake up, the world has changed. But for the unbeliever, when they wake up, they begin to face judgment. Now you must know what you have chosen; this concerns your life and living. God has placed all of this in His word for us to believe, to choose to believe in Jesus and live; otherwise, you will be living under the law of self-effort. This is also the current state of the world, striving desperately, exhausting all efforts to gain blessings. Who among the world can escape this law?
Some say, look at how big that company is. Do you know how hard their life is behind the scenes? I used to know many big bosses like that; they seem very impressive in front of others, but privately their pressure exceeds that of ordinary people. This is why those big bosses always seek psychologists or go to KTV to sweat it out, to relieve stress; otherwise, the pressure is too great. But this is not God's way for us; God wants to bless you without worry. Amen! If a person lives under this law, can they receive blessings? There is one way; if you keep all of God's laws and commandments, you can receive blessings. If you cannot keep them, then it becomes troublesome.
Look at Galatians 3:10, For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”
Is it because God is wicked? Under the law, does He curse us? Is there a problem with God? No, the law itself is righteous and holy; there is no problem with it. The problem is with us; we cannot keep God's laws. To rely on the law means to live by oneself. God's word is placed before you; you can accept it, keep it in your heart, and live according to the word, regardless of how those around you act. You must make a firm decision to live according to God's word, and you will see a different outcome. But if you still rely on yourself, when problems arise, you desperately try to find a solution, what to do...
Did we not solve problems this way before we believed in Jesus? We would find everyone we could, only to find it still did not work. Now you should not do that; if you believe in Jesus and still live this way, you are actually living under the curse of the law.
Let’s look at a passage from Deuteronomy 28:20-21
The Lord will send on you curses, confusion, and frustration in all that you undertake to do, until you are destroyed and perish quickly, because of the evil of your deeds, because you have forsaken me. The Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
Now, this is Moses speaking to the Israelites. Why did Moses say such words to the Israelites? Entering the land of Canaan was based on promises. Today many people also say that we are under grace, under promises, so it does not matter; even if we commit murder or arson, it does not matter. Can it be so?
Look at this passage; if you do evil and forsake Him, many people say, we are under grace; God will not condemn me anymore. That is true, but after the comma, if you insist on committing sins and doing these corrupt things, what will be the consequence? God will not bless you in all that you undertake. For example, we are under grace, but every day we are scheming how to harm someone, puncturing their tires, breaking their windows, thinking about digging a pit for them to fall into...
Praying, “Lord, let him fall into that pit tomorrow while driving.” Will God fulfill that? No, please remember, you are living under a curse. It is not God who lets you live under a curse; it is you who choose to live under a curse. You are relying on yourself; perhaps you have too much resentment against that person because they have hurt you a lot, but you cannot let go. “Lord! I want to destroy him.” You are already living under a curse in your heart. This is relying on yourself.
When those curses and punishments come upon you, do not say, “Lord, why did you not protect me?” A thief believes in Jesus and says, “This Lord is so good; God blesses what I do. From today, I pray, ‘Lord, let me steal from that house, let him not be home…’” Can this work? You know, this is a mindset of living under a curse. What are you doing? This is living a cursed life.
So verse 21 says, “The Lord will make the pestilence cling to you until he has consumed you off the land that you are entering to take possession of it.”
Brothers and sisters, God is saying that one day these people will enter the land of Canaan, having entered the promised land, what kind of lifestyle will they choose? This does not mean they will die and not enter heaven; it means what their life will be like. We have believed in Jesus; what kind of lifestyle will we choose? Either living under the law, the same as the world, or living by faith like Caleb and Joshua. These are two ways we can choose; God does not force us in this matter, just as He did not force Adam at the beginning. God gives you the opportunity to choose freely.
You accepted Jesus, and God also gives you the opportunity to choose freely. But if you rely on the law, then it becomes troublesome; you live under a curse. Many people in the world scheme against others to gain high positions, only to end up with nothing. To gain wealth, they forsake their relatives and use any means necessary, ultimately ending up with nothing. This is living under a curse. That is why Jesus also said, “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?”
I will mention a common situation in society; some people are reluctant to let themselves rest, wanting to work more while they are young, not going to church on Sundays, having no word of God in their hearts. Before the age of forty, they put all their physical energy into work and indeed earn a lot of money. But after forty, their health starts to decline, and they spend the money they earned on medicine to support their bodies, ultimately realizing that you cannot exchange health for money. Is this not a curse?
Why does God say you shall work for six days, and the seventh day is a holy day to rest? God knows our bodies cannot handle it; you also need to come before God and restore your body through His word. Do not say, “I am made of iron; I can work with three or four hours of sleep.” You might manage for a while, but you are exhausting your later years. God's intention is for you to come before Him, and He will bless you, allowing you to live a different life. Brothers and sisters, coming here, God gives you His word; now as people listen to the word, their bodies are being restored because God's word carries power, and at this moment, your body is being restored. If he continues to work, his body will have problems.
Brothers and sisters, choices are important. You can choose to live relying on Jesus or choose to live relying on yourself. Which choice will determine what we will be like in the future? To emphasize again, the law itself is not the problem; God Himself is not the problem; it is man who sins and offends God. God is righteous; He cannot overlook sin.
Today, God will not force you; He will not turn you into a robot just because you believe in Jesus. People are constantly developing robots to make them obedient, to do whatever you want them to do. Even many people marry with the same controlling mindset, wanting the other person to do whatever they want. If you really had such a person, you might not like them. For example, if you married a robot, today you press this button, and it says, “I love you.” Press that button, and it makes you dinner. Would you like that? You might find it fresh for a couple of days, but after a week, it would be boring.
God does not want that; He created a person with thoughts and consciousness but hopes that this person willingly seeks Him. It is not that today is Sunday, and you must go to church and sing Hallelujah because you are His child. If it is like that, it becomes troublesome. God hopes that we recognize His grace in our lives, rely on Him, and when we see God's power, we willingly seek Him, feeling that this day is very important. It is not only important for my body but also extremely important for my life. Therefore, I set this day apart to seek God; this is a way of living that relies on God. Hallelujah!
The second point of sharing: The way out is only in Christ
As mentioned earlier, if you cannot keep all the laws, you live under a curse. To rely on the law means to live by oneself. Let me emphasize again what it means to rely on the law; it means to live by oneself. If you do not know whether to rely on God or yourself, you can test it. When encountering problems, especially in emergencies, do you first think of relying on God and praying, or do you think about what methods you can use to solve it? This will naturally reveal the answer. If the answer is relying on yourself, it does not matter; from today, change your mindset, and God will be willing to provide for you starting today.
Galatians 3:11-14
Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 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.
This passage is very important; it shows that no one is justified before God by works of the law, meaning that in terms of salvation, we cannot rely on the law to be saved. This is evident. Countless people have tried, and the outcome has always been failure. Simply put, if you want to gain the life of Jesus or enter heaven by relying on works of the law, you will definitely fail. Up to now, the unbelievers have all failed; their lives have failed, and they have not gained life, exhausting all their efforts to struggle. Some even resort to unscrupulous means to gain blessings. But it is clearly stated here that no one is justified before God by the law. It is not that God's standards are too high; it is that we are indeed too inadequate.
The law is not based on faith; what does this mean?
We always talk about believing in Jesus; the focus is on faith. When you believe in God, He will give you His blessings. When you believe in Him, you will see God's power and glory. Under the New Testament, we emphasize faith, but under the law, there is no need for faith. If you want to build a large building or buy a house, what should you do? If you rely on the law, what should you do? Don’t sit there; hurry up and make money, just do it.
Is faith needed? No, under the law, what faith is needed? You must work hard to gain a little; if you do not work, you will have nothing. This is life under the law.
Isn't this what people are saying now? Just do it; there is no need to talk too much; talking too much is useless. Brothers and sisters, have you ever thought about whether you can achieve results if you choose the wrong place to work? Can you find blessings by working hard in the desert? You cannot find them; is it because you are not working hard enough? No, it is because you are looking in the wrong place.
Brothers and sisters, if God has not given blessings, you will have no blessings at all. Similarly, if God does not bless you, no matter how hard you work, it will be in vain. Just like I mentioned earlier, in families with hereditary diseases, did those people not work hard? They may have consulted countless famous doctors to eliminate the hereditary disease in their family, striving for their descendants to no longer suffer from this disease, but in the end, they all failed. Did they not work hard? Did they not desperately seek solutions? They did, but why has the problem not been solved? The reason is simple: all answers to problems are with God. Unless you come before God, the source of life is in Jesus.
If you cannot find Jesus, there is no life to speak of. Unless Jesus comes to you and says, “I am the life, the way; come to me.” If you say, “I do not believe you,” and you abandon Him, you will not gain life no matter how hard you try. What I want to say is that the only way out is in Jesus Christ. The law is not based on faith; a person who lives by the law and relies on themselves will not understand the issue of faith because explaining faith to them will be incomprehensible.
You tell them, “If you believe, you will be healed.” You tell them, “If you believe in Jesus and what He did on the cross, you will receive Him.”
They say, “I do not believe; this is too hard to understand, too abstract.” You tell them, “Go find a doctor to cut out the tumor, and you will be fine.” They say, “I understand this; I will do it.”
Does this require faith? No, it does not. Brothers and sisters, which system are you living in? Is it the law, relying on yourself, or is it in faith? If it is in faith, you must have a correct understanding of who Jesus is; otherwise, what are you believing in? If you place your faith in a person, and that person falls, you will fall with them. Unless you know who you believe in. Christ has become a curse for us; you can replace “us” with “me”; Christ has already become a curse for me. Why did Christ redeem us from the curse of the law?
The reason is very simple, just like I asked you at the beginning, is there a blessing in the law? Yes, you can look at the first thirteen verses of Deuteronomy chapter 28; you will be blessed when you go out and when you come in; wherever you go, that place will be blessed. When you enter a house, even the kneading bowl will be blessed; is this not a blessing?
There are blessings in the law, but if you rely on yourself to keep the law, you will find that it is like a pie in the sky, something you can never touch, and what you can gain is only curses because you have violated God's laws and commandments and cannot keep God's commandments. Therefore, to receive the blessings in the law, there is only one way: keep all the laws. Amen!
If you cannot keep all the laws, you are under a curse. This does not mean that God is a cursing God; it is you who have violated God's word. It is like the laws of our country; if you have nothing to do and stab someone with a knife, will the laws of the country let you go? No, the law does not have a problem; the problem is with the person.
In Christ, we must believe this: Jesus took the curse for you. Why did He take the curse for you? First, you must acknowledge that you cannot live the life required by the law. You cannot rely on yourself to keep all the commandments, so you are a person under a curse. But now, why are you in blessings? Because Jesus took all your curses upon Himself. Amen! If He has already taken your curses, what will you receive? Blessings. Now let me tell you how blessings come. Do you believe that Jesus did not violate the law? Do you believe that Jesus is sinless? If you believe this, it is easy.
2 Corinthians 5:21, For our sake, He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
Is the sinless one referring to Jesus? Jesus is sinless, yet He became sin for us. This proves one thing: you indeed have sinned and cannot keep all the laws and commandments, living under a curse. But because of faith in Jesus, Jesus says, “Give me all your curses, give me everything, I will take it for you, and then I will give you my blessings.” This is an exchange. When Jesus died on the cross, He died for you. Jesus shed His precious blood, and all your sins were forgiven; that is an exchange in the spiritual realm.
You must see clearly what you give to Jesus. All your sins, death, disease, and curses are what we can give to Jesus. Do not give your bad temper to others; they cannot bear it. You say, “Lord Jesus, I give you my bad temper.”
Jesus says, “Give it to me.” Then God can give you His gentleness. You must believe this; otherwise, if you give your bitterness and complaints to those around you, rest assured! Soon they will all leave you. You must give these to Jesus; do not pretend you do not have these things. God knows everything about you. Bring your original self and say, “Lord, I feel particularly uncomfortable today; I resent that person.” Speak this out, tell our Heavenly Father, and our Heavenly Father will comfort you. This is an exchange. Do not think that our exchange with Jesus is only on the cross, giving all my sins to Him, and then I must rely on myself. It is not like that.
Whenever you encounter problems, say, “Lord, I give you this problem.” Jesus will give you the answer. The only fear is that you are unwilling to let go, holding onto your problems, searching for methods and people everywhere, ultimately failing and blaming God for not accomplishing it for you. God says, “You have never given it to me; how can I accomplish it for you?” God never forces us; this point, everyone must remember well. Whenever you call upon Him, that is when you believe God can solve it. When God actively seeks to solve problems for people, sometimes the problems are not easy to solve.
Let me give two examples. In the Bible, by the Pool of Bethesda, there was a man who had been paralyzed for thirty-eight years. Jesus actively found this man to heal him. Was it difficult? Jesus asked, “Do you want to be healed?” That person said a lot of nonsense. But looking at those who sought Jesus, they worked hard just to hear one word from Jesus; was it so difficult for Jesus?
Jesus said, “Alright! According to your faith, let it be done for you.” The miracles that followed were particularly great. That person had been seeking God, saying, “Lord! I just want to seek you, give you my problems, give you my paralysis, give you my blindness.” Jesus said, “I will give you my light, and you will see.” This is an exchange in the spiritual realm.
Now what I am talking about is in terms of life. Our life part has already been exchanged, so do not worry; you already possess the life of Jesus. In life, you must rely on Jesus in everything. What you can give to God is nothing to boast about; what we give to God are all sorts of messy things. “I hate that person; I dislike him; I am feeling very low right now.” Tell this to Jesus; give all these things to Him. Believe that He is sinless and will give you His righteousness, allowing you to regain strength. Hallelujah!
You are not living under a curse. God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. Brothers and sisters, please remember, whenever you are willing to rely on Jesus in everything, you will see the blessings of righteousness, and the fruits of righteousness will manifest in you. Amen!
Many people have believed in the Lord for a long time, coming to church, and when I ask them if there is anything I can help with, they say no, everything is fine! In reality, it is already very bad, but they are unwilling to speak out. In such cases, I do not know; I am not God and cannot solve their problems.
Unless they say, “Teacher, I have this problem; please pray for me.” I say, “Sure, let’s pray together.” Sometimes they hesitate, sometimes they are weak; we can help them together, giving this problem to God, letting God solve their problems. If you do not speak out, I will not know at all. People sometimes think this way, thinking the pastor is too busy, thinking you have many things to do every day. Yes!
But have you ever thought that every matter of the brothers and sisters is very important? The preacher is indeed busy, but what are they busy with? They are busy with the matters of the brothers and sisters. If you feel too busy to approach them, you are wasting your own time. If you have faith, you can pray to God; this is also fine. If you are weak, you must tell the brothers and sisters in the church who have faith; this is the purpose and significance of fellowship. Amen! This way, we can help you come out of weakness and look up to God. Hallelujah!
Now let’s return. Since you must give everything to Jesus, what do you receive from Jesus? As I mentioned earlier, Jesus is sinless and has never broken a law. Did Jesus fulfill the law? He was born of a woman and born under the law. Did He violate any law?
From His birth to His death, He never violated a single one. Amen! So, can the blessings of the law come upon Jesus? The content of the first thirteen verses of Deuteronomy chapter 28 must be fulfilled in Jesus. Jesus is blessed when He goes out and blessed when He comes in; He can extend His hand and bring blessings to others. The leper before Him has no power; why? Because He did not violate the law; this is where Jesus' power lies.
Adam initially also had this power, but he chose to live by himself and thus lost that power. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Do you know that this glory carries a kind of power? The world has no power and can only rely on itself. But now you are different; you are a person living by Christ, believing that Jesus did not violate the law, and He has no sin. Therefore, He can bear all the blessings that come from the law in this world. He can extend His hand and bring forth God's power. Now He has given this to you; no matter what you do, you must believe that when I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, I can also bring forth the power of Jesus. This is not my power; it is not because I have done well that God blesses me; rather, it is because the power of Jesus is upon me.
Even if my behavior is not good, the power of Jesus is still upon me. I can live out the life of Jesus through His power. This is why we pray in the name of the Lord Jesus; relying on ourselves has no effect because you cannot keep all the commandments. But Jesus has already kept them, so He has given you this blessing. He has fulfilled the law and has not violated it. All the blessings mentioned in the Mosaic law, Jesus possesses them. How can you receive these? Just one word: faith.
Galatians 3:14, So that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.
Under the New Testament, the emphasis is on faith; under the law, the emphasis is on actions. The world emphasizes that you must work harder to prove you are a valuable and worthy person. How many Christians still use this method to prove themselves? Now they have no money, so they are looked down upon by the world. First, they have not seen clearly who they are.
The world evaluates its value based on wealth and position. Why do you want to evaluate yourself this way? In Jesus Christ, your value is the same as Jesus. Hallelujah! Moreover, in the eyes of the Heavenly Father, you are a treasure, far surpassing the world. Why must you prove your value this way? Your value is the same as Jesus; you do not need to prove yourself through these means. Rather, when you know the power and value of Jesus are upon you, you can live out the life of Jesus.
It is said that the blessing of Abraham can come upon you through Jesus Christ. Amen! Is it simple? Just believe completely; believe that the sinless Jesus died on the cross for your sins. Believe that Jesus has fulfilled all the requirements of the law for you. You are now living under the blessings of Christ, representing Christ in this world. Keep this word in your heart, so that in all your words and actions, you no longer represent yourself, but Jesus. Hallelujah! When you know this, when you extend your hand, it represents the power of Jesus coming forth. God allows us to receive His grace; it is not difficult at all.
Galatians 3:26-29
So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.
Here the emphasis is on faith; therefore, you are all children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Is it easy to become a child of God? It is very easy! But if you are under the law, how difficult it is to become God's people! You must first join Judaism, be circumcised, and follow the religious system and rituals of the Jews...
You cannot keep them. Now under the New Testament, Jesus has brought you into the New Covenant and has also told you that it is particularly easy to become a child of God. Just believe in Jesus, and you become a child of God. Some might say, what is the significance of becoming a child of God? Do you know what this represents? In the past, when the emperor's son entered the palace, did he need to prove his identity? No, because the ministers all recognized him. Does the system of the country have any effect on this son? Perhaps the palace has a curfew at a certain time, and he cannot enter, but when he returns, what will his father say? “Open the door and let him in.” Why? Because he is the son.
You might ask, why give him the royal inheritance? It is simple; he is my son. Look at this identity; the reason is strong enough, right? Is there any need for anything else? No.
Do you know you are a child of God? Because you are a child of God, this reason is sufficient; the Heavenly Father can give you all His blessings. You can use the authority of Jesus on this earth. Do not think that others say you must work hard and have good behavior for my Heavenly Father to accept me. Sorry, that is what ministers do. Ministers are rewarded based on their merits; it is not like that for sons. Brothers and sisters, is this not the case in dramas? Ministers work hard; that is what they should do, but sons do not need to do that. When the time comes, they ascend the throne.
Brothers and sisters, you are children of God because you believe in Jesus. You are children of God; all resources in the kingdom of heaven can be used by you. Just remember that you are a child of God; it is not because you have good behavior that God looks at you more favorably. No! You were baptized into Christ and have clothed yourselves with Christ. This means that because of faith, the Holy Spirit dwells in you; this is a guarantee. What does this guarantee bring you? You are clothed with Christ.
Being clothed with Christ means what? When soldiers stand together, they look like one person because they are all dressed the same on the outside. Now you have all become one in Christ Jesus.
Why have you become one? Because the moment you believed in Jesus, the Holy Spirit dwelled in your heart, and you have clothed yourself with the righteousness of Jesus. This means you are wearing the full armor of God. When the enemy's arrows come, you do not rely on your own efforts to resist; you cannot resist. For example, the Bible mentions that when you wear the armor and the breastplate is on you, when the enemy's arrows come, it is not by your own body that you block them. What if they shoot from behind?
You have armor; the armor will extinguish the arrows, similar to today's bulletproof vests. Let me break this down for you; it is not your own efforts; relying on yourself is troublesome. If you are on the battlefield without wearing a bulletproof vest, how much effort will you need to block the bullets? Can your flesh block them? You say, “My faith is so great; I will block it.” You will definitely die.
But God says, “You are clothed with Christ,” meaning that before everyone goes to battle, they are given a bulletproof vest to wear. When bullets come, you cannot avoid them; you only need to believe that the bulletproof vest has this ability. Having faith is enough. You do not need to shout; that is all a trick from the outside. When the real bullets come, it is not about you exerting all your strength to block the bullets; that is useless. It is this outer garment that will block them. Many times, we waste our efforts in that area.
I remember the first time I rode a roller coaster; I saw people next to me gripping the safety bar tightly and screaming. Looking back now, isn’t it quite ridiculous? How much significance is there in using all your strength to grip that thing? None at all. Whether you let go or grip tightly, it is the same. The focus is not on you; it is on the strength of that safety bar. But many people are fully armored, see the enemy, and run away. “The devil is so scary; I must stay away from him.” That is equivalent to gripping tightly on the roller coaster, thinking that if you grip tightly, you will not fall. It is not your strength at all. Amen!
Now do you know what it means to be clothed with Christ? You are wearing the robe of righteousness of Jesus. When the devil sees you, it is the same as seeing Jesus. This is why I encourage everyone to read the Bible more. In the four Gospels, when the devil saw Jesus, did Jesus ever say, “You seem to have grown taller; maybe I will be defeated by you”? Did He?
Every time these demons saw Jesus, they fell to the ground begging for mercy. Amen! So why do we live like this? Because we are relying on ourselves, thinking we can scare them away, even going so far as to take off our armor to scare them. This is useless. When you are wearing your armor, they see you as the same as Jesus. At that time, you only need to issue a command, “In the name of the Lord Jesus, leave!” and they must leave because they cannot see you inside. This is how it is; we must know that in Jesus Christ, we are all one.
Is the person next to you clothed with Jesus? Everyone has the authority and power of Jesus Christ. The only fear is that when you encounter problems, you start relying on yourself again. The two examples I just gave should be thought through carefully. Many times, we do a lot of useless work, exhausting ourselves unnecessarily. There is no need for that; the focus is not on you; it is on what you are wearing and what you believe in your heart.
You belong to Christ; do you belong to Christ? How do you belong to Christ? When you believe in Him, you belong to Christ. You are Abraham's seed. When you believe in Jesus, you become Abraham's seed. What privilege does being Abraham's seed bring? You are heirs according to the promise.
When Abraham gave his inheritance to Isaac, how much effort did Isaac have to exert to reclaim it? It was after Abraham died that the inheritance automatically belonged to Isaac. Moreover, before Abraham died, he sent away all his other sons, leaving only this son. You are the same. The world relies on scheming for power, just like Ishmael. Did the descendants of Ishmael also do this to seize it? But in the end, did they take it? No.
What God wants to give you cannot be taken away by anyone. You must believe that you are Abraham's seed. Whether you work or run your own business, believe that today you are Abraham's seed. You can pray for your business and for those you can see. You are a channel of blessing. The clients God wants to give you, the inheritance He wants to give you, no one can take away. Even if someone temporarily wants to take it away, it is useless.
Isaac learned this core principle from his father Abraham. When others stole his wells, he gave them up, and in the end, God's blessings became greater. No one can take all this away. He also had no bitterness in his heart. You are now heirs according to the promise. Amen! Simply believe in God's promises; believe that all the blessings of Christ are yours, and you can inherit the inheritance. Since it is an inheritance, it is something we can see with our eyes, not just spiritual.
When the Israelites entered Canaan, did they not divide the inheritance? Were those inheritances not visible to their eyes? After we believe in Jesus, it does not mean that we are very poor in this world, living in pain all day long, and it does not matter because we have an inheritance in heaven. Do not think this way. The inheritance God speaks of is on this earth, something you can see with your eyes, just like Abraham. In the Bible, God spoke very clearly about Abraham's inheritance: gold, silver, donkeys, servants, and much more. Are these spiritual blessings? No, they are earthly blessings, and of course, there are also spiritual blessings. Amen!
God wants to give you both aspects. How can you receive these blessings in life? You have already received spiritual blessings; by believing, you have already received these spiritual blessings. How can you turn these earthly blessings into something your eyes can see? It is very simple: live by relying on God's word in everything. Hallelujah! Do not return to living under the law; that is too bitter and exhausting.
Galatians 5:1-5
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith.
Now here it mentions that if you want to rely on yourself to obtain blessings or exchange for blessings, you are severed from Christ. This does not mean you are not saved. To emphasize again, in life, you can rely on yourself or choose to rely on Jesus. How can you rely on Jesus?
Believe and act according to what God's word says, regardless of how others do. Just believe this is enough. Amen! If you encounter situations and still rely on yourself, trying to take shortcuts or using your cleverness, you have fallen from grace. This does not mean you have fallen into hell; it actually means you have fallen under the law. We can easily live by relying on ourselves, and many times failure is inevitable. Do not complain; when problems arise, just return to Jesus, and that will be fine.
We wait for the hope of righteousness through the Spirit by faith. What is faith? It is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. You have not seen it, but you believe you have received it. Just like at this stage, some students have already received their college entrance examination results, and Tsinghua has sent them an admission notice, but school does not start until September. Are you not a student now? You have not entered yet, but you already are. But does this process require waiting? Is the waiting process painful? Not at all; when you receive that admission notice, you can wake up smiling every night. Because you are waiting for the hope of righteousness, waiting for the day you enter school. Amen!
We are like this; when things have not happened, we believe that God has already done this. No matter how twisted it is now, it does not matter; in the end, it will definitely be good. Joyfully waiting; this is living in faith. Amen! Let our hearts be filled with God's promises and not carry thoughts of curses.
Luke 6:27-28
But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.
No one wants to do this relying on themselves, but why does God want us to do this? This is to bring what you have received into your life. God does not want your heart to be filled with thoughts of curses. If your enemy is in your heart, what does that indicate? It indicates that hatred is already in your heart. If someone curses you, you must treat them well. If you say, “I cannot treat them well,” it proves that hatred is already in your heart. If someone curses you, you must bless them. If you say, “I cannot bless them,” it is because you have already believed their wrong and cursed words.
If someone insults you, you must pray for them. If you say, “I cannot pray for them; they treated me like that,” it is because you have already judged others in your heart. Unless your heart is free of these things, what do you possess? The blessings of God and God's promises in your heart. Only then can you bless them, love them, and treat them well, because what fills you is God's promises. This requires prayer; you need to continually know Jesus to do this. Otherwise, if others hurt you, you will take a long time to recover. But now, you only need to look up to God's promises; you look up to the fact that God will bless you today. Amen! Finally, let’s look at a passage of scripture to give you strength so that you can live out those blessings mentioned above.
Genesis 12:2-3
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.
God said He will make you a great nation; it is not the result of your efforts; it is what He gives you. God said to Abraham, “I will bless you and make your name great.” You do not need to do various activities to become famous; it is unnecessary. God can make you famous very simply. Amen! After you become famous and are blessed by God, what should you do? You will also be a blessing to others; you are a channel of blessing.
In the world, there are only two types of people: those who bless you and those who curse you. I will bless those who bless you; no matter how famous you are, you cannot bless others. You can only bless them in the name of Jesus. The one who blesses them is still our Lord Jesus. Just as I can pray for you, but the one who heals you is definitely not me; it is Jesus. I can pray for you, but the one who blesses you is definitely not me; it is Jesus. Hallelujah!
Conversely, those who curse you, who curses them? Our God curses them. So do not curse them, okay? Your heart should be filled with God's blessings. At all times, just bless and do not curse. Amen! Brothers and sisters, if others curse you, do not believe it, because their words will not take effect. Only the words of Jesus will take effect. We bless you in the name of the Lord Jesus; that is what has power. Hallelujah!
Similarly, do not take the words of others cursing you to heart because it is useless. Why do you want to take it to heart? If they keep cursing you and you want to retaliate, just say, “Lord! Have mercy on him.” If he does not deserve this mercy, that mercy will come upon you. Amen! All the families of the earth shall be blessed through you. Remember this word; no matter what you do in this world, you are a channel of blessing, and you will become a blessing to many. Hallelujah!
Let us pray together:
Heavenly Father, thank you and praise you! Thank you for continually supplying us through your word. Jesus has redeemed us from the curse of the law; we are no longer under the curse of the law but are in your blessings. This blessing is not something I earned through effort; it is Jesus who took my curse on the cross, and I am in His blessings. I am clothed with the robe of righteousness of Jesus, possessing the blessings of Jesus. When I bless others in the name of the Lord Jesus, this blessing will come upon them.
I am a channel of blessing, a descendant of Abraham, and a person who inherits according to the promise. Lord Jesus, lead me to know you more. Heavenly Father! Please help me to have confidence in your word, to live by your word, and to witness and experience your great power in my life. Thank you and praise you! All glory belongs to you. In the name of the Lord Jesus, we pray. Amen!