The Cost of a Promise

Galatians 3:13-14 ESV says, “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.”

Would you pause for a moment and recognize the goodness of God on display in this verse? Of course, there is more context and background information leading up to this pivotal verse in Galatians 3. You can explore it more on your own if you feel so inclined.

Paul has been essentially saying in Galatians that the law (given to the people of Israel through Moses) is wrapped up in a curse because it lacks the power to bring freedom. The significance of Jesus coming was that he broke the power of the law and sin by becoming the curse and releasing the Holy Spirit into our hearts.

Today we can remember that Christ became the curse so that we could receive the promised Spirit and live in freedom. Consider all that was included in the promise that God spoke through the prophets concerning his Holy Spirit. Remember that without Jesus Christ coming and taking on the curse of the law (which is sin and death), the veil never would have been torn in two, and we would never have been able to enter the holy of holies.

God's promises are often costly to him, but he does it to demonstrate his love for us. In this case, the promise of the Holy Spirit was contingent on the faithfulness of the Son to put on flesh and submit to death on the cross. While we rejoice in the gift of the spirit, it is good to remember how precious this freedom is. It was not like God developed a great product and marketed it to us. He broke down the wall of hostility that separated us from his glory.

That is what we live in today. This freedom came with a cost, which is why gratitude will always be the only appropriate response to God’s gifts.

Join me today and ponder his faithfulness. How does this reminder of the cost of promising the Holy Spirit change how you respond to God today?

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