50. The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Sunday Morning Sermon
September 13, 2020
The Essentials – Additional Lessons
“The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ”
Galatians 3:10-14
Pastor Marc Brashear


10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” 11 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” 12 Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.”


13 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”), 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.


The title of our sermon this morning is “The Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ,” Galatians chapter 3, verses 10 through 14. Now we are continuing this morning our study of “The Essentials.” And we’re considering in that study of “The Essentials” those subjects that are essential to the life, health, growth, maturity of the Christian. And as we discussed last week, this is a study of those foundational subjects, those fundamental subjects that are necessary to a proper understanding, a proper apprehension of the Christian faith. These are central to the Christian faith. And we are considering those subjects that are at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian. They’re fundamental foundational subjects.

Now, as we consider those subjects at the very heart of what it means to be a Christian, there are very few more central, more foundational than the subject that we’re now discussing; the issue or the relationship between the Law and the Gospel. We began with this assertion last week. We said the entirety of God’s revelation to man contained in the Scriptures could be categorized under these two headings, “The Law” and “The Gospel.” John Colquhoun agrees with us on that. He says:

“The Law and the Gospel are the principle parts of Divine revelation; [the principle categories of Divine revelation] or rather they are the center, sum and substance of all the other parts of it. Every passage of sacred Scripture is either Law or Gospel, or is capable of being referred either to the one or to the other.”

“There is not in the Sacred Volume [there is not in the Bible] one admonition, reproof, or exhortation but what refers either to the Law or the Gospel or to both.”

This is fundamental to Christianity, fundamental to the revelation that God has given of Himself to us in the Bible. And upon this errors abound and many have made shipwreck of their faith. And the saints, through a proper understanding of this are highly edified. It serves us well to understand these things. We’re talking about them in this series at a very foundational, at a very fundamental, you could say, a 30,000 foot view. So I commend this to further study, in particular the relationship of the Law to the Christian life. We have simply an hour to spend some time on this. But I pray that future sermons are coming where we’ll be able to spend more time on this blessed subject.

Now last week we began with the nature and the purpose of the Law. This week we want to build on that good foundation and now consider the relationship of the Law to the free offer then of the Gospel. Now, as soon as we mention that relationship, the relationship between Law and Gospel – as soon as we mention any relationship between Law and Gospel – much of the modern church today would rise up in objection.“There is no relationship between the Law and the Gospel! Those two things stand opposed. They’re in objection to one another. One has nothing to do with the other!” And the fruit of that unbiblical, ungodly objection is a refusal to preach the Law of God, a neglect of the preaching of the Law of God, an aversion to the Law of God. And that is followed by an unbiblical or an ungodly caricature of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. One perverts or corrupts the other. Do you see? Errors in one will foment error in the other.

One the one hand, that unbiblical objection is why so many preachers today pedal a so-called Gospel without repentance. And why the goats under their preaching love to have it so. Now a days you seldom hear anyone say that you’re saved from the wrath of God. That preaching is out of vogue. Very seldom will you hear anyone even say that you’re saved from sin, saved from its consequences. The preaching of judgment, the preaching of hell is almost non-existent. And pretty much everyone you witness to says, “I don’t like that hell, fire, and brimstone preaching.” In other words, you don’t like anyone to mention “hell” when they’re preaching. “God’s not mad and I’m not bad! Let’s keep it that way.”

On the other hand, that unbiblical objection is also why so many preachers today pedal a so-called Gospel that makes little or no demands on your life. It’s simply not the Gospel that we find in the Bible. Essentially what most professing Christians believe themselves to be saved from today is simply any obligation to the Law whatsoever. That’s what they’re saved from. They’re saved from, obligation to the Law. In other words, the freedom that we have in Christ isn’t freedom from trying to earn our salvation through works of the Law, it’s actually freedom from any works of the Law. Apparently it’s freedom to twist Scripture. “We’re no longer under Law, we’re under grace.” The Law of God, obedience to God simply has no place in modern evangelical thought, no place in modern evangelical conversation, little place if any in their preaching and teaching about the Gospel, and simply not what they want to talk about.

And what has been created? The bitter fruit of that is essentially a Frankenstein, a man-made behemoth, a man-made monster with no life-giving Spirit in it, just rotting flesh held together by a common desire to impersonate genuine life. And that’s sort of the reality of the modern-day church today; a little more than a Frankenstein.

What we learned last week in consideration of the Law of God is the necessity of the Law in our understanding of the Gospel. You can’t understand the Gospel rightly, fully, without understanding the place of the Law in service to the Gospel. The whole point of the Gospel is to provide a solution to a problem for man that has been caused by or revealed by the demands of God’s Law. And if you get the Law wrong, it’s going to have a tragic influence, a tragic consequence on your understanding of the Gospel.

The black backdrop of sin, exposed under the Law is the only proper setting for appreciating the brilliance and the radiance of the grace of God that is revealed in the Gospel. That’s why Paul begins his preaching of the Gospel with the Law. That’s why we see Paul beginning his preaching of the Gospel with this text, in the words that we find in the text read in your hearing, Galatians chapter 3 beginning in verse 10. Paul begins here. Listen: For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; [Where does Paul begin? Paul begins with the curse of the Law. He begins with the preaching of the Law in order to understand the preciousness of the Gospel. Do you see?] For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.”

Now, if you were to walk into most churches today and preach just that verse – all you’re going to do is just read it – people are going to be up in arms because you just called me cursed. No, no, no. I didn’t call you cursed, Paul did. Ultimately, God called you cursed if you’re under the Law, under the curse of the Law. – as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse;… [Cursed!] “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law; to do them.” These words communicate the desperate need of every man, every woman, every child born in Adam. That great need revealed through a biblical understanding of God’s Law. You neglect the Law of God and you miss your need. You think you’re rich, have need of nothing, and you do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked. What does the Law of God do? It shines a spotlight on our need.

Paul puts us all under the weight of our sin against God in verse 10. Notice with me first, the scope of the Law in verse 10. The need revealed in verse 10 is the need of: as many as are under the works of the law – Well who are those? It is the great need, verse 10, of – everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Now, someone who has no understanding of the Law of God might raise their hand with the rich young ruler and say, “All these things I have kept from my youth. What must I do to inherit eternal life? What thing is left for me to do?” But when we understand the Law of God, we understand that everyone of us, from the heart, is a continual breaker of every one of God’s commandments.

Sin springs from the heart of man and defiles him. The scope of the Law extends to every single man, every single woman, every single child. We’re all born under the Law of God. Paul says in Romans chapter 3, verse 19: “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.

Now, what does that tell us? It tells us that every mouth and all the world are under the Law of God. The scope of the Law extends to silence every mouth. The scope of the Law renders all the world guilty. The Law places every sinner in the courtroom of heaven, every sinner standing before the bar of God’s unbending justice, puts the sinner face-to-face with the merciless standard of a pitiless Law, of the demands of God’s uncompromising Law. There are no exceptions. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, [Paul says] that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. Notice the scope of the Law. It extends to everyone.

Second, notice the standard of the Law in verse 10: that everyone must – continue in...most of the things written in the book of the law? No! – all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Not merely to desire to do them. Many think today, “Well I have a heart…In my heart I want to…” And somehow the “want to” is the satisfaction of the Law. It’s not the “want to” that does it. It’s the “doing” that does it. Everyone must – continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” The standard of the Law is an absolutely unblemished conformity to every single command given by God.

A lesser standard, if you think about it, would be inconceivable, wouldn’t it? Now, we wouldn’t ask God – we couldn’t image God – who is holy, perfect, righteous, and good, reducing His standard for sinful, wretched people like us. “God can’t we…let’s negotiate here… can’t we just call it 80%?” And who of us can even keep 80% of the Law? No one can. “God, what about 75%? What if I just do my best? God, I’m doing my best! Can’t You see I’m sincere?” No! A lesser standard is inconceivable. Why? Because the Law of God is the expression of God’s very being. The Law of God is a reflection of God’s very nature, a reflection of His essence, a manifestation of His perfect, eternal, unchanging, moral character. It is a transcript, if you will, of who God is. And that holy, moral character, the holy, moral character of an eternal and unchanging God is brought to bear on every one of our thoughts, every one of our words, our attitudes, our actions. And it’s all brought to bear upon us through the Law of God.

God is holy. And the standard of the Law is the very holiness of God Himself. 1 Peter chapter 1, verse 15 – but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, [How holy is that? It’s as holy as He who called you is holy, which is holy!] because it is written, [verse 16] “Be holy, for I am holy.” God created us in His image to be holy, to reflect His perfect, unchanging moral character. God essentially says through the Law, “If you are to draw near to Me, if you are to be reconciled to Me, then you must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Perfect there doesn’t mean just simply complete, as some would try to get away with today. Perfect means perfect. It means holy. It means blameless under the Law. If you are to find acceptance with God, the standard under the Law of God is a perfect righteousness. And that’s not merely – when you stop to think about it now – that’s not merely a perfect obedience to prohibitions given under the Law, but also includes a perfect obedience to every precept given under the Law.

When I was younger I used to think to myself, if I can just keep from doing these things I’ll be holy. But it’s not merely keeping myself from doing these things, it’s also doing the very things that God commands. And doing them from the heart with the glory of God as my aim, in love for Him, with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. It is a perfect obedience from the heart in every thought, word, attitude, and action. Listen, it is an unrelenting standard. It is an uncompromising standard, an unbending standard.

Finally, notice the sentence of the Law in verse 10: For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” Everyone stands under the curse of the Law because of their failure to do all that the Law requires. Failing to do all that the Law requires places you under the curse of the Law, which is the curse of God. Every sin of the creature that is made in the image of God, in the image of his Creator, is a direct and personal assault on the part of the sinner against the God who made him.

Now again, if you’re not used to sitting under the preaching of the Law, that thought comes as a bit of a shock. Every sin that you commit, in word, thought, attitude, or deed, is a personal affront to the rule and reign of God over you. It’s a personal attack on the Omnipotent Almighty. It’s a personal affront to God your Creator. It’s a personal assault against His character. It’s a personal assault against His Person. And so the curse of the Law is God’s response, His settled disposition. It’s the response of the Divine nature to your sin. All sin incurs the wrath of God and God’s own nature demands it. That curse is demanded by God’s own perfect justice. His own nature demands it.

Now notice, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things – To be under the curse is to be personally under the condemnation of God. It’s not just your sin that is under the condemnation of God, it is the sinner who is under the condemnation of God. The curse… What does the word “curse” mean? A curse is a determination of God to do you harm. Think about that for a moment. The curse is the determination of God to do you harm. It’s described by Jude as suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. It doesn’t mean that the fire alone is eternal. It means that the suffering under the eternal fire is also eternal. Do you see? Not just the sin is an object of God’s wrath, but the sinner himself is an object of God’s wrath. Psalm chapter 7, verse 11: God is a just Judge, and God is angry with the wicked every day.

It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Amen?

So then sinner, what’s your plea? What’s your plea? You stand before the bar of God’s justice. You stand before the judgment seat of Christ. What’s your plea going to be? What will you say to Him? Who can stand before the bar of God’s justice and proclaim his innocence? Every mouth is stopped. The whole world is guilty before God. You’re to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. You’re to love your neighbor as yourself. And what hope do you have of every having obeyed that Law or every will obey that Law? What hope do you have? What’s your plea?

Verse 11: But that no one is justified [that no one is counted righteous] by the law in the sight of God is evident, [Why is that? Because the ones who are just, the ones who are righteous, those are the ones that shall live by their faith. They don’t live by the works of the Law. Do you see? They don’t live by their works of the Law. They don’t live by their obedience. They don’t live by their own righteousness. They live by faith in the One who is righteous. They live by faith. No one is every found to be righteous in the sight of God by means of keeping the Law. It simply does not happen. And that is because the righteous are those who live by faith. “Live” there is referring to eternal life. It refers to eternal life. Verse 12: Yet the law is not of faith, but [the Law is of works] “the man who does them shall live by them.”

The Law is second, is apart from faith. Under the Law, the one who does those laws, the one who lives obediently to the commands, is the one who will live by them. There is no salvation, there is no life under the Law. – the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” If you want eternal life through the Law, you’re going to have to obey it perfectly. He quotes Leviticus chapter 18:5 here, stating this principle. However the Law can never bring life. Romans chapter *3, verse 23: all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. If eternal life requires obedience rather than faith, we are absolutely hopeless.

This is the basis or the foundation then, on which the Gospel is revealed. Do you see the purpose of the Law in the preaching of the Gospel? It renders you hopeless apart from Christ. Renders you hopeless on your own. Renders you hopeless apart from faith in the One who has kept the Law perfectly. Renders you hopeless apart from God’s only and exclusive provision for sin. The whole point of the Gospel is to provide a solution to a problem for man that has been precipitated, exposed, revealed by the demands and the curse of the Law.

Why did there have to be a Gospel? The curse of the Law. Why did there have to be a remedy? The curse of the Law. The curse stands between the sinner and reconciliation to his Creator. The curse stands between you and God. It’s the curse of the Law which makes a Christ who redeems a necessity. It’s the curse of the Law that gives rise to the Gospel.

The relationship of Law and Gospel is well illustrated, you could say, in the relationship of a house to its foundation. I’ve heard people speak of this before. The relationship of the Law to the Gospel illustrated by the relationship of a house to its foundation. If the foundation is wrong, the house is going to be off. You build a crooked foundation, you’re going to have a crooked house. Bad foundation means bad house. The Law is not the same thing as the Gospel. The Law is distinct from the Gospel. But the Law is the foundation upon which the Gospel is presented. The Gospel assumes and answers the curse of the Law. And if you get the Law wrong, you’re going to lose the Gospel.

Years ago, many years ago, we knew several families where my family lived that had bought houses in this exclusive neighborhood on the side of this mountain. Beautiful vistas, beautiful neighborhood, beautiful houses. They began building these houses. And three quarters of the way through the construction, they started having considerable problems with the foundation. Where the houses were being built, land was shifting, foundations were cracking. People lost everything in that. Houses were rendered condemned. They shut down the entire neighborhood. The foundation was bad and so it rendered the house unlivable.

Listen, with the way that the modern-day church today preaches or fails to preach the Law, you wind up with a Gospel that is false, erroneous, damning, superficial, wrong, unbiblical. It’s a Gospel that deceives, not a Gospel that saves. If you get the Law wrong, you’re going to get the Gospel wrong. We need to have a proper understanding of the place of the Law in order to apprehend the truth of the Gospel.

We see that relationship expressed elsewhere by Paul in the New Testament. It’s all over the New Testament. Listen to what Paul says in Romans chapter 1, verse 16. Paul says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, – And why is he not ashamed of the Gospel? Verse 18, he says this is because: the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness. In other words, the wrath of God is revealed and so I will preach the Gospel. Do you see? One provides the basis for the other. The Gospel is built upon the foundation of the Law.

Well, once Paul lays a good foundation with the Law applied to the sinner in Galatians chapter 3, verses 10 through 12, he then preaches to us the Gospel in verses 13 through 14. Look at verse 13. After the preaching of the Law now. Verse 13: 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”), [so] that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The Puritan John Brown defined the Gospel in this way. He said,

“The Saxon word "Gospel", like the Greek word of which it is a literal translation, signifies agreeable intelligence, a joyful announcement, good news, glad tidings;

Amen! After all that preaching of the Law, the Gospel is good news! Glad tidings! Salvation in Jesus Christ! I’m no longer hopeless! I have hope in Him! Hope of forgiveness! Hope of having my sins forgiven! Good news! Glad tidings! I don’t have to labor to obey under a Law that I could never obey. Jesus Christ has perfectly kept the demands of the Law and satisfied the demands of the Law on my behalf, if I put my faith and trust in Him. Good news! Glad tidings! Right?

and is, in the New Testament, ordinarily [that Gospel is] employed as a descriptive designation of the revelation of Divine mercy to our lost world, - the divinely-inspired account of the only way in which guilty, depraved, and miserable men may be delivered from sin and its consequences, [the way they may] obtain the Divine approbation [or the Divine approval] and favour, be raised to the true dignity and excellence of their intellectual and moral nature, in the knowledge of God, and conformity to his mind and will, and be made happy in all the variety, and to the full extent, of their capacities of enjoyment, and during the whole eternity of their being, by the free grace of God, and "through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus."

Let that sentence keep going John! We could add statements to it, couldn’t we? I love that, “happy in all the variety, and to the full extent, of their capacities of enjoyment” To the fullest extent of our capacities. Listen. When you and I are glorified, our capacity for enjoyment will explode. We’ll have a fresh, new, glorified capacity for enjoyment of these truths. It’s going to be glorious! All of that through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. That beautiful description could be well-applied to what Paul is communicating here in Galatians chapter 3. Look at verse 13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us –

Notice with me first in verse 13, the Gospel involves a work of Christ. The Gospel involves a work of Christ. “Christ” is the title here, of the Lord Jesus. He is “the Christ.” The word means “the Anointed One,” if you remember from sermons prior. It speaks of Jesus in His mediatorial office, His work in bringing us to God. There were three mediatorial offices in the Old Testament that were anointed offices. Those offices were prophet, priest, and king; each one anointed by God for their function.

Our confession states in Chapter 8, Article 9:

“this office of mediator between God and man is proper only to Christ, who is [thee] prophet, [thee] priest, and [thee] king of the church of God”

He’s our Prophet in that He reveals God to us. He reveals the Father to us. He is our Priest, the One who goes before us to God on our behalf and atones for our sins. And He is our King, the One who subdues our enemies and rules lovingly over His people.

Notice next in verse 13, the Gospel involves a work of redemption. In verse 13: Christ [the Christ] ...redeemed us from the curse of the law, – That word “redemption” is expressed in the language of ransom. It carries the sense of purchase, the payment of a price. The securing of the release of a slave by the payment of a price. The purchase of a slave out of his slavery. John Murray said, “redemption is directed to the bondage to which our sin has consigned us.” We’re in bondage to sin. We’re in bondage to death. We’re in bondage under the curse. And Christ pays the ransom, pays the price to redeem us.

Paul says it this way in 1 Corinthians chapter 6 and again in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 – you were bought at a price – therefore, you are not your own. You are not your own.

Spurgeon said this:

“We see then that our redemption is by price. "For God bought you with a high price. [That is an understatement. Consider the price of our redemption. So then...] So you must honor God with your body." What a price was paid for our redemption! The precious blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God! "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. He paid for you with the precious lifeblood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." Costly price of man's redemption; the infinitely precious blood of Christ! O my soul, [Spurgeon says] look with wonder and amazement at your ransom the precious life and the precious blood of Jesus, "He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing what is right." "The Son of Man came, to give his life a ransom for many."

Praise God. Thank you Lord Jesus Christ. What a price! What a price.

Revelation chapter 5, beginning in verse 8, John records that – when [Jesus] had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying: “You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open its seals; for you were slain, and have [what?] redeemed us [You have redeemed us. You’ve purchased us, ransomed us, paid for us, bought us, brought us] to God by Your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation, and have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall reign on the earth.”

I’m looking forward to hearing that hymn. I want to hear the music. I want to hear the singing. It’s going to be enthusiastic worship in the singing of that hymn. Amen?

The price that was paid for the redemption of God’s elect was not paid with corruptible things like silver or gold, or precious stones. Not as precious as the price that was paid for our redemption. What paid for our redemption was the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot.

Third: The Gospel involves a work of propitiation – the work of propitiation. Verse 13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us –

Romans chapter 3, verse 24, Paul says that we are – justified freely by His grace – In other words, it doesn’t have anything to do with what we’ve done, or who we are, where you come from. It has nothing to do with that. It has nothing to do with anything that you’ve done, anything that you think you’ve earned, anything that you think you’re entitled to. It doesn’t matter who you are, where your from, how old you are, how young you are, how tall you are, how short you are, who your family is, who your family isn’t. It doesn’t have anything to do with what you think you’re going to do, what you’ve decided. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. We are – justified freely by His grace [it is the gift of God] through [by means of] the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, –

That word “propitiation,” and “propitiation by His blood” refers to the sacrifice of His life in satisfaction of our debt. You and I are indebted to the Law. We owe perfect obedience. You and I are indebted to the Law under the curse. We owe the penalty of the curse. If you are caught committing a capital crime, it’s going to send you to the death penalty, send you to the chair. You stand before the judge, you are accounted guilty, and you are sentenced for execution. You owe the court your life. Do you see? You owe the court the payment of that penalty. We owe the Law its curse. We have a debt that must be paid.

Propitiation by His blood refers to the sacrifice of the very life of the Lord Jesus Christ in satisfaction of that debt. This payment is made to God. Our debt to the Law by Jesus Christ is paid. God’s justice is satisfied. In other words, God’s justice, God’s wrath is propitiated. And it’s fully satisfied with the price that has been paid by the Lord Jesus Christ and His wrath that was formerly pointed directly at us is averted fully, completely by the Lord Jesus Christ. What immeasurable love! God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us [the ungodly]. It’s an amazing thought. God set forth His own Son for sinners to be a wrath-satisfying sacrifice or propitiation.

Fourth: the Gospel involves a work of imputation. It involves a work of imputation. Verse 13: Christ has redeemed us [this is packed, isn’t it? We could spend sermons upon sermon on verse 13. There’s so much here!] Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us – It’’s reflective of 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 21, For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Speaking of imputation, the word “imputation” means to reckon, it means to credit to your account and then to treat you accordingly. Something’s going to be credited to your account and then your going to be treated accordingly as if it belongs to you. Imputation is a glorious truth in the Bible. Paul defines this loving and saving work of God through Jesus Christ in terms of imputation. Imagine the Divine ledger in the courtroom of heaven. One side of the ledger lists all your debts due to sin, all your debts under the curse; vast, innumerable, unpayable. You are standing before the bar of God’s justice to settle accounts with Him, and you cannot pay! The debt is too great.

But you look, you look at the ledger and on the other side of the ledger you see all of the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. On your side, only debt. On His side, full of glorious merit and value and righteousness! His infinite merit. His perfect life. His obedience to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And through imputation, He who knew no sin, takes responsibility for your side of the ledger. Your side of the ledger credited to Him, and now God is going to treat Him accordingly. Do you see? That is humbling, sobering. The thought of all of my sin and my wickedness through imputation placed upon the Lord Jesus Christ who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. He took all of that upon Himself and God treated Him accordingly.

When you want to know what you deserve for your sin, look no further than the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, where He suffered, and bled, and hung there, and died. And the worst of it that you don’t see is the wrath of God undiluted poured out upon Him as He hung on the tree. And that was justly reserved for you and me. He takes my ledger, my debt upon Himself. And wonder, a wonder of God’s grace, He imputes, He credits His side of the ledger to me and God treats me accordingly. Do you see what a beautiful, what a glorious thing imputation is? He became a curse for us, verse 13. He became a curse. The One who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. This imputation makes possible then, a substitutionary curse-bearing.

Fifth: the gospel involves a work of substitution. Verse 13: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us – “for us” – huper = “on behalf of”, in our stead, in our place. This is speaking of Christ’s atonement as a work of substitution. A redemption that is accomplished vicariously. A debt that is paid on our behalf. A penalty that is poured out on Him in our place. He stands in our place as guilty with our ledger credited to Him and God treats Him accordingly. He’s condemned to die, cursed. Our verdict is rendered against Him. He is sentenced, cursed, and judged in our place. He bears the punishment due our sin. And He bears our punishment in order to save us from our sin. He bears our punishment to save us. A great exchange has taken place. Verse 21: He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, –

Notice also, that in that substitutionary language, there is the language of sacrifice. He is the Lamb of God. The priest would take his hand, place is hand upon the head of the lamb and slit the lamb’s throat, shedding his blood in atonement for sin, passing the sins of the people onto the animal. God passes our sin onto the Lord Jesus Christ as He hangs upon the cross.

RC Sproul summarized the curse in this way. Oh, this is insightful.

“If you really want to understand what it meant to a Jew to be cursed, I think the simplest way is to look at the famous Hebrew benediction [or the famous Hebrew blessing given] in the Old Testament, one which clergy often use as the concluding benediction [or blessing] in a church service: [Numbers chapter 6, beginning in verse 24:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.
What a beautiful blessing. What a beautiful blessing. What’s the opposite of a blessing? The opposite of a blessing is a curse. What is a curse? It is an intention on the part of God to do you harm. Listen:

[That blessing’s] antithesis can be seen in vivid contrast to the benediction. The supreme malediction would read something like this:

“May the Lord curse you and abandon you. May the Lord keep you in darkness and give you only judgment without grace. [May the Lord damn you.} May the Lord turn His back upon you and remove His peace from you forever.”

When on the cross, not only was the Father’s justice satisfied by the atoning work of the Son, but in bearing our sins the Lamb of God removed our sins from us as far as the east is from the west. He did it by being cursed. “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us— for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hangs on a tree’” (Gal 3;13). He who is the incarnation of the glory of God became the very incarnation of the Divine curse.” [And that for love of wretched sinners who rebel against Him. Amazing! ]

Next: the Gospel involved the Lord’s death to secure these blessings. Verse 13, again: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us [and here it is] (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”) The Lord Jesus Christ hung on the cross and gave up His life for sinners. It involved the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, it involved the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, He was raised for our justification, and the Lord ascended bodily to take the kingdom.

Lastly: the Gospel is a work of the Christ that is freely offered to us by grace through faith. Look at verse 14: [All of this was so] that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

The promise of the Spirit. The promise of God’s indwelling presence with His people. The blessedness of the Spirit indwelling God’s people. A dwelling place of God by the Spirit. All of that through faith, not by works of the Law. It’s so that the promise of the Spirit could be given through faith. Simply believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ. Simply taking Him at His word. Simply trusting in Him for all that He promises. Trusting in Him for all that He command. Trusting in Him for all that He says. Trusting in Him for all that He says He will do. It’s trusting in Him and taking Him at His word. It is entrusting ourselves to Him.

Do you see how faith then is far more than just mere intellectual assent? The faith that has in mind the Gospel. This faith that it has in mind is a faith that is far more than mere intellectual assent. It is agreement with those facts, and it is fidelity to those facts. It encompasses a fiducia, a trust, an entrusting of ourselves to Him. And that trust is to follow Him, obey Him, to live for Him. It’s not the obedience that saves mind you. It’s the obedience that is a fruit of our love and gratitude in the Gospel, for Him having saved us. It’s not a salvation by works, it’s a salvation that works.

Do you see that the Gospel served by a proper understanding of the Law, once having put faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ the Christian then is to live in the light of the Gospel. We stand – brothers and sisters – we stand in justifying grace. We stand in justifying grace. We access that grace to live for Him through faith to accomplish the works of the Law, to accomplish the demands of the Law, to live for Him. Not a salvation by works, it’s a salvation that works. And brothers and sisters, we have the power of the Spirit that indwells us.

It’s really important to keep the Gospel distinct from – clear with respect to the Law as you live the Christian life. If you begin to confuse Law and Gospel in your Christian life, you begin to smuggle works into your justification, or smuggle works into maintaining, you think, your Christian life. It’s gonna wreak havoc on your soul. It’s gonna wreak havoc on your heart and mind. We are to pursue holiness without which no one will see the Lord, and while we pursue that holiness we are to trust in Christ for the Gospel by faith. Amen?

If you’ve never turned from your sin to trust in Christ, let me ask you: Do you see from the testimony of God, from the testimony of God’s word that you are under the curse of the Law? You are under a curse for your disobedience. You are under a curse having offended Him with your sin. And that you desperately need the Christ who has become a curse for us. Do you see? If you will put your faith, your trust in Him, Christ has become a curse for us. He who knew no sin became sin for us, – that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. His ledger, His perfect righteousness credited to you and you are treated accordingly.

If you reject Him who speaks from heaven, then you’ll stand before the bar of God’s justice with your own debt. And what will you do then? Hopeless before His judgment. Turn now at His reproof. Turn now at His word. Put your faith and trust in Him and be converted that your sins may be blotted out. Amen. If you are redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, praise Him! If not, seek His face this morning.