Cursed or Blessed?
Have you ever felt like nothing can seem to go right in your life? Like everything is just working against you that particular day, week, month, or year? Like you were cursed, doomed, or without hope? Sometimes our intuition is more accurate than we realize…
We are all cursed. That sounds pretty negative. But it is the default reality for all of humanity. Death is inevitable. Judgment is sure. Guilt is evident.
Cursed. Our "goodness" is insufficient to get us to Heaven. We all feel like we are “good” people based on our own moral standard. But we also feel the undeniable effects of the curse now; living in a fallen world, suffering from the sin of others, and reaping the consequences of our own rebellion.
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.” Galatians 3:10 ESV
Jesus' true goodness is the only path to Heaven. We can’t be good enough to get to God. We don’t deserve God’s blessing. Jesus provided the only way out of the curse of our sin through His torturous death.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.
Galatians 3:13
Blessed. What does that mean really? How can we really experience “blessing” on a daily basis? Here are three important truths:
We are blessed when we love and treasure Jesus more than anyone else, including ourself. "And blessed is the one who is not offended by me” (Luke 7:23).
We are blessed when we read or listen to the Bible and obediently apply it to our thoughts, feelings, words, and actions! “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!” (Luke 11:28).
We are blessed forever when we treasure Jesus, for in His salvation He takes away the forever curse that we deserve. “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered, blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” (Romans 4:7-8)
Live in God’s blessing. We have a choice to make daily. It is easy to get down and depressed about life. Life has a purpose. Jesus is our purpose. We will embrace the fallen world around us? Or will we intentionally approach and live for God, eagerly waiting for His return?
Training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.
Titus 2:12-13