Galatians 3:13-14 (NKJV) 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”), that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
We have seen how God related to the Israelites under the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants—the former unconditional, pointing to the coming Messiah, and the latter conditional on their obedience. But the story of God’s covenant faithfulness does not end there; in Christ, a new and better covenant was established. Unlike the Mosaic Covenant of blessings and curses, the New Covenant is sealed in Jesus’ blood and rests on His finished work at the cross.
We, the Gentiles, are the beneficiaries of the Abrahamic Covenant. As Christians, we operate under the blood of the New Covenant. Jesus has fulfilled the law for us and took upon Himself all the curses of the law when He hung on the cross for us. He was made sin for us so that we can have His righteousness and enjoy an abundant life now.
However, we still need to deal with the flesh that desires to live independently of God and be watchful of the devil’s schemes and temptations. God cannot be mocked, and we still reap what we have sown in the flesh and bear the consequences of our choices made in the flesh, even though Jesus had borne all the curses on the cross (Galatians 6:7-8). It comes with the free will that God has given us. God is still a God who observes His covenant and fulfils all the covenantal obligations to us.
Fortunately, believers today can live very different lives compared to the Israelites in the Old Testament because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Every one of us can be counselled by God. We can tap into His wisdom and be led by Him. The Holy Spirit empowers us to do what is right in the eyes of God. All we need to do is yield to Him as He prompts and leads us daily. The Holy Spirit can also give us new business ideas, strategies, and whatever resources we need if we listen to Him.
The people of Israel were very proud, even towards God. Therefore, God had to allow them to wander in the wilderness for forty years, causing them to be dependent on Him for manna daily. We can also take pride in our ways when everything is working well and we feel that we don’t need God. A tough economic environment often humbles us and brings us back to the basics of having faith in God and His Word, just like the people of Israel were taught not to live by bread alone but by every Word of God. What pleases God is our faith in Him. Throughout the Old and New Testaments, God has shown us that He wants us to utterly depend on Him through faith in Him, as revealed through His Word.
Sermon Series: Stay Humble in His Presence
活在新约之下
加拉太书 3:13-14 基督既为我们受了咒诅，就赎出我们脱离律法的咒诅，因为经上记着：“凡挂在木头上都是被咒诅的。” 这便叫亚伯拉罕的福，因基督耶稣可以临到外邦人，使我们因信得着所应许的圣灵。
我们已经看到神在亚伯拉罕之约与摩西之约下如何与以色列人建立关系——前者是无条件的，指向那将要来的弥赛亚；后者则取决于人的顺服。然而，神守约的故事并未在此结束；在基督里，神设立了一个更美的约。与旧约中“顺服得福、违背受咒诅”的摩西之约不同，新约是以耶稣的宝血为印记，建立在祂十字架上完成的救赎工作之上。
我们外邦人是亚伯拉罕之约的受惠者；作为基督徒，我们活在新约的宝血之下。耶稣已经替我们成全了律法，并在十字架上为我们承担了律法的一切咒诅。祂替我们成为罪，好叫我们得着祂的义，并能在今生享受丰盛的生命。
然而，我们仍然需要处理肉体的问题——那种想要脱离神独立生活的倾向，并且要警醒防备魔鬼的诡计与试探。神是轻慢不得的；即使耶稣已在十字架上担当了一切咒诅，我们若随从肉体撒种，仍会收割属肉体的败坏，并承担自己选择的后果（加拉太书6:7-8）。这与神所赐的自由意志一同存在。然而，神依然是守约的神，祂信实地履行祂与我们所立之约中的一切应许与责任。
感恩的是，今日的信徒因着圣灵的内住，可以过上与旧约以色列人截然不同的生活。我们每一个人都能直接领受神的指引，得着祂的智慧，被祂引导。圣灵赐我们能力，使我们能行出神眼中看为正的事。我们所需要做的，就是顺服圣灵在我们心中的提醒与带领。若我们愿意聆听，圣灵也能赐下新的商业点子、策略与所需的资源。
以色列人曾因骄傲而不愿顺服神，因此神让他们在旷野漂流四十年，使他们天天倚靠祂从天降下的吗哪。同样地，当一切顺利时，我们也容易因成功而自满，觉得自己不再需要神。而艰难的经济环境，往往使我们再次谦卑，回到信靠神与祂话语的根基上——正如以色列人被教导的那样，“人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠 神口里所出的一切话。”
神所喜悦的，是我们对祂的信心。从旧约到新约，神一直向我们显明：祂渴望我们完全地倚靠祂，通过信心与祂建立关系，并在祂的话语中得以坚固。
讲章系列：在神的同在里保持谦卑