GALATIANS (12): The Blessing and the Curse (Galatians 3:6-14)

God sets before us life and death, blessing and curse, and urges us to choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19). Likewise, Paul contrasts the 2 possible ways to seek righteousness with God: (1) the way of the works of the law, and (2) the way of faith in God's grace. He shows from the law, that going the way of trying to attain righteousness by the law will inevitably end in failure - the curse of rejection and condemnation by God, resulting in eternal death (v10). Then he shows that the law itself points to the other way (justification by faith), which always results in our full acceptance by God, resulting in eternal life: "the righteous by faith shall live" (v11). Then he shows how Christ, through His death and resurrection, made it possible for us to be justified by faith and receive God's blessing of eternal life through the Holy Spirit. In His death on the Cross, He took our sin and judgement, becoming a curse for us, satisfying all the claims of justice against us, so that through our faith in Christ and His supreme act of Grace, we might receive the blessing promised to Abraham, released in and by the resurrection of Christ, namely, the promise of abundant and eternal life in the Holy Spirit, which is ours now in Christ (through our union with Christ).