ALREADY BLESSED IN JESUS
If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the Lord your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God:
– – Deuteronomy 28:1-2
This chapter reveals God’s conditions of blessings and cursing in the Promised Land for Israel. The first 13 verses are what God promises that He will do to bless Israel if they are obedient, while verses 15-68 which is actually a longer list shows God placing curses upon them for disobedience.
The blessings of the Old Covenant was conditional upon performance. When we base our Christianity on the pattern of the Old covenant we make null and void in our lives the promises based on the new covenant. The key thing about the old covenant is that it was between a perfect God and an imperfect man. There was no chance for any man to enjoy the fullness of God’s blessings.
By fulfilling the law on our behalf, Jesus was given all of the blessings of that fulfillment with none of the subsequent curses for breaking it. So no child of God can be blessed and cursed at the same time. Jesus changed places with us, knowing that we could never fulfill the law. His fulfillment brought Him God’s blessings which He traded to us for all of our law breaking. Thus, Jesus bore the curse that should have been placed upon humanity, so that humanity could bear the blessings that Jesus had earned by His perfect lifestyle.
It’s just so unfortunate to see ministers place a curse on their members for not being good, paying their tithe and offering or leaving their ministries. Another worrying stance that we need to shake off is the idea that we need to do some good works (fasting, evangelism, sacrifice) to qualify for God’s blessings. It is trying to embrace the spirit of the Old covenant whilst living in the new.
Now, when we read Deuteronomy 28, we receive all of the blessings of the first 13 verses because we have placed our faith in the finished work of Christ, receiving all that He paid for. No Christian should ever study the curses that are listed in this chapter and fear that they may be living under them, for what has been blessed cannot be cursed (Numbers 23:20).
Why do some Christians insist on telling others that they might be cursed because of things that are going on in their lives? They get them to start looking for sin in their lives. If you go on a sin hunt, you will always find one out. It must be because they do not understand just how finished Christ’s finished work is.
We must always look for the Son in us and not sin. Scriptures say “For all the promises of God in him are yes, and in him Amen, to the glory of God by us.” (2 Corinthians 1:20). All the blessings are not in our good works but him. Christ in us the hope of glory. This is grace. He is our qualification for the blessings and he lives in us. So this makes it practically impossible for you not to be blessed this year and for the rest of your life.
Another interesting aspect of this is that the blessings of God are Yes in Him. Why is this so? Because under the Old covenant Israel only said “Amen” to the curses. You can find out in Deuteronomy 27. The 27th chapter ends with 12 verses beginning with “Cursed”.
These curses precede the great blessings of chapter 28 and they represent the curse coming before the blessing. Jesus bore our curse so that we could bear His blessings, thus our curse has been accounted for while we rest in His goodness.
Now Jesus the “Amen” has signed and sealed the blessings of God for your life with his blood. So you can the best out of life this new year and always. Take what belongs to you by faith and reign in life.
No conditions attached. It’s available by faith in His grace. It’s just that simple.
ENOCH WALKED WITH GOD… AND DIED
IDENTIFYING THE 3RD HORSEMAN IN REVELATION
EXPERIENCING THE FREEDOM OF GRACE
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