As far as the curse is found...

No more let sins and sorrows grow,
Nor thorns infest the ground;
He comes to make His blessings flow
Far as the curse is found…

- From “Joy to the World” by Isaac Watts

Hello family! Brent and I usually banter about economic topics and post things about our families, but this time I thought it would be good to share something deeper that has been on my heart.

I love the Christmas carol "Joy to the World", not only for its beauty but also for its rich depth. I recently just finished listening to an amazing message by R.C. Sproul, “The Curse Motif of the Atonement.” This message was given at the Together for the Gospel conference back in April 2008. I would like to share with you some of the highlights from that message:

The joy we have in Christ is being released from the curse of sin so that we may know God and enjoy the blessings of fellowship with Him. In our culture, the term “curse” may conjure up images of Harry Potter casting spells and hexes or the Twilight series with vampires and werewolves. Our culture sees the term “curse” as one of superstition and fiction. But does it stop there? Is that as far as it goes?

No. There is a curse. A real, actual curse. And this curse came from God Himself. It is the curse that we incurred because of sin. It is the curse placed on the earth itself, while it, like us, awaits and even groans for redemption. And the only remedy for this curse is a bloody, primitive obscene death- by a perfect, spotless person, who is completely unstained by this curse. This death must provide a substitution, a swap, so that He can take away our sins and give us His perfect righteousness. Jesus has done this. He became a curse for us, so that we can be reconciled to God and enjoy fellowship with Him again.

Jesus has come so that God’s "blessings may flow, as far as the curse is found." If we've been freed from the curse, are we living like we're free? Are we experiencing fellowship with God and His grace?

May the knowledge of our freedom from the curse compel us to worship and enjoy our fellowship with Christ, our curse-bearer, our Lord and Savior.

Scriptures: Gal 3:10-14; Rom 8:20-23; 2 Cor 5:21;
Link: http://t4g.org/08/media/