Devotional: Redeemed from Slavery

Galatians 3:10-13 But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for "the just shall live by faith." Yet the law is not of faith, but "the man who does them shall live by them."
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.


"Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law".  Redeemed is a term used in the slave business.  A person can pay a price to redeem a slave and set him free.

Back in 1999 there were groups that redeemed slaves in Sudan to set them free.  Some groups were actually setting the slaves free by redeeming them, but there were others under the guise of redeeming slaves were actually taking them (under age boys) and putting them in camps to train them to be soldiers.  Apparently, these boys did not understand what was going on and human rights activists got involved.

True slave redemption, however, bought the slaves freedom at the cost of the redeemer.  The person who redeemed them sacrificed their money to set these people free.  This is the term used in this passage of scripture.

We were under the curse of the law, in  bondage to sin. Christ paid the Redeemer's price, which in this case was the giving of His own life, to set us free from the slave market of sin and the curse of the law.  The law was our master to show us our sin, but the law had no power to free us from sin. It only had power to condemn us to death for it.  But Christ, redeeming us with His own precious blood, set us free from the law of sin and death.

 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:2

This is great news!  Those Christ has redeemed have been set free!  Now, we should act like freed slaves...forever grateful to and worshiping our Redeemer.