Blessings & Cursings

How many people truly believe God never changes? The Holy Ghost prompted me while I was reading the scripture in Deuteronomy 28. This is the passage of blessing for obedience. But if we hearken unto the voice and statutes of the Lord and truly believe in the blessing set out here, do we then refuse to believe the curses? In James it says a double minded person should not be trusted. Is this double mindedness?

We all want to claim the blessing set out here in the Old Testament, but when it comes to the curses then we want to try to yell grace grace! We are no longer under the curses of the law but under grace. Guess what, if this is the case, we can't claim the blessing either. That would be double-minded. We can't have the blessings of the Old Testament without the cursing as well. The Bible just doesn't work that way. We must rightly divide the Word and there is no division in Deuteronomy 28.

The consequences are set out in response to our actions. If we seek the blessing, the cursing is part and parcel with that blessing. There is no dividing point here folks.

For example, if I gave you a $50 bill you would take it in a heartbeat. But if I gave you the choice between a $50 dollar bill and a $100 dollar bill, you would take the $100. Here’s the secret: the $50 is still contained in the $100. Whether we like it or not the Old Testament is still framed inside the New Testament. Remember, Jesus said, “I come to fulfill the Law not do away with it.” (Matthew 5:17)

He was asked what is the greatest commandment. “Love the Lord thy God with all thy mind, strength, and soul, and then next to Love thy neighbor as thy self of which there is no law.” (Matthew 22:34-40) Which means you would never break any of the laws set before you if you did these things. Yes, we do live in the dispensation of grace and grace alone, but not so we can sin willfully and expect God's blessings. Doing so will bring His cursings upon us.

We've already agreed God doesn't change. He CANNOT bless things that are cursed. Sin is cursed. He CANNOT bless you if you are constantly operating out of a sin nature. He had to turn His back on His own Son when Christ became sin for us on the cross. Do you think He is going to turn a blind eye? Foolish men we are if we think this way. Jesus commanded us to be Holy as He is Holy. (1 Peter 1:16, Leviticus 11:44, 45; 19:2; 20:7) He didn't say we had to be perfect in holiness. We will only obtain that when we are resurrected in Him. But we are to shun evil and turn a deaf ear to it and strive for holiness. We do this through repentance and the resulting righteousness of Jesus covering us.

Here is where I'm going to get real with you. There are a couple things I really struggle with. Man alive, I try and try, but even in all my trying I fail miserably. I get up and I fall on my knees, and I cry out in repentance, just to get up and fall again. I feel Paul's pain when he said, “Satan buffets me, there is a thorn in my side. God would you please remove it, and God said my grace is sufficient for you.” I don't willfully fall into this trap. The enemy catches me tired, I'm distracted, walking a little too close to the fence from time to time and wham it hits me. I get up, I fight with it and then run right back to repentance. I know one day God will remove this thing from me, but until then I fight, I draw near to God and submit. Then Satan has to flee. IT’S THE WORD.

I live an open life. And yes, at times it leaves me exposed and vulnerable to ridicule and judgment, but if I can help one person say, “If he can do this and deal with the issues in his life, then I can too!”

I'm getting a little side-tracked here.

We really can't have the blessing without the consequence of cursing as well. I know this is going to be controversial and all the “grace grace people” are going to put their two cents in. But they have to bring scripture to back it up like I did my position on this.

To put this all in a nutshell, we can’t claim the blessings of the Word without also considering and accepting the struggles and cursings that come from disobedience and sin.