Understanding God’s grace spares Christians from unnecessary fear, paranoia, and a sense of distance from God. Many of us feel confused about whether God is angry with us when we sin or wonder if we will be cursed. We may worry about generational curses, opening doors for the enemy, running out of forgiveness, God’s impatience, discipline, or karma for our bad deeds.
We try to balance these fears with the message of Jesus on the cross allowing us to sometimes remember that we are forgiven while at other times fearing judgment. However, fear and love cannot be balanced – they are mutually exclusive.
1 John 4:18 (New International Version) There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
Trying to balance grace and judgment often results in the Christian walk feeling like a rollercoaster ride. Sometimes we feel at peace, forgiven, close to God, with strong faith; other times we feel anxious, doubtful, judgmental, distant from God, and our faith wavers. Instead of attempting to balance these opposing forces, we should let the grace of God overpower our fears, leading us to a steady path of growth filled with peace, joy, love, confidence, and faith. This is precisely what Jesus came to give us.
Christ lived a perfect life, and by every measure, he deserved blessings, favor, love, and every good thing. He certainly did not deserve God’s curse, wrath, or judgment. So why didn’t he receive those blessings? Because Christ chose to trade what he deserved for what we deserved.
When Christ died on the cross he was cursed by God, received God’s wrath and all the punishment you and I deserve for disobeying God. As a result, today when we put our trust in Christ, we are saved from this curse, anger, and wrath for our sins and can ask for the blessings that Christ deserved upon our lives.
Galatians 3:13-14 (World English Bible) Christ 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,”Deuteronomy 21:23 14 that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
In the wilderness, the Israelites faced deadly snake bites as a consequence and curse for their sins. In response to their plea for help, God instructed Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. Whoever looked at the bronze snake would be healed and saved from the deadly bite (Numbers 21:4-9). This event serves as a metaphor for Jesus’ crucifixion. When we look to Jesus lifted on the cross, he absorbs the curse that our sins deserve, just like the snake on the pole absorbed their deserved curses.
John 3:14-15 (WEB) As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 15 that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.
In the New Covenant, God swore an oath to never to be angry with Christians or rebuke us again.
Isaiah 54:9 (WEB) “For this is like the waters of Noah to me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah will no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.
In the Old Covenant, God disciplined His people to teach them righteousness. However, in the New Covenant, Christ takes on the discipline that we deserve and offers us peace.
Isaiah 53:5 (Literal Standard Version) And He is pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, | The discipline of our peace [is] on Him, | And by His scourging we are healed.
Christ’s sacrifice establishes a new relationship between believers and God, characterized by grace, forgiveness, and the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit. Believers obey God from the heart out of love and gratitude, not out of fear. Instead of facing punishment for their sins, they receive abundant grace and peace paid for by Christ.
Therefore, when believers face hardships and challenges, they should not view them as signs of God’s anger or offense. Instead, they are opportunities to demonstrate their faith, strength, and identity as God’s children. Believers have the assurance of God’s favor and can approach him boldly.
In Hebrews 12, the topic of God’s discipline is discussed to encourage Christians to persevere in their faith, especially in the face of persecution (Hebrews 10:32-39; 12:1,3-4,7). Rather than interpreting hardships inflicted by oppressors as a sign of God’s punishment or offense, believers are urged to recognize them as confirmation of their identity as God’s children and expect his deliverance (Hebrews 12:12-13).
Additionally, Jeremiah 31:31-34 speaks to the promise of a New Covenant, one that’s different from the Old Covenant. God promises to forgive our wickedness and remember our sins no more. This means that the sins we’re afraid will be punished by God are completely forgiven in Christ, and he doesn’t even remember them.
Jeremiah 31:34 (WEB) …for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Under the Old Covenant, God held children responsible for certain sins of their ancestors (Exodus 20:5-6). Some believers worry that God may be punishing them for the sins of their ancestors even today. However, with the establishment of the New Covenant, Christ took our generational curse. According to Jeremiah 31:29-30 (WEB), the establishment of the New Covenant meant that the old saying, “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge,” would no longer be valid. This saying implied that the fathers’ sins led to punishment being passed down to their children. However, under the New Covenant, each individual is accountable for their own sins. Likewise, Ezekiel 18:19-20 states that a person would no longer suffer for the sins of their father but would be responsible for their own sins.
When you believe and trust in Christ, good news! You are perfected for all time and God will never remember your sins, rebuke you, be angry with you, or curse you (Hebrews 10:14). Furthermore, you will not be cursed for your ancestors’ sins.
Rather than attempting to balance grace and fear, you can turn to Christ on the cross who took the curse that you deserved. By doing so, you can allow his love to eradicate your fear and replace it with gratitude.
Romans 5:9-10 (WEB) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we will be saved from God’s wrath through him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we will be saved by his life.