SPB Sermons | Guest Preacher

The Solution to the Curse

A few weeks ago we were glad to welcome Rev Ethan McCarter from Crosscollyer Evangelical Presbyterian Church to preach at St Paul’s & St Barnabas. Preaching from Galatians 3:13-14, he took us to the very heart of the gospel, showing how Christ redeems his people from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, so that the blessing promised to Abraham might come even to those who were once far off.

A Simple Title With the Whole Gospel in It

The title of the sermon was simple and direct: The Solution to the Curse. That is exactly what Paul is speaking about in Galatians 3. Humanity stands under the just judgment of God because his law has been broken. The problem is not small, and it cannot be brushed aside. But the good news of the gospel is that Christ himself steps in and does for sinners what sinners could never do for themselves.

Christ Redeems What We Could Never Rescue

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us.”

Ethan opened up the language of redemption as the language of purchase, rescue, and release. We are not people who merely needed a little help or a moral push in the right direction. We were under the curse of the law, unable to free ourselves, unable to clear the debt, unable to make ourselves right with God. And into that hopeless condition Christ comes as the redeemer. He does not contribute part of the cost and ask us to cover the rest. He pays it all.

Redemption means rescue: Christ buys back those who were under judgment.

Redemption means payment: the debt of sin is not ignored, but dealt with.

Redemption means Christ alone: salvation is not shared between Jesus and our efforts.

That is one of the great strengths of Galatians. It leaves no room for a half-gospel. Either Christ saves sinners fully, or sinners remain lost. Paul will not let us look anywhere else.

The Wonder of Substitution

At the heart of the sermon was the glory of substitution. Christ became a curse for us. That is not abstract theology. It is the living centre of Christian hope. He took what belonged to us, so that we might receive what belongs to him. He stood where we should have stood. He bore the judgment we deserved. He faced the curse, so that all who trust in him might go free.

First

He Took Our Place

The law pronounces guilt on every sinner. Left to ourselves, we stand condemned. But Christ steps into that place willingly and bears the penalty in our stead.

Second

He Bore the Curse

Paul reaches back into Deuteronomy and shows that Christ hanging on the tree is not accidental imagery. It is the sign that he took upon himself the curse that belonged to us.

The Great Exchange

Christ Takes the Curse and Gives the Blessing

The sermon then moved to the rich exchange that flows out of the cross. Christ does not merely remove guilt and leave us empty. He takes away the curse and brings us into blessing. In him, those who were once outsiders are brought near. Those who were once alienated are adopted. Those who were once spiritually dead receive the promised Holy Spirit through faith.

That is why justification by faith is never a cold doctrine. It is full of joy, because it tells sinners that in Christ they are forgiven, received, and made alive. The one who owed everything and had nothing to pay is now counted righteous because of Jesus.

Why This Sermon Matters

We live in a culture that still encourages people to justify themselves. Some do it morally. Some do it religiously. Some do it by success, or respectability, or comparison with others. But Galatians cuts through all of that and tells the truth. No one is justified before God by works of the law. The righteous live by faith.

That is why this passage matters so much. It strips away false confidence, and it points us again to the only place where peace with God can be found. Not in ourselves. Not in our record. Not in our efforts. In Christ alone.

Listen to the Sermon

If you missed Ethan’s visit, or if you want to listen again, this sermon is well worth your time. It is clear, direct, and anchored in the great truths of the gospel. It points us back to the cross, back to grace, and back to the finished work of Christ for sinners.

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Come and Worship With Us

At St Paul’s & St Barnabas we are committed to the clear preaching of God’s word, the centrality of Christ, and the good news of salvation by grace alone through faith alone. Whether you are part of church life already, returning after time away, or simply beginning to explore the Christian faith, you would be very welcome among us.

We gather each Sunday morning at 10:30am in the Parish Centre behind the church, and we would love to see you.

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Christ Alone Is Enough

The lasting note of the sermon was this: Christ brings the solution to the curse by the great transaction of the cross. He redeems, he substitutes, he exchanges curse for blessing, death for life, and alienation for adoption. That is the heart of the gospel, and that is why the church must never tire of preaching Christ crucified.