There are two words in Galatians 3 that I think most people read too quickly: blessed and curse. Paul writes that Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles (Galatians 3:13–14). That is an enormous statement. But it only lands with the weight it deserves if you understand what those two words actually mean.
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated "blessed" is barak. It does not mean "happy" in a general sense. It means empowered to prosper — in every area. Spiritually. Physically. In relationships. In work. Materially. Emotionally. The blessing of God is described as a comprehensive empowerment for flourishing. All of it.
The curse, by contrast, is the opposite — a comprehensive diminishment. And at its heart, the curse of the law meant that you would have to toil to get what God had originally given freely. The Garden was a place of tending. The curse turned it into a place of striving.
What Redemption Reversed
When Paul says Christ redeemed us from the curse, he means something specific and practical. Not just spiritual forgiveness — though that is foundational. He means the whole package. Toiling was replaced with tending. Striving was replaced with receiving. The relationship between God's people and His provision was restored to what it was always meant to be.
Abraham is presented in the New Testament as the prototype of all who believe. His relationship with God was based on righteousness by faith — before the law existed, before circumcision, before any religious system. He simply believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6). And out of that righteous standing, blessing flowed.
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us… so that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:13–14
This Is Not Prosperity Gospel
I want to be careful here because this is a point that gets misused. What I am describing is not the prosperity gospel — the idea that faith is a transaction, that if you give enough or believe hard enough God owes you material wealth. That is a distortion.
What I am describing is a righteousness gospel — the idea that because you are declared righteous through Christ, you stand in a place of permanent favour with God, and from that favour, blessing in its full sense flows. It is not about what you do. It is about what has been done for you, and the standing that creates.
3 John 1:2 captures it well: "Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers." The word "prosper" there is about a journey going well — a life that is working the way it was designed to work. Soul, health, and circumstances aligned. That is the picture of a life under blessing.
Blessed to Be a Blessing
There is one more dimension that I do not want to skip. Abraham was not blessed for his own sake alone. He was blessed to be a blessing. "All peoples on earth will be blessed through you" (Genesis 12:3). That is the design. Blessing is not a destination — it is a conduit.
If you turn the blessing inward — if it becomes about accumulation and security and never flowing out — it goes stale. Generosity is not just a nice addition to a blessed life. It is what keeps blessing in motion. The person who receives grace and holds it tight eventually stops experiencing it. The person who receives it and gives it away finds that it keeps coming.
In every business I run and every community I lead, I try to build this in from the start. We are empowered to prosper so that others can be empowered to prosper. That is the Abraham principle. And it is still the design.
Want to explore this further?
This is part of an ongoing series on grace. If you want to talk about what it means to lead and build from a place of blessing rather than striving, I am happy to have that conversation.
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