Law, by its very nature, is designed to curse those who break it. The curse is simply a promise that bad things will happen to law-breakers. Although laws are designed for the good of society, and in that sense they hold the promise of good things in which each individual may benefit, people are not rewarded for keeping laws: they only have the promise of penalties when they disobey. Promised penalties are called curses. They are the weight of the law and the curse is activated when the law is disobeyed. Once guilt is proved, the curse of the law will be expressed.
 
The same is true with God’s Law in the Old Testament. When people broke God’s law, a curse hung over them until the penalty was paid. In Deuteronomy 21:23 God set a curse on anyone who was hung on a wooden pole. That is what happened to Jesus. He chose to accept the curse for us, and allowed all of God’s penalties to fall on Him instead of us. Of course the final judgement has not yet taken place, and so the punishment of the human race has not yet happened. But the curse (God’s promise of punishment) is over everyone now. The curse can only be lifted if the penalty has been paid.
 
Much human heart-heaviness is due to this curse which God has put upon sin. But He uses that sense of heavy guilt to draw people to Jesus, whose sacrifice has atoned for their sin. When sinful people believe in Jesus, they know that their sins are paid for, and the curse is lifted – allowing them to enjoy the promised blessing of the Spirit’s presence. This is a real relief and liberation. People who have been burdened by the weight of God’s curse over their sin can be released and re-enlivened by the Spirit. That transformation is real, demonstrating the power of Christ to free people from the guilty weight of their sinfulness and the curse which attaches to it. Tell this good news to all who are bowed down with any curse, and pray that Jesus will set them free as they come to Him in faith.