Grace Versus Threat: The Offense of Free Grace to the Natural ManI've always thought there was a choice between grace and a threat. Its parallel to blessing and cursing. So we always approached this communication in the spirit of the words and not necessarily the words themselves. Because we believe that free grace is offense to the natural man.  Sin is necessarily the only threat but its self confidence opposing grace that is the spirit of the threat.Martin Luther, in The Bondage of the Will, describes the natural man as incurvatus in se—curved inward upon himself—making grace appear threatening because it demands surrender and the relinquishing of self-sovereignty. The concept of free grace challenges the proud human tendency to rely on oneself, asserting that salvation is entirely by God's unmerited mercy. John Calvin, in his Institutes (3.11.1–3), eloquently states that the natural man’s pride acts as a formidable barrier: “Man, in his pride, wishes to be his own savior,” resisting grace because it threatens the illusion of self-sufficiency. Similarly, Edwards in Religious Affections describes this resistance as a “natural enmity”—a fierce opposition rooted in the ego’s desire to exalt itself. When grace is offered freely and unconditionally, it often feels like a danger to the proud self-made person—a force that humbles and dismantles the illusion of human autonomy.The Spirit of Grace in Confronting Threats and CursesTherefore, in cursing the wicked there is a spirit of grace that is developed because we are facing all the threats that we receive in us from opposing free grace. It has been kind of like a mysterious battle. For a threat comes a curse. Because men who are graceless are their own gods. Men who in some ways to not accept free grace are also threatening. Ps. 109:4 "In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer." There is a place of protection in a clear separation from the world and the false religious speech in that society. Because evil in the world is always buttressed by religious fervor. Man cannot avoid being religious in opposing grace. There is a real self protection. We are precious souls to God. Each one of us faces a religious zeal that wants to force us to turn away from the positive voices of salvation. So we must fight the battle in the communication that comes into our ears. Ps.18:6 "In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."The biblical call to “separate from the world and false religious speech” echoes warnings found throughout Scripture about the danger of evil partnering with zeal—warnings echoed in the letters of Timothy and Titus. My own plea for “self-protection” in times of separation and spiritual vulnerability echoes the warnings given by Paul in his epistles—particularly in Galatians 1:6–9 and 2 Corinthians 11:13–15—where he cautions believers against zealous religious speech that, when devoid of genuine grace, can become dangerous and even perilous for souls. Zeal, when not rooted in divine truth and grace, can lead to spiritual harm, fostering a kind of religious arrogance that endangers both the speaker and the listener.Imprecatory Psalms: Prayers for Vindication, Not VengeanceWhen we approach communication—whether in prayer, preaching, or personal dialogue—we do so through the lens of the Spirit, aware that curses, much like blessings, are spiritual acts that have real, supernatural significance. Ps. 141:6 "Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken." They serve to develop and nurture grace by confronting threats to it, just as the imprecatory psalms do. These psalms are not to be misunderstood as personal vendettas, but as heartfelt prayers directed toward God, who alone can judge and execute justice (see Psalm 109: “Let curses come upon him”). Calvin’s commentary on these psalms helps us see them as appeals for divine vindication—requests for God's name to be honored and for justice to prevail, rather than acts of revenge stemming from human anger.The tension in Scripture arises when we compare the New Testament command to “bless and curse not” (Romans 12:14) with the imprecations of the Old Testament. Yet, biblical scholars and theologians reconcile this by noting that such curses are directed to God, not as acts of vindictive magic rather lawful curses, a sincere petitions for divine justice—prayers that seek mercy and hope for repentance and the saints need to develop trust that Gods protection is eternal, often with the ultimate aim of restoring the sinner. The ESV Study Bible notes that such expressions of zeal serve to uphold God's righteousness, especially in the face of persistent evil, while always maintaining an attitude of humility and trust in divine justice.Entrusting Threats to Christ: Protection and Awakening GraceIn Christ, all threats and curses are entrusted to His divine authority (1 Peter 2:23). This trust provides protection—a spiritual balm—especially for those facing opposition or spiritual attack. This understanding reveals a profound spiritual truth: threats and curses, when lawful and understood, can serve to awaken grace rather than diminish it. They humble the proud, drive us into dependence on God's sufficiency, and foster humility that guards against both legalism and antinomianism. Both positive and negative speech—truthful words, curses included—can reveal God's unfailing love and justice when aligned with His truth.This is why cursing always leads to a conversion of grace since curses are creative protection developing happiness through pronouncing. It is the spirit of grace since we do not feel a personal interaction with these loving communications from God unless we denounce the communications of men. So we are required to really listen as if there were spirits in the air knowing that how we feel about a situation is very important.John Owen, in his work Mortification of Sin, emphasizes that true self-knowledge and humility come from understanding God's love—recognizing the spirits in the air, as 1 John 4:1 urges believers to test the spirits to discern truth from error. Jonathan Edwards viewed curses as a reflection of God's holiness—a divine confrontation that, when faced rightly, can drive the soul toward grace by revealing human pride’s futility. Modern Reformed voices, such as those from Ligonier Ministries or Desiring God, affirm that such prayers teach believers to entrust vengeance entirely to God's sovereign justice (Romans 12:19), cultivating humility and dependence on divine grace. In the act of prayer, even anger is transformed into trust, turning threats into opportunities for deeper intimacy with God's love.The Overarching Biblical Pattern: Curses as Spiritual Tools Leading to GraceFinally, the overarching biblical pattern shows that curses and threats, when understood in their proper context, serve as spiritual tools—calls for divine justice that lead to repentance and ultimately to grace. They are not to be mistaken for human vengeance, but recognized as part of God's righteous work in personal protection—an expression of His holiness that, when faced rightly, can guide the soul toward friendship with God in trust, and grace. Facing opposition humbles the proud, leading us into dependence on divine strength. It also preserves us from two dangerous extremes: legalism, which seeks to wield threats as weapons of control, and licentiousness, which dismisses law altogether. The spiritual truth remains: when threats and curses are rightly understood and directed toward God, they can serve to awaken grace rather than diminish it.