Generational Curses

It is a common belief among people even today and is called by different names - Generational Sin among those superstitious Christians who have adopted this doctrine, Generational Curse among the occultist religions from whence this doctrine came.

The result of this false teaching is manifold:

1. It produces a sense of hopelessness in the follower of God regarding real spiritual freedom.

2. It produces a sense of unfairness regarding the nature of God.

3. It produces a lack of self-responsibility among those who hold this teaching.

God debunks Israel's false doctrine in one powerful sentence: "The soul that sinneth, it shall die."

Every man must give an account of himself before God. Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Every man suffers under the guilt of his own sins alone: Galatians 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

Every man is determined by his own actions to suffer the eternal penalty for his sins. Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death;

The first and foremost truth of Ezekiel 18 is that every man must answer to God for his own sins. This is not to say that our sins do not have an impact on those around us, including our children: So often we see a man who is abusive and disrespectful to his wife in the home: When he has a son, often that son grows into a man that treats his own wife in the same shameful manner. When he has a daughter, she grows up to marry a man that treats her as her father treated her mother. Why is this? Surely we can see that this is learned behavior. The son takes the role model of his father and follows the pattern that was set for him. The daughter accepts in her heart that such is the role of a woman and marries an abusive man. It is the same with other sins that seem to continue from one generation to another. A son sees the wandering eye of his father and justifies his own lustful heart to act in the same manner. A girl sees the idolatrous ways of her mother and learns to depend upon idols as well. Truly our sin does impact the next generation by way of example. Our kids are watching and learning about how the family is supposed to operate, and they will often carry the same weaknesses and strengths into their own family. HOWEVER, we must draw a definitive line here: The son is not guilty of his father's sins until he commits the same sin himself. Never in the Bible are we encouraged to confess the sins of our fathers, such an injustice would cast doubt on the fairness of God. Certainly I have inherited a sinful nature as every man has since Adam, but there is no sin that my father committed that has a generational hold on my life. I make the decisions and the choices to sin or do right in my life and I bear full responsibility for my decisions.

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Below is an explanation on how it is misinterpreted and the interpretation that God meant for us to see in the verses.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; (Exodus 20:5) KJV

7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. (Exodus 34:7) KJV

18 The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation. (Numbers 14:18) KJV

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, (Deuteronomy 5:9) KJV

Many interpret these passages to teach "generational curses": curses on the children resulting from their fathers' sins. There are whole ministries dedicated to helping people break free from these generational curses over their lives, many of which they may have no knowledge of. Is this the point of the passage? Does it really mean to convey the idea that God punishes the children for the sins of their fathers?

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6) KJV

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10) KJV

The answer is no. All four of the first verses listed have visiting the iniquity of the fathers in common. The second lists of four verses have showing mercy four thousands in common. Preachers and pastors use the verses to teach that God will put a generational curse on families. What they fail to see and teach is that the mercy of God far exceeds His wrath. The pastors and preachers will even say you have a demon causing the generational curse but, where does it say that in the scriptures. Notice that the curses are on those who hate God. It is not for those who love God, but make some mistakes in life. One might argue, however, that their father or grandfather might have hated God. This is irrelevant.

18 The word of the Lord came unto me again, saying, 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge? 3 As I live, saith the Lord God, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. 5 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right, 6 And hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, neither hath defiled his neighbour's wife, neither hath come near to a menstruous woman, 7 And hath not oppressed any, but hath restored to the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled none by violence, hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment; 8 He that hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase, that hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity, hath executed true judgment between man and man, 9 Hath walked in my statutes, and hath kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord God. 10 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, and that doeth the like to any one of these things, 11 And that doeth not any of those duties, but even hath eaten upon the mountains, and defiled his neighbour's wife, 12 Hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, and hath lifted up his eyes to the idols, hath committed abomination, 13 Hath given forth upon usury, and hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him. 14 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father's sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, 15 That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbour's wife, 16 Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholden the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, 17 That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 18 As for his father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among his people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. 19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live? 24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die. 27 Again, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. 28 Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 29 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the Lord is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways equal? are not your ways unequal? 30 Therefore I will judge you, O house of Israel, every one according to his ways, saith the Lord God. Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin. 31 Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed; and make you a new heart and a new spirit: for why will ye die, O house of Israel? 32 For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God: wherefore turn yourselves, and live ye. (Ezekiel 18:1-32) KJV

It is clear that just as God judges the individual sinner for his individual actions, so He blesses the individual who lives uprightly before Him. Does that man's righteousness cover the sins of his children? Clearly the son is responsible for his own actions. The son exercises individual soul liberty and decides to sin - "The soul that sinneth it shall die" Now, what about that man's son. Will he bear the sins of his father? The answer is no.

This was a shock to the people of Israel who had so bought into the traditional false doctrine of generational sin and generational guilt that they had stepped away from the one-on-one personal responsibility that keeps a man or a woman righteous before their God.

What if I have found myself following the pattern of sinfulness set by my father? What if I have modeled the same weaknesses and poor judgment that my mother laid out before me? What then? Am I now destined to follow these proclivities? Look to the following verses for hope: Ezekiel 18:21 ¶ But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

If I confess my sin now, repent of my ways and follow the Lord, my iniquities will be remembered no more. He will never even mention them to me! This wonderful doctrine is consistent throughout Scripture. It is not just an Old Testament promise to a limited group. Hebrews 8:12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. Hebrews 10:17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

God is much more desirous that you repent than that you suffer the penalty of your sins. 2Peter 3:9 ¶ The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 1Timothy 2:4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

Know this that your past righteousness will not keep you from judgment any more than your past sin will keep you from grace. Ezekiel 18:24 But when the righteous turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and doeth according to all the abominations that the wicked man doeth, shall he live? All his righteousness that he hath done shall not be mentioned: in his trespass that he hath trespassed, and in his sin that he hath sinned, in them shall he die. 25 Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal? 26 When a righteous man turneth away from his righteousness, and committeth iniquity, and dieth in them; for his iniquity that he hath done shall he die.

God’s Grace

"This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus" (Romans 3:22-24).

"In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace" (Ephesians 1:7).

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" (Ephesians 2:8-10).

"For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ" (John 1:17).

"For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!" (Romans 5:17).

The teaching of generational curses is a teaching of a false teacher. Do not just listen but, search the scriptures for the truth.

16 The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin. (Deuteronomy 24:16) KJV

29 In those days they shall say no more, the fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge (Jeremiah 31:29-30) KJV

4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die. (Ezekiel 18:4) KJV

The Sins of Generational Curse Teaching

What is the harm in playing a little fast and loose with Scripture and saying a few extra prayers? Here is an incomplete list of the detrimental effects of generational curse. It:

1. denies the sufficiency of Scripture and requires that human-generated tests, rites, and formulas be added to the Word of God (compare 2 Timothy 3:15–17; 2 Peter 1:3–8).

2. denies the completed work of Christ on the cross.

3. creates a Jesus-plus gospel (see Galatians 1:6–9).

4. denies the biblical teaching of personal responsibility.

5. moves us a step closer to the paganism out of which we were called.

6. puts undue emphasis on the works of men, thus flirting again with a works-based relationship with God.

W.E. Nunnally, Springfield, Missouri

What Can We Learn From This Brush With Heresy?

1. The Scriptures are the only trustworthy lamp to our feet and light to our path.

2. The words of man can only bring us back into bondage: for example, fear. We must follow the full counsel of God in Scripture rather than the latest theological fad.

3. Fallen man is always looking for a quick fix. Most problems addressed by the ceremonies of generational curse cannot be cast out or bound. Behavioral problems need to be addressed in our discipleship walk. We need to daily take up our cross, reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ, bring our bodies under subjection, take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ, and renew our minds by the word of God. A drive-by exorcism of our character flaws will leave us sorely disappointed when we awake the next day to find our flaws still with us. Jesus did not call us to a short-cut version of Christianity. He called us to discipleship — daily following the Master, submitting to His lordship, learning from Him, and becoming more like Him.

4. It serves to remind us of the power and sufficiency of Jesus’ blood.

5. Because generational curse has caused us to return to the Bible to re-evaluate its message, we are again reminded that our actions do have consequences, and our lives do have a powerful impact on our children, either for good or evil. By the way some believers live, they are indeed “sowing the wind and will indeed reap the whirlwind” (Hosea 8:7). Many people in our churches are in need of true biblical repentance, transformation, and empowerment so we can live the exemplary lives God calls us to live.

W.E. Nunnally, Springfield, Missouri

The secret to breaking these unbiblical curses

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9) KJV

Search and study the scripture yourself or suffer the consequence

What did the apostles teach concerning generational curses? Nothing! Not once do we see the apostles warn the church about any problem could be traced to curse from their far past. Can we find a Scripture that tells us how to identify generational curses and its affect in our lives? No. This teaching is extra biblical revelation and an addition to the power of the Gospel to set one free. If one begins a discovery course of finding out their ailment or problem caused by a curse they certainly can be overwhelmed. It certainly can rob you of the peace that Christ wants you to have. If you allow yourself to receive this teaching, it you will bring you into its bondage.

1 The elder unto the elect lady and her children, whom I love in the truth; and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth; 2 For the truth's sake, which dwelleth in us, and shall be with us for ever. 3 Grace be with you, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love. 4 I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father. 5 And now I beseech thee, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment unto thee, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. 6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it. 7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. 8 Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. 9 Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 10 If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 11 For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 12 Having many things to write unto you, I would not write with paper and ink: but I trust to come unto you, and speak face to face, that our joy may be full. 13 The children of thy elect sister greet thee. Amen. (2 John 1:1-13) KJV

Conclusion

People who teach this false doctrine also teach that you must say a special prayer or do some type of process to get rid of the curse. Generational Curse doctrine is a false doctrine that was created from taking some verses out of context and is a Jesus plus Gospel. This Jesus plus Gospel is saying you must be saved by Jesus Christ but, you must do this special process or say a special prayer to remove this curse. People who teach or believe this false doctrine is just denying the blood of Christ. If anyone teaches this false doctrine, they are a false teacher, they teach a Jesus plus Gospel, and they deny the blood of Christ.

If Jesus broke the curse, how can we who believe in Him have a curse? Did Jesus remove our sins by the cross or only some of them? Did Jesus remove the curse against man for not fulfilling the law by the cross or only part of it? This is what needs to be answered. Does His blood not cleanse all things as it says in the Bible? “The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (I John 1:7). Salvation can also mean deliverance. Those who have accepted His message are translated from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. That is what the Bible says, and no man’s teaching should be given priority over this. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away and behold ALL things have become new!” It all points to Jesus Christ crucified-- Jesus Christ and Him crucified gives us victory.