YOU ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CHOICES OF OTHERS!
This idea that if you’re feeling heavy or have a spiritual block it could be because of something that happened to your parents or grandparents, even if you didn’t actually know about it, is not only harmful but is thoroughly unbiblical.
For the record, I do believe in such things as generational sin and certain families being prone to specific types of sin, but that’s different. Those both have to do with human nature and previous generations influencing the current generation. I do think there may even be a genetic factor that can make you more susceptible to certain things. For example I’ve know many families that struggle with alcoholism, fathers and mothers affected by it and they usually have parents and/or grandparents affected by it as well. Many people would call it a generational curse that gets passed down.
In my own family, alcoholism is a big addiction in past generations, as well as hyper spiritualism. I have ancestors that were doctors, scientists, and even witches! Am I any of those things? No, I’m not. I do have inclination towards spirituality and healing, but I would never profess to be a doctor, and I’m farthest thing from being a witch.
Because we serve a good, GOOD Heavenly Father, we do have power to break the cycles that run in families. However, while we can reject the sins of our ancestors, if we’re not guilty of the same sins then we have nothing to repent of.
I’ve got a list of verses to support why I don’t believe God does NOT hold the sins of our ancestors against us.
Lets start with a very basic, specific command found in Torah (Torah is God’s instructions for righteous living, and it is Torah that defines what sin is):
“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)
I think this is pretty clear about my whole point. You are responsible for YOUR actions, YOUR thoughts, YOUR feelings. You are NOT responsible for the sins of your forefathers or other people.
2 Chr. 25:4, King Amaziah did NOT slay the children of his enemies because of this instruction in Torah (Deut. 24:16).
Exodus 34:7, Number 14:18 both refer to YHWH (The LORD) as being patient, merciful, and forgiving. They also say he visits “the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.” At first glance it sounds like a contradiction, like he’s punishing the kids for their fathers sins. But, Deuteronomy 5:9 clarifies this for us by using much of the same terminology: “for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.” Its the ones who hate him that are punished, not those who repent and choose a better way.
“The Lord was very angry with your fathers. 3 Therefore say to them, Thus declares the Lord of hosts: Return to me, says the Lord of hosts, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts. 4 Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets cried out, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, Return from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’ But they did not hear or pay attention to me, declares the Lord. 5 Your fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live forever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not overtake your fathers? So they repented and said, ‘As the Lord of hosts purposed to deal with us for our ways and deeds, so has he dealt with us.’ ”
(Zechariah 1:2–6, ESV)
Zachariah here is giving a call to repentance! If the sins of their fathers would be held against them, what would be the point of them repenting of anything? Sinful fathers will pass away, and their sins will go with them. But YHWH will deal with the current generation “according to our ways, and according to our doings,” vs 6.
Ezekiel 2:3 shows us that children often repeat the examples set for them by their fathers. If that example is evil and full of sin, according to God’s instructions, then those children when grown will be held accountable for the sin they commit. Any single generation can choose to take a different life path. Any single generation can choose to honor God and forsake/give up the ways of the forefathers.
If you’re dad was a pedophile, that doesn’t automatically make you a pedophile. You can reject that sin from your father and choose to live a life reflective of the values of our Heavenly Father.
My own parents are a testament to this principle. My Dad grew up in a fatherless household, he had no good, godly examples to teach him how to be a good man. My mom grew up in a house full of abuse and great sin committed against her and her sister, no faith or God or anything good. Both came to know the Lord as young adults fresh out of high school, and they’ve truly forsaken the ways of their forefathers and saught the Lords guidance. My Dad is a strong leader for our family and community, he supports his family financially but also spiritually and emotionally by investing into each of his children and meeting their individual needs. My Mom is very tender hearted towards her kids, she was firm with us kids on what the rules were, but she was also super invested in our spiritual and emotional well-being. Both have been phenomenal at making us kids feel supported and like we could accomplish anything we choose to do, as long as we keep YHWH (The Lord) as the center point of our lives.
Jeremiah 14:20, “We acknowledge our wickedness, O Lord, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against you.” Notice this declaration is full acknowledgment of the people’s personal sins, they’re not just pointing at their fathers. You can’t blame your parents for their mistakes or outright sins, if they were in error on things that’s on them. You are responsible for yourself and your actions.
We can confirm this with Ezekiel 18:19-32. Vs 19-20 in particular, says “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:”
You can’t blame your parents or grandparents and their sin for your current state, you are responsible for your own decisions and actions.
“As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.” (Psalm 103:13, ESV)
Do you fear the Lord? Do you respect, honor, revere YHWH? Because he’s a good, kind father, he’s willing to forgive YOU for YOUR mistakes and sins. He wants you to come home, come to him!
What is your responsibility is YOUR actions, and whether you’re willing to really examine yourself and repent of YOUR wrong doing. And don’t forget, repentance requires apologizing to those YOU have wronged, to those YOU have hurt. If you haven’t done that, you’ve not truly repented.
I pray that this article blesses someone out there who needed to hear it. May the Name of the Lord YAHWEH be praised, Shalom!