Someone asked if there were such a thing as generational curse.
On the other hand, if a person comes from a godly line, receives a godly faith, learns to walk in godly behavior and wisdom, and receives positive results — is that not a blessing? And is that not generational? And is that not an inheritance?
Some inheritance is genetic. Some inheritance is learned behavior. Some inheritance is spiritual—like the sin nature we all received from Papa Adam.
In the Old Testament, God spoke of curse that extended to the third and fourth generation. But He also spoke of blessing that goes to a thousand generations. That, too, is spiritual inheritance.
A study was done on the descendants of Jonathan Edwards and those of an ungodly contemporary. The differences in how those two lines played out was quite drastic.
I find it very significant that when the Philippian jailer ask Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved,” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your household” (Acts 16:31).
Of course, this does not mean that his household would be saved apart from each one having faith. But it does show that when the jailer came to faith, it opened up a magnificent opportunity for his household to come to faith as well. His decision to receive Christ changed the course of his family line and household. That is a blessing.
As I climb my family tree, I find many of my ancestors had a very vibrant faith, which passed down from generation to generation. That was a great blessing which brought me very close to the gospel, and I received the Lord Jesus Christ at a very young age.
I don't necessarily accept every teaching that goes under the rubric of “generational curse,” but I do believe there is such a thing as generational curse — and generational blessing.
Let me put it this way: If a person comes from an ungodly line, has ungodly behavior modeled before him, is trained up in an ungodly worldview, walks in ungodly ways, and receives the consequences of all that ungodliness in his life — is that not a curse? And it that not generational? And is that not an inheritance.
On the other hand, if a person comes from a godly line, receives a godly faith, learns to walk in godly behavior and wisdom, and receives positive results — is that not a blessing? And is that not generational? And is that not an inheritance?
Some inheritance is genetic. Some inheritance is learned behavior. Some inheritance is spiritual—like the sin nature we all received from Papa Adam.
In the Old Testament, God spoke of curse that extended to the third and fourth generation. But He also spoke of blessing that goes to a thousand generations. That, too, is spiritual inheritance.
A study was done on the descendants of Jonathan Edwards and those of an ungodly contemporary. The differences in how those two lines played out was quite drastic.
I find it very significant that when the Philippian jailer ask Paul and Silas, “What must I do to be saved,” Paul answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, and your household” (Acts 16:31).
Of course, this does not mean that his household would be saved apart from each one having faith. But it does show that when the jailer came to faith, it opened up a magnificent opportunity for his household to come to faith as well. His decision to receive Christ changed the course of his family line and household. That is a blessing.
As I climb my family tree, I find many of my ancestors had a very vibrant faith, which passed down from generation to generation. That was a great blessing which brought me very close to the gospel, and I received the Lord Jesus Christ at a very young age.
I don't necessarily accept every teaching that goes under the rubric of “generational curse,” but I do believe there is such a thing as generational curse — and generational blessing.
No comments:
Post a Comment