Dear Fellow Believers in Christ:
I wanted to start my blog with a controversial subject that has found its way in the Christian church in recent years. This teaching is called “generational curses,” and has a strong footing in many of our Word of Faith churches as well as many of the mainline Pentecostal churches. First, I want to make the point that it is not my desire to simply argue against this destructive teaching, but to answer the question are generational curses a realily in the lives of Believers?
Do we have any example in Scripture that would point to this doctrine as being a legitimate teaching? I believe that the evidence of Scripture will bear record that the answer to these questions is a resounding NO! In fact, I would lump this false heresy in the category that Paul speaks about in his first epistle to Timothy as “Doctrine of Demons” (1 Timothy 4:1).
In order that we might have some background into this destructive heresy, I want to list four passages that are often used by the proponents of this teaching to substantiate the claim that the bible does in fact teach that generational curses are real. They are: Exodus 20:5; 34:7; Numbers 14:8; Dueteronomy 5:9. In these Scriptures we read words like “visiting the iniquity of the fathers unto the third and fourth generations of those who hate God.”
What does this statement really mean in context? Does God really curse the children and grandchildren of people who lived ungodly lives? Is this the meaning that God intended to convey to His hearers? Well, the first thing you should know is that there are whole ministries dedicated to helping people “break free” from these generational curses over their lives, many of which they may no knowledge of.
Again, I ask is this the point of the passage? Does it mean to convey the idea that God punishes the children for the sins of their fathers? For the purpose of this first posting, my intention is not to answer this question in one setting as it would simply take too much time and space. However, we want to wet your appettite enough so that you will weigh in on the matter.
Whereas God’s wrath would be visited to the third and fourth generations for those who hate God, His mercy would be visited on thousands of generations for those who love God. Notice the contrast. The point of the passage is not to communicate the number of generations who will be blessed versus the number who will be cursed, but rather to communicate that God’s mercy far exceeds His wrath.
It is important to note that the curses are on those who “hate God”. It is not for those who “love God”, but make some mistakes in life. I will add one more reason as to why this teaching is heresy. In these passages, God is the active agent behind these curses. The text is clear that the origin of the curse is God, not Satan. Why would God break the curse that He is responsible for giving? After all, He wouldn’t have said He was going to curse the third and fourth generations if He did not want the sinner’s third and fourth generations to be cursed. To invoked God’s help in breaking His curse is to ask God to will something other than what He expressly wills.
This is contradictory, and it undermines all those churches and ministries that attempt to break generational curses, for they are found to be fighting against God! Stay tuned for more.
