Generational Curses A Generation’s Fabrication
Dec 19
In the past I wrote about Generational Curses, today I hope to explore it from a bit different angle. If you don’t know what this is, it is a premise that we have inherited certain spiritual sins from our parents that are keeping us from being all we need to be in Christ. These sins have been passed down for many, many generations and they are impeding our growth and fullness in Christ. I don’t want to judge motive; however, I do want to critique this idea and explain why I, not only believe that it is wrong, but even dangerous to the Body of Christ.
What Happens At Salvation
I think if we must be begin with the positive to defunct the negative. Salvation has to be the genesis of this discussion. Unless we first understand this we won’t understand anything else.
A. Justification
The first work God does for us is called Justification. Justification is a forensic term that simply means not guilty or declared righteous. This work is what God does after His Son propitiates for our sins (propitiate=satisfy wrath). So God looks at the work of His sinless and perfect Son on the cross declares Him guilty and then credits or reckons Christ’s righteousness to us. I hold to the Reformed view of this not the N.T Wright view so I am coming from that perspective. When God looks at us, He sees His Son and then declares us not guilty
B. Regeneration
Regeneration is a totally different work. This is where we get our new nature from. This is called being “born again”. Regeneration is also the act of God. We can do nothing to merit regeneration is is given by God for God made possible through His Son. Regeneration is a multi-faceted discussion that I don’t want to engage in for this small discussion. However, regeneration is very important in this discussion because Generational curses still sees the believer bound to the old man not the new which flies in the face of Romans 6 which says:
6 We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has died has been set free from sin.
This doesn’t mean that sin is no more present, but that we have been set free from him. We were enslaved to the old man/sin and it reigned in our mortal bodies. It is what we feed, lived for and died for. Imagine Sin as a slave master with a whip whose plantation is surrounded with land mines and electrical barbed wire fences. Sin control us, we were dominated by it and we were helpless in trying to set ourselves free. However, Christ stepped in and once we enter into a relationship with Him we are set free from sin. The plantation is still there, the slave master is still there, yet he has no power over us, we now need to volunteer ourselves to his service versus under the control of the old man we were bound by him.
This is huge again because Generational Curses teach that we are still bound by the old man, still enslaved to him, we can’t control ourselves, we are helpless unless of course we go through the church somehow to be freed from our curse. A Generation Curse minimizes the act of Regeneration (2 Corinthians 5:18-20) ultimately minimizing what Christ accomplished on the cross.
C. Adoption
Understanding the doctrine of adoption also helps us understand salvation and refute the Generational Curse theology. You see adoption means God has given us full privileges and access to him, just like we would our adopted children. It has been taught that the common use of this term is even more significant because of under Roman policy an adopted child had many more privileges than natural children. Here is what Cliff Bjork says:
But the act of adoption, or naming as a s son, was so hallowed that in Romans-Syrian Law Book, one who had become a son by such means could never lose his status as an heir or be coast out of the family. By contrast, a natural-born son could be deprived of any inheritance and even disowned. Remarkably, therefor, an adopted son had a stronger position before the law in the first century Greco-Roman culture than did a son by natural birth {1}
We now have to explore generational curses given these three foundational points
Generational Curses Explored
We now have to become very practical and it may sound like I am being condescending because I am not. I believe those who teach this have good intentions and are trying to answer the question of why believers are bound by such huge vices that cripple their ability to obey God fully. So I think foundationally these people want to deal with the issue of sin and move towards holiness in Christ.
A Generational Curse has to come for a parent or grand parent that is passed down generation after generation and this curse must be broke by some supernatural experience. And I think this is actually true. We can actually pinpoint the person it all started with and his name is Adam The original man and the original sinner. Because of Adam every human being is born in sin (accept one). This person is born with a dead heart, condemned, depraved and positionally aligned to disobey God and not give Him the Worship He deserves by his created beings. This is THE generational curse, it is called sin and has wreaked havoc in nations, families and personal life.
Sin dominates in the life of every human, he(she) is a slave to sin and has no choice but to do all sin tells them to do. This is why Jesus says in John 8 “everyone who sins is a slave to sin”. To make a point, we see the first Exodus as an escape from “sin” , the second Exodus is a delivery from sin also. The first was a temporary deliverance while the second is a permanent/eternal one. Homosexuality, Drunkenness, Adultery, Fornication, Murder, Envy, Hate, Lust, Greed and so forth are all a result of one person’s sin and has bound humanity up until the second Adam comes to make a new deliverance (Romans 5). So I do believe in Generational Curses, I just don’t believe that believers are under such curses.
Believers have been declared righteous, given a new heart (regenerated) and have been adopted. We are no longer under sin’s dominance and have been set free, we now can make the choice to walk in obedience (by being filled with the Spirit) or to disobey God. We are free in Christ and bound to Him, yet some times we turn back to those things that we hate so much. We have a new identity and a new family and a new power.
Generational curses says we are still bound to sin, that we have no choice, that we are powerless over these things that have been passed down to us. Yet we are new creatures and are no longer under our family’s sin patterns. You see, I do believe that believers can often mimic what they experienced as children, abuse, impatience, alcoholism, adultery….. But they don’t have to.
The problem lies here. In Chris we have been given all things that pertain to godliness and lack nothing! Here is how Peter says in in 2 Peter 1:3
His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence
You see as justified, regenerated, and adopted children of God we lack nothing that would prevent us from following God fully. Other than maturity. Generational curses teaches the exact opposite.
I close with this. Those who teach Generational Curses are undermining Christ’s work. Again I think the motive may be right; however, the result is wrong and has to be dealt with. My father’s sins are no longer mines because I have a new father. I am no longer a slave to sin, Paul says “we have been set free” What my mother practiced, if I am in Christ, I don’t have to. Nothing has me bound in Christ, other than things I bind myself to. There is no supernatural spiritual deficiency that forces me to disobey God (at least not a binding one). We are free in Christ to do His will and to be conformed to His image. Generational curses are a fallacy that says that Christ’s work was insufficient to accomplish what He set out to do, which is to free us from sin and death. He has become a curse (Galatians 2) so that we can become children of God.
{1} Cliff Bjork, Sons of God: Searching Together Magazine Summer 2008 Volume 35:2, Pg 6
Thank you for thinking through this. I definitely agree with you regarding Generational Curses – the whole idea is foreign to Paul, and it definitely undermines the work of our Redeemer. I might differ with some of your theology as to why it is bogus, but I bless you for your basic premise and outline. Good thinking.
Hello Ms. Iris
Which part do you disagree with. I am very interested in hearing your perspective. I have learned a lot from those I disagree with and am willing to reconsider anything I have said.
Lionel,
Thanks for this. I agree with the general flow of your argument. At any rate, NT Wright has a forensic view to his reading of Paul on “justification.”
Lionel,
First off, I do agree with your view on “generational curses”.
I would still rather talk with you over the phone regarding the matter of the sufficiency of Christ death and resurrection for all mankind. Some seem to be offended whenever I bring this up for more full discussion. For it seems that every time that I give a rebuttal to your initial rebuttal over this blog, you cease with the dialogue. Your views still seem to contradict themselves as well as scripture. Maybe I still don’t fully understand your view but again you never seem to want to engage in a full dialogue on the subject. (I wonder why?) Could it be that you have no adequate defense for your views?
You stated:
“Sin dominates in the life of every human, he(she) is a slave to sin and has no choice but to do all sin tells them to do…
Homosexuality, Drunkenness, Adultery, Fornication, Murder, Envy, Hate, Lust, Greed and so forth are all a result of one person’s sin and has bound humanity up until the second Adam comes to make a new deliverance”
My response:
Is it not deliverance for all humanity or for only a chosen few?
Consider these scriptures:
For God has committed them all to disobedience, that He might have mercy on all (but you say just a few inspite of this and other scriptures?).
For since by man (Adam) came death, by Man (Christ) also came the resurrection of the dead (you say only for some of the dead).
For as in Adam ALL die, even so in Christ ALL shall be made alive (but you say only a few shall be made alive inspite of these scriptures).
Am I wrong in my understanding of these scriptures? If so please provide commentary to explain away these scriptures.
You stated:
“Generational curses are a fallacy that says that Christ’s work was insufficient to accomplish what He set out to do, which is to free us from sin and death”
My response:
This is the main point that I have been trying to convey, that Christ work on the cross is suffucient for all humanity that has been bound in sin since Adam. Your view would have it that the first man Adam had more power over humanity than the second man Christ.
Thanks for the call.
Lionel,
I did not know your email so here is a link to some of the possible quotes from some of the early church fathers. I am still do more study into some of their writings, specifically the heads of the Catechetical school in Alexandria (Pantænus, Clement and Origen). It still seems odd that if what that taught regarding universal reconciliation was considered heresy during that time, why is there no written objections to this teaching during that time up until about 500 A.D. There is record of many heresies that the church fathers spoke against but this oddly enough, is not one of them. Let me know if you find out something different.
http://www.tentmaker.org/Quotes/churchfathersquotes.htm
And this is the site that provides a free online database of writings from some of the early church fathers:
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/
Thanks TCR!
Lionel-
Good post.
Yes, the generational curse teaching/error totally ignores what makes the covennat in Christ’s blood new and better, teh part of regeneration that you did not fill in due to tiem constraints, the indwellking power and presence of the Holy Spirit what is also referred to as the New Heart and the Law Written on the Heart.
You are so right that no one who is in Christ is under any kind of curse…no wonder most of the proof texts used to support the error of generational curses are taken from the Old Covenant scriptures prior to what the scriptures call the fullness of time in which we now live under the New Covenant.
Like you stated, those who are in Christ are no longer slaves to sin-we may wrestle with sin, but we are told sin will have NO dominion over us, we are told with every temptation that God provides a way out.
I like how you stated it: “We are free in Christ to do His will and to be conformed to His image.”
Thank you for shedding light on this harmful tecahing as I think it actually hinders people from maturing in Christ.
Jon,
My phone died, will call you later
Lionel,
Great observation of the generational curse debate. You are correct in saying that teaching generational curses after the new birth or regeneration is error. It would completely undermine the work of Christ in the believer and say that sin still has the power over them. If this sin were still the power, then Christ work would be insuffecient and need something more to make it complete in the believer. Thanks for acknowledging such a long fought debate in our community. This tends to be something that I experineced more in the community of African-American believers and would be glad when this issue is scrapped as a reason for our youth and gang violence.
The churches are using this justification as to why our youth remain impeded by violence rather than flooding them with the true revelation of Christ in scripture which would be what we are called to do. Preach the gospel and not another gospel. Thanks.
Lionel,
Thank you for your kind response to my comment. I have just gone over your post again, and I think the primary difference I would have is in using the Roman/Greek understanding of adoption instead of a Hebrew one.
The Roma/Greek understanding (and I might add our American one as well) conflicts with the “born again” concept. We are not added to Christ in the same way my adopted sons were added to our family. Quite the opposite – we were born of Him – bone of his bone and flesh of His flesh, empowered with the same Spirit and family DNA.
The Hebrew understanding of adoption has to do with “maturity” or the “coming of age” of a young boy. One could not be adopted unless they were first born. Sonship came first, then adoption.
I was first introduced to this concept through the sermons of George MacDonald.
My natural born children have no problem wanting to be an expression of who the family is. On the other hand, our adopted sons struggle much more with being who they really are. It is has been an interesting journey.
I see Christians who believe they are “adopted,” caught in the vise of “who am I, really,” always wanting to sin, but knowing they should not want that. At the same time, I see those who know they have been born from Him and they rejoice in family belonging. Interesting don’t you think? Could it be that our teaching could really make this much difference in someone’s life.?
It is a small point, but has a big reality.
Iris,
In the order of salvation I actually agree with your statement. I don’t know where we disagree, maybe I am not understanding the concept you are conveying. I think that sonship (regeneration) precedes adoption in the salvation process. But I do believe Paul is sharing the more Roman view because he is speaking to gentiles but I could be wrong. Can you elaborate more on the “who am I, really” in relation to sin and adoption. I like the way you said but don’t understand it. Thanks.
In Christ there is no Jew and Gentile, so there cannot be “birth” that applies to one and “adoption” that applies to another. The New Covenant is for all — all for all. Therefore, we all must be born again. That is how we come into the family. However, once born, we may or may not come to maturity in Son-ship. We may never be able to “grow-up” in Him, but we are predestined to do so. Every baby in the natural that remains a baby is a tragic thing. So in the spiritual realm.
When a young man (Jewish) became a part of the business of his father, it was called his adoption. He was given power of attorney etc… to handle the father’s business. So we were born, then predestined to grow up and handle the Father’s business. (Eph. 1)
I am being brief, but I pray, still understandable.
I actually agree