Bethel Church Choctaw
Generational Curses part 1
Pastor Dr. D.L. Temple
Locations & Times
Bethel Church Choctaw
3254 N Choctaw Rd, Choctaw, OK 73020, USA
Sunday 10:30 AM
A generational curse is a negative pattern of behavior that is thought to hold a family in spiritual bondage.
I certainly believe that many of the struggles and sicknesses we face today can very possibly be a result of generational curses.
I would like to accomplish Three things in this message today. First, validate from Gods Word that there is such a thing as generational curses. The second thing is to show you from God’s Word that there is redemption from the curse of the law. Thirdly, show you what the curse of the law is.
I. THE SCRIPTURE TEACHES GENERATIONAL CURSES
Numbers 14:18 - 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.
Deuteronomy 5:9-10 - 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, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
In these Scriptures God warns that He is a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him.
It sounds unfair for God to punish children for the sins of their fathers. However, there is more to it than that.
The effects of sin are naturally passed down from one generation to the next. When a father has a sinful lifestyle, his children are likely to practice the same sinful lifestyle. It is likely that the children will choose to repeat the sins of their fathers.
The cure for a generational curse has always been repentance. When Israel turned from idols to serve the living God, the “curse” was broken.
God promised to visit Israel’s sin upon the third and fourth generations, but in the very next verse He promised that He would show “love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Exodus 20:6).
For the Christian who is worried about a generational curse, the answer is repentance of the curse in question.
So, do children bear responsibility for their parents’ sin? Yes and no.
God judges the heart of each individual. In both the Old and New Testaments, we see God interact with people based on their own faith.
On the other hand, it is obvious that the sins of parents do affect their children.
David and Bathsheba’s first son died soon after birth due to their sin. The Israelites, as a nation, were punished by God for their sin, and that punishment sometimes affected the children as well.
Today, we see how parental sin affects children. Those who grow up watching the sinful behavior of their parents are often more likely to engage in it themselves.
Certain sins of parents inhibit their ability to be loving caregivers, setting the children up for possible problems in the future.
Addiction often has genetic components. The relatively new field of epigenetics is suggesting that trauma can leave “molecular scars” on our DNA—and that those scars are passed down genetically to the third and fourth generation.
Even more obviously, Adam and Eve’s sin has affected all of us. We are all born with sinful natures because Adam chose to disobey God. His sin was “passed down” to us.
Sin is never a private issue. It always affects those around us. This is especially true in families. The sins of the parents will affect their children.
II. WE ARE REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW
Galatians 3:10-13 - For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith..
The Law is a curse upon all mankind, none of whom can possibly fulfill its requirements.
While the Law itself is perfect and holy, those who try to justify themselves before God bring not His blessing, but His curse upon themselves.
The Bible itself tells us what the curse of the Law is: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘the righteous will live by faith.’ The law is not based on faith.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree (Galatians 3:10–13).
What we must understand from this passage is that the curse is not the Law. Romans 7:12 says the law is holy and the commandment holy, and just and good.
The curse is the penalty levied for not keeping the Law. The “Book of the Law” refers to the covenant laws that God made with His people during the time of Moses.
The Law can point out where we fail and fall short of God’s will, but it cannot pronounce us righteous; that was not its purpose.
In Galatians 3 the apostle Paul is telling us that everyone who does not keep the Law perfectly is cursed by it (Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10).
The reason is that no one can obey the Law perfectly. In fact, there were over 600 laws the Jews had to keep to be right in the eyes of God. The breaking of even one commandment put a person under condemnation. Trying to achieve salvation through obedience to the Law is futile.
The Law demands perfection. As a result, all who try to live by the Old Law were under a divine curse. But the good news is that Jesus Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
The curse of the Law fell on Christ on our behalf so that the righteousness of God could fall on us, though we did not deserve it (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When Adam sinned, He died spiritually (Genesis 2:17).
All men are born in sin because of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12).
God worked out a plan for man’s redemption. Jesus, the second member of the Trinity was to come to earth and live and die for the sins of humanity.
Jesus suffered and paid the penalty of sin that we should have paid. He took our place.
Redemption is the theme of the whole Bible.
Salvation defined: Deliverance, safety, preservation, healing and soundness.
Jesus rose from the dead three days after He died (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20; Romans 8:11).
Because of Jesus, we can now walk free from sin, free from poverty, free from sickness and disease, and enjoy life.
Saved defined: Deliverance for the whole man. Wholeness in spirit, soul and body.
Salvation is for the whole man: spirit, soul, and body (Isaiah 53:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 3 John 2).
III. WHAT THE CURSE OF THE LAW IS
It is the will of God that we prosper materially, bodily, and spiritually.
Paul says in Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath REDEEMED us . . ." If you ask Christians "What did Christ redeem us from?" they usually say, "From sin." That's partly true, but it's not nearly the whole story.
The rest of this verse tells us in no uncertain terms what Christ redeemed us from: "Christ hath redeemed us FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW."
In the New Testament, "the Law" can mean either the 10 Commandments, the first five books of the Bible, or the entire Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy chapter 28, Moses stated the blessings and curses of the Law. The curse for breaking God's commandments was threefold: poverty, sickness, and spiritual death. Christ has redeemed us from all of these.
Let's look in Galatians chapter 3:13-14 again: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Under the New Covenant, Abraham's blessing belongs to us! The blessing of Abraham is threefold in nature: spiritual, physical, and material.
We have a choice. We can either live under the curse which is poverty, sickness and spiritual death or we can live under the blessing which is spiritual life, wellness and financial blessings.
CONCLUSION:
I certainly believe that many of the struggles and sicknesses we face today can very possibly be a result of generational curses.
I would like to accomplish Three things in this message today. First, validate from Gods Word that there is such a thing as generational curses. The second thing is to show you from God’s Word that there is redemption from the curse of the law. Thirdly, show you what the curse of the law is.
I. THE SCRIPTURE TEACHES GENERATIONAL CURSES
Numbers 14:18 - 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.
Deuteronomy 5:9-10 - 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, And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
In these Scriptures God warns that He is a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate Him.
It sounds unfair for God to punish children for the sins of their fathers. However, there is more to it than that.
The effects of sin are naturally passed down from one generation to the next. When a father has a sinful lifestyle, his children are likely to practice the same sinful lifestyle. It is likely that the children will choose to repeat the sins of their fathers.
The cure for a generational curse has always been repentance. When Israel turned from idols to serve the living God, the “curse” was broken.
God promised to visit Israel’s sin upon the third and fourth generations, but in the very next verse He promised that He would show “love to a thousand [generations] of those who love Him and keep His commandments” (Exodus 20:6).
For the Christian who is worried about a generational curse, the answer is repentance of the curse in question.
So, do children bear responsibility for their parents’ sin? Yes and no.
God judges the heart of each individual. In both the Old and New Testaments, we see God interact with people based on their own faith.
On the other hand, it is obvious that the sins of parents do affect their children.
David and Bathsheba’s first son died soon after birth due to their sin. The Israelites, as a nation, were punished by God for their sin, and that punishment sometimes affected the children as well.
Today, we see how parental sin affects children. Those who grow up watching the sinful behavior of their parents are often more likely to engage in it themselves.
Certain sins of parents inhibit their ability to be loving caregivers, setting the children up for possible problems in the future.
Addiction often has genetic components. The relatively new field of epigenetics is suggesting that trauma can leave “molecular scars” on our DNA—and that those scars are passed down genetically to the third and fourth generation.
Even more obviously, Adam and Eve’s sin has affected all of us. We are all born with sinful natures because Adam chose to disobey God. His sin was “passed down” to us.
Sin is never a private issue. It always affects those around us. This is especially true in families. The sins of the parents will affect their children.
II. WE ARE REDEEMED FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW
Galatians 3:10-13 - For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith. And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith..
The Law is a curse upon all mankind, none of whom can possibly fulfill its requirements.
While the Law itself is perfect and holy, those who try to justify themselves before God bring not His blessing, but His curse upon themselves.
The Bible itself tells us what the curse of the Law is: “All who rely on observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.’
Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, ‘the righteous will live by faith.’ The law is not based on faith.
Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree (Galatians 3:10–13).
What we must understand from this passage is that the curse is not the Law. Romans 7:12 says the law is holy and the commandment holy, and just and good.
The curse is the penalty levied for not keeping the Law. The “Book of the Law” refers to the covenant laws that God made with His people during the time of Moses.
The Law can point out where we fail and fall short of God’s will, but it cannot pronounce us righteous; that was not its purpose.
In Galatians 3 the apostle Paul is telling us that everyone who does not keep the Law perfectly is cursed by it (Deuteronomy 27:26; Galatians 3:10).
The reason is that no one can obey the Law perfectly. In fact, there were over 600 laws the Jews had to keep to be right in the eyes of God. The breaking of even one commandment put a person under condemnation. Trying to achieve salvation through obedience to the Law is futile.
The Law demands perfection. As a result, all who try to live by the Old Law were under a divine curse. But the good news is that Jesus Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).
The curse of the Law fell on Christ on our behalf so that the righteousness of God could fall on us, though we did not deserve it (2 Corinthians 5:21).
When Adam sinned, He died spiritually (Genesis 2:17).
All men are born in sin because of Adam’s sin (Romans 5:12).
God worked out a plan for man’s redemption. Jesus, the second member of the Trinity was to come to earth and live and die for the sins of humanity.
Jesus suffered and paid the penalty of sin that we should have paid. He took our place.
Redemption is the theme of the whole Bible.
Salvation defined: Deliverance, safety, preservation, healing and soundness.
Jesus rose from the dead three days after He died (1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 20; Romans 8:11).
Because of Jesus, we can now walk free from sin, free from poverty, free from sickness and disease, and enjoy life.
Saved defined: Deliverance for the whole man. Wholeness in spirit, soul and body.
Salvation is for the whole man: spirit, soul, and body (Isaiah 53:1-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; 3 John 2).
III. WHAT THE CURSE OF THE LAW IS
It is the will of God that we prosper materially, bodily, and spiritually.
Paul says in Galatians 3:13, "Christ hath REDEEMED us . . ." If you ask Christians "What did Christ redeem us from?" they usually say, "From sin." That's partly true, but it's not nearly the whole story.
The rest of this verse tells us in no uncertain terms what Christ redeemed us from: "Christ hath redeemed us FROM THE CURSE OF THE LAW."
In the New Testament, "the Law" can mean either the 10 Commandments, the first five books of the Bible, or the entire Old Testament.
In Deuteronomy chapter 28, Moses stated the blessings and curses of the Law. The curse for breaking God's commandments was threefold: poverty, sickness, and spiritual death. Christ has redeemed us from all of these.
Let's look in Galatians chapter 3:13-14 again: Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Under the New Covenant, Abraham's blessing belongs to us! The blessing of Abraham is threefold in nature: spiritual, physical, and material.
We have a choice. We can either live under the curse which is poverty, sickness and spiritual death or we can live under the blessing which is spiritual life, wellness and financial blessings.
CONCLUSION:
