People have always looked for reasons why bad things happen to them. And what to do about it. Superstitions have been born out of the search. Well, a superstition has been doing its rounds in the church for the last few years.
This teaching is one of many that has caused Bible believing Christians to trade the truth of the Bible, for experience and anecdotes as their source of light. It robs Christians of their freedom in Christ and leaves them with fear, legalism and a distrust of God's promises (whether consciously or unconsciously).
Below is a brief address on some of the justifications put forward for this doctrine and how the Word clarifies the issue.
Curses in General
Firstly, read Deuteronomy chapter 27 and 28 to get an understanding of how many curses there are, how they are incurred, and how narrow the margin of error is to avoid them based on our good performance. (Deu 27:26 MKJV) Cursed is he who does not confirm all the words of this Law, to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Paul affirms this:
(Gal 3:10 MKJV) For as many as are out of works of the Law, these are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them."
and again, reading from Deuteronomy:
(Deu 28:15 MKJV) And it shall be, if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God, to observe and to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, all these curses shall come on you and overtake you.
Notice that there's no room for error here, its all the curses, if the whole law isn't obeyed – that puts us into a depressing situation. Usually advocates of curse theology will try and give us a bit of hope in their doctrine.
That the curses only come upon you for a few distinct sins. But the Word doesn't make that distinction, it says 'all'.
Where 'Generational' comes in
(Exo 34:7 MKJV) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the sons, and on the sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.
Here we see that God visit's iniquity from one generation to the next.
A look at God's new covenant
Jer 31:29-35 MKJV
(29) In those days they shall not say any more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are dull.
(30) But every man shall die in his iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be dull.
(31) Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
(32) not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah;
(33) but this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, says Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(34) And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Jehovah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.
(35) So says Jehovah, who gives the sun for a light by day and the laws of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who divides the sea when its waves roar; Jehovah of Hosts is His name;
Again:
Eze 18:2-3 ESV
(2) What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
(3) As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.
(4) Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
And again:
Eze 18:19-20 ESV
(19) Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done awhat is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.
(20) The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
The Hebrews had a proverb, that the parents would practice iniquity and the children would get punished for it, here God says that they would no longer have occasion to say this proverb, and He connects it to the time that a new covenant will be made with them – this covenant has been ratified in the blood of Jesus. Even though God has said that this proverb should never again be quoted – people are teaching it, preaching it and writing books about it.
Christ's substitution
Please read through the whole of Isaiah 53. This foretells the work of Jesus and how we benefit from His sacrifice.
Isa 53:5 MKJV
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.
Isa 53:11 MKJV
(11) He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.
Here we see that the iniquities of our forefathers cannot be placed at our account, because everything that was due to us, was laid onto Christ.
Even the curse that I deserve because I broke (and a day doesn't go by that I can say that I haven't transgressed somewhere) His righteous law were carried by Christ.
The issue made simple
(Gal 3:13 MKJV) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree");
Here's Paul makes it simple for us. In verse 10 he affirms that anyone who doesn't continually keep all of God's law are cursed, in this verse he affirms that Christ Jesus is our substitute, and has redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Where do we now stand ?
Its important to consider that neither Jesus nor the apostles ever taught about the need to break Generational Curses – not even once! Take Corinth as an example; the inhabitants were practicing a vile form of idolatry – they used to fornicate with temple prostitutes as part of their worship. Yet Paul, in everything he says to them, never says anything about curses needing to be broken.
This doctrine seeks to draw us from the all sufficiency of Christ.
We come around the Lord's table on a regular basis and are exhorted to remember Christ's death. We are regularly made aware of His broken body on the Cross and the blood that was shed for us. Don't be mislead that Jesus is not enough – He is. We are delivered from all curses, because we are in Christ and He has taken the wrath and the curses that we deserve.
If you look at those that believe in any superstition. You are sure to find stories and experiences that are used to prove the validity of their superstitions.
The experience might be valid, but the interpretation of the experience is incorrect.
We who are in Christ are new creations, old things have past away, and all things have become new (2Co 5:17)
Firstly, read Deuteronomy chapter 27 and 28 to get an understanding of how many curses there are, how they are incurred, and how narrow the margin of error is to avoid them based on our good performance. (Deu 27:26 MKJV) Cursed is he who does not confirm all the words of this Law, to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Paul affirms this:
(Gal 3:10 MKJV) For as many as are out of works of the Law, these are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the Book of the Law, to do them."
and again, reading from Deuteronomy:
(Deu 28:15 MKJV) And it shall be, if you will not listen to the voice of Jehovah your God, to observe and to do all His commandments and His statutes which I command you today, all these curses shall come on you and overtake you.
Notice that there's no room for error here, its all the curses, if the whole law isn't obeyed – that puts us into a depressing situation. Usually advocates of curse theology will try and give us a bit of hope in their doctrine.
That the curses only come upon you for a few distinct sins. But the Word doesn't make that distinction, it says 'all'.
Where 'Generational' comes in
(Exo 34:7 MKJV) keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the sons, and on the sons of sons, to the third and to the fourth generation.
Here we see that God visit's iniquity from one generation to the next.
A look at God's new covenant
Jer 31:29-35 MKJV
(29) In those days they shall not say any more, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are dull.
(30) But every man shall die in his iniquity. Every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth will be dull.
(31) Behold, the days come, says Jehovah, that I will cut a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah,
(32) not according to the covenant that I cut with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which covenant of Mine they broke, although I was a husband to them, says Jehovah;
(33) but this shall be the covenant that I will cut with the house of Israel: After those days, says Jehovah, I will put My Law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
(34) And they shall no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know Jehovah; for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says Jehovah. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sins no more.
(35) So says Jehovah, who gives the sun for a light by day and the laws of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, who divides the sea when its waves roar; Jehovah of Hosts is His name;
Again:
Eze 18:2-3 ESV
(2) What do you mean by repeating this proverb concerning the land of Israel, ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
(3) As I live, declares the Lord God, this proverb shall no more be used by you in Israel.
(4) Behold, all souls are mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is mine: the soul who sins shall die.
And again:
Eze 18:19-20 ESV
(19) Yet you say, ‘Why should not the son suffer for the iniquity of the father?’ When the son has done awhat is just and right, and has been careful to observe all my statutes, he shall surely live.
(20) The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
The Hebrews had a proverb, that the parents would practice iniquity and the children would get punished for it, here God says that they would no longer have occasion to say this proverb, and He connects it to the time that a new covenant will be made with them – this covenant has been ratified in the blood of Jesus. Even though God has said that this proverb should never again be quoted – people are teaching it, preaching it and writing books about it.
Christ's substitution
Please read through the whole of Isaiah 53. This foretells the work of Jesus and how we benefit from His sacrifice.
Isa 53:5 MKJV
(5) But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was on Him; and with His stripes we ourselves are healed.
Isa 53:11 MKJV
(11) He shall see the fruit of the travail of His soul. He shall be fully satisfied. By His knowledge shall My righteous Servant justify for many; and He shall bear their iniquities.
Here we see that the iniquities of our forefathers cannot be placed at our account, because everything that was due to us, was laid onto Christ.
Even the curse that I deserve because I broke (and a day doesn't go by that I can say that I haven't transgressed somewhere) His righteous law were carried by Christ.
The issue made simple
(Gal 3:13 MKJV) Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, being made a curse for us (for it is written, "Cursed is everyone having been hanged on a tree");
Here's Paul makes it simple for us. In verse 10 he affirms that anyone who doesn't continually keep all of God's law are cursed, in this verse he affirms that Christ Jesus is our substitute, and has redeemed us from the curse of the law.
Where do we now stand ?
Its important to consider that neither Jesus nor the apostles ever taught about the need to break Generational Curses – not even once! Take Corinth as an example; the inhabitants were practicing a vile form of idolatry – they used to fornicate with temple prostitutes as part of their worship. Yet Paul, in everything he says to them, never says anything about curses needing to be broken.
This doctrine seeks to draw us from the all sufficiency of Christ.
We come around the Lord's table on a regular basis and are exhorted to remember Christ's death. We are regularly made aware of His broken body on the Cross and the blood that was shed for us. Don't be mislead that Jesus is not enough – He is. We are delivered from all curses, because we are in Christ and He has taken the wrath and the curses that we deserve.
If you look at those that believe in any superstition. You are sure to find stories and experiences that are used to prove the validity of their superstitions.
The experience might be valid, but the interpretation of the experience is incorrect.
We who are in Christ are new creations, old things have past away, and all things have become new (2Co 5:17)
No comments:
Post a Comment