Family Line

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Our families have the greatest influence on our development, including specific sins that are passed down from one generation to the next, being “handed down from your forefathers” (1 Pet 1:18). When a father has a sinful lifestyle, his children are likely to practice the same or similar sinful way of life, “As your fathers did, so do you” (Act 7:51).

We inherit many traits and preferences from our parents

Abraham used deception, so did his son, Isaac and his grandson Jacob (Gen 20:2, 26:7, 27:19,24). Just as physical traits and medical issues repeatedly manifest in a family line, so do spiritual and moral qualities yet God holds each individual responsible for his or her own sin. This can be the result of bad modelling, or genetic factors, such as a predisposition to various addictions that develop these generational strongholds.

Generational consequences are the effects of sinful behaviour that is passed on. This is the outworking of the sowing and reaping principle resulting in blessing or heartache (Gal 6:7-9). Some Christians consider when salvation is received, all the inherited struggles are broken, but Scripture does not confirm this nor is this the case in real life. While

Sin is never a private issue. It also affects those around us

technically once we accept Christ as Saviour we are a new creature we know the old life is still very present, and it is a constant battle to put this off and replace it with the new life in Christ and live by the Spirit (2 Cor 5:17; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:22-24, 6:10-18; Col 3:5). It is as we consistently and decisively deal with the baggage of our pre-Christ life and the ungodly aspects (generational curses) within our family tree we will come into the freedom of the truth that is Jesus (Jn 8:32,36; 2 Pet 1:4). It is our responsibility with the Lord’s enabling to make this transformation (of being made new) a reality, with the appropriate accompanying lifestyle changes till the time we reach heaven (Phil 1:6).

As believers today we must take responsibility for our own conduct and not excuse every sin or problem blaming them on a generational curse but take ownership for our own sinful behaviour for which we will be judged accordingly if not confessed (Prov 24:12; 1 Jn 1:9). “Be self-controlled and alert. The devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith” (1 Pet 5:8,9; Jas 4:7). Un-surrendered areas are strongholds for evil; what we tolerate can be our cause of downfall. Jesus will not usurp authority; we must give it to Him.

We are all born under the generational curse of Adam’s sin and we are all enduring the generational consequences of our ancestors unrepentant sin exhibiting sinful behaviour and unless dealt with will result in eternal separation from God (Ezek 18:4,20; Jn 8:24; Rom 3:23, 5:12). The Bible

Remembering the sins of our parents is the key to doing things differently

says we can either choose life and blessing or death and cursing, with the flow on effect influencing our descendants (Deut 28:59, 30:19). God declared to Abraham, “Through your offspring all the nations of the earth will be blessed because you have obeyed me” (Gen 22:17,18). Listen to the contrasting assessment, “Our fathers sinned…and we bear their punishment” (Lam 5:7). “…you repay the guilt of fathers to their children after them...rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jer 32:17-19). God does not punish children for their parents’ sins but He does hold them accountable if they repeat the sins of the previous generation.

The enemy comes to steal, kill, and destroy (Jn 10:10). Satan not only targets individuals, but also family lines with divorce, incest, poverty, anger, mental issues or other ungodly vices and struggles that are waiting for the opportunity to repeat in us because they have been undefeated in our family tree. Many types of participation in occult practices and secret societies (eg. Freemasonry) require members to take oaths and curses, and even commit their children to these curses. We are not responsible for our parents’ mistakes, but we still have to deal with the consequences of their choices.

Freedom in Jesus

There is debate as to what degree a possible generational curse or hereditary characteristics can be passed on down through ancestral lines and if there are evil spirits involved that cause poverty, sickness, disease, confusion, failure and all sorts of perversion, anger, rebellion, fear and addictions harassing members through multiple generations. God declared, “I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me” (Ex 20:5, 34:7; Num 14:18; Deut 5:9). The consequences of the bad choices of previous ancestors can affect future offspring and cause much suffering, with following generations repeating the same cycle of sin with ingrained patterns that became a habit of living.

It is often necessary to specifically pray through and break free from the influence of generational curses and strongholds. Just as we look to Jesus for forgiveness, we look to Him to break us free from destructive patterns that have come through our family line. This requires renouncing the sins of previous generations.

If you are aware of specific strongholds of sin, occult activity, idolatry, cycles of sickness, or other generational influences, make sure to pray through them by name. You can pray something like this, filling in the blank with the specific sins, strongholds, and curses of your family line:

‘Lord Jesus, thank You for dying on the cross and becoming a curse, so that I could be redeemed from every curse and receive God’s blessing. Because of Your finished work, I ask You to set me free from every curse and evil spirit that is over my life. I renounce the sins of previous generations and break away from any generational curse that is over my life. Specifically, I break free from __________________ . I declare that the blood of Jesus separates me from the sins and curses of my family line’.

There’s no human way of getting around the baggage our ancestors have left us with. Even with our best efforts, we still end up adding baggage of our own for the next generation. However, by God’s grace, we can deal with it and choose to pass on a different legacy than the broken one given to us.