Three questions regarding inherited sin, consequences and communal repentance.

Let us consider the first two questions together, as they are related:

1. Sins or curses upon children? Does God send them upon the coming generations?
2. Do children bear the consequences of the mistakes committed by their forefathers?

The answer is a qualified yes that requires more consideration than a simple yes or no. The curse of sin has passed on to all generations after Adam. All of us suffer under the consequences of Adam’s sin. We are all subject to death. Likewise, the curse placed upon the ground also extends to every generation until the coming of Jesus. Additionally, because of Adam’s choice he had a fallen nature. This was the only nature he could pass on to his descendants, therefore we all have a fallen nature as well. Even Jesus, when He came to earth was made in our likeness (Romans 8:3), yet He did not commit any sin. We pass on hereditary tendencies to our children. We pass on learned tendencies to our children as they watch us and learn from our example. The Royal Law of God is quite clear that consequences and influence of sin transfers through the generations and God brings judgments based upon this reality.

“Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to 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.”

Exodus 20:4-6

While the generational impact of sin is declared, God does not stop there, though in justice He could. He goes further to reveal His mercy and a way out of this cycle. Consider the message of mercy found in the Royal Law of God that we just read. He declared that His mercy will be extended to all who choose to return their loyalty to God. Through His grace they may return to faithfulness and He will accept them. 

Children certainly have to bear with our life choices, yet by the grace of God they may make different choices for themselves. While there are consequences to sin that will only be removed at the coming of Jesus in power and glory, the condemnation and power of sin can end today. Children are not doomed to go down the same pathway as their parents. The natural cycle of following in the sins of their parents may be broken. God is willing to show mercy unto all who will love him and keep his commandments. That is, all who turn to God in repentance and enter the New Covenant where God writes His law upon their hearts will become keepers of the 10 commandments and live under the mercy of God. As it says in Hebrews: 

“This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:16-17

This concept was further clarified by Ezekiel through the Holy Spirit:

Now, lo, if he beget a son, that seeth all his father’s sins which he hath done, and considereth, and doeth not such like, That hath not eaten upon the mountains, neither hath lifted up his eyes to the idols of the house of Israel, hath not defiled his neighbor’s wife, Neither hath oppressed any, hath not withholder the pledge, neither hath spoiled by violence, but hath given his bread to the hungry, and hath covered the naked with a garment, That hath taken off his hand from the poor, that hath not received usury nor increase, hath executed my judgments, hath walked in my statutes; he shall not die for the iniquity of his father, he shall surely live. 

As for the father, because he cruelly oppressed, spoiled his brother by violence, and did that which is not good among the people, lo, even he shall die in his iniquity. 

Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 

Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

Ezekiel 18:14-23

God will grant mercy to all who turn to Him and they will not suffer eternal death for the sins of their fathers. Thus the ultimate consequence of sin is removed, but many lessor consequences and effects of sin remain that we might learn from them and be led to renounce sin and all the sorrow it causes. 

Furthermore, in the civil judgments given by God, the judges were forbidden to punish the children for the sins of their parents. God retains the right to execute judgment or mercy upon individuals, families or nations, as He can read the hearts. Ninevah as a city was temporarily spared. However, Sodom as a city was destroyed. Korah, Dathan and Abiram were destroyed along with their families by the act of God. God can do this in mercy as he can read the heart and he knows if the children have been trained to follow the parents and their heart is hardened by the example of their parents. However, human judges were forbidden in their judgment to punish the children for the sin of the parents. 

“The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death of the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin.”

Deuteronomy 24:16

We should note as well that not everything bad that happens is a divine judgment for some specific sin. Consider the man born blind. The Jews believed this must be a curse for a specific sin of the man or his parents. Jesus said that it was not a result of any sin but for the glory of God.

“And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him.”

John 9:1-3

 All of the evil and heartache that we see is generally the result of sin. However, not every bad event is due to a specific sin, though some are. We live in a world full of the consequences of sin, in a general sense. Something that goes wrong could be a result of an individual sin, it could be the providence of God working out something in His plan we don’t understand yet, or it could simply be part of this world of sin and sorrow. 

Furthermore, even in a specific judgment for a sin, we still must declare God to be just and good and consider His mercy. Let’s take the case of David and Bathsheba and the death of their first son. This was a judgment of God. This was due to the sin of the father. However, we must consider also the mercy of God. First, mercy for the nation. God had to manifest displeasure to check the pernicious effect of this sin within the nation. Second, mercy for the child. The child is not lost eternally, he is at rest and safe from the temptations of Satan. He was spared a life of cruel words from those who would constantly comment upon the circumstances of his birth. He was spared the cruelness of his brothers and sisters. His father repented and will be raised to life. Therefore this child will also have eternal life. (1 Cor 7:14) So God through judgment provided for the assurance of eternal life to the child while rebuking the father and leading the father to repentance. God’s ways are not our ways.

3. Repentance has led to mercy, individually, as a family and nationally. Do we then need this kind of communal as well as individual repentance today, even for the sins our forefathers committed years ago?

When Daniel prayed he said “we have sinned.” He identified himself with the people, even with his fathers. He did not try to set himself apart. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23. Therefore we all need to repent. We need to ask God to show us our sins so that we may repent and forsake them. This should be done individually, as a family, as a church family and as a nation or any other grouping in which it can be done. As a group of any kind, as well as individuals we may sin against God and as such we should repent for what we have done as a group. In Joshua 7:11 it is declared that “Israel hath sinned.” The sin became so widespread that it became a national sin. 

God is abundant in mercy and we should be seeking that mercy as much as possible. When it comes to the sins of the fathers, our repentance is specifically for how we have partaken of those sins in spirit or in actuality. In Stephen’s sermon before his martyrdom, he declared to the Jews of His day; 

“Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it.”

Acts 7:51-53

Our repentance should be personal and genuine. Then, we may gather together with others we are associated with and together seek for forgiveness for the ways in which we together have not obeyed and honored God. This would be true in the family, as a church family or any other grouping. Without true conversion, the children will be like the parents or worse. The father or believing parent should lead his family to Christ and confess the sins that he and the family have committed, including those inherited or learned from the previous generations. If a church has not been keeping all 10 of God’s commandments, even if they did not fully understand before, when they learn they should repent as a church and begin to keep God’s law. A city or nation could repent as seen in the Bible. Where two or three or more are gathered in the name of Jesus He promises to be there in a special way. So repenting together is a good thing. 

In review: we all experience the consequences of the first sin and the sins of our ancestors, though we are not guilty of their sins unless we partake of or commit those same sins. We are each responsible for our own choices. Yet we must be cognizant of the affect of our life and choices, especially upon our children, for they will most likely follow in our footsteps. We must personally repent of our sins that we have committed individually, including what we have done as part of a family or group. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9. God is just and merciful in all His dealings with us.