Lincoln

When unable to explain life’s problems, well-meaning people sometimes suggest that you could be under a curse for the sins of an earlier generation in your family. The implication is obvious; God is judging you for ancestry sin. So, I thought we should take a few weeks to explore what God’s Word has to say on this matter.

Where does this idea come from?  
It’s extrapolated from the Old Testament Law; then wrongly applied to Christians today. When God gave the Law to Moses, He detailed severe warnings for Israel’s idolaters (Idol worshipers). The Lord said to Moses; “You shall not bow down to them (Idols) or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:5. c.f. Numbers 14:18; Deuteronomy 5:9).

As we all know, children often copy the wrong behaviour of their parents. In this sense, Exodus implies that the repeated sin of idolatry continued from one generation to the next. For God, idolatry is hatred toward Him. So, in giving the Law through Moses, Jehovah explained the consequences for those families guilty of idol worship.

A few observations
First, generational judgement was not for any old sin that all parents find themselves guilty of. No, this was specifically for those Israelite families guilty of bowing down to idols in violation of the first two commandments (Exodus 20:3-5). God was warning Israelite families that the guilt of continued idolatry brings a curse for future generations as part of the Old Testament Law. This consequence was specifically for the nation of Israel, and for the specific sin of idolatry.

Notice how the Lord followed the generational judgment with the corresponding generational blessing for obedience of the same first two commandments. God’s multiplied His mercy thousands of times more than His judgment when He committed to “showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6).

Second, although Jesus reiterated much of the Old Testament Law, He never reiterated generational judgement for idolatry. In fact, the apostles didn’t repeat this Old Testament generational judgment teaching either. It was unique to Israel for a short period of time during the Old Testament era.

Third, the Old Testament records no less than four times where the Lord specifically reverses generational judgment of sin for the sins committed by a different generation.
* “Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. Each one shall be put to death for his own sin” (Deuteronomy 24:16).
* “…Fathers shall not be put to death because of their children, nor shall children be put to death because of their fathers. But each one shall die for his own sin” (2 Kings 14:6).
* “But everyone shall die for his own iniquity…” (Jeremiah 31:30)
* “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” (Ezekiel 18:20).

I encourage you to rejoice in God’s fairness; “Ascribe greatness to our God! The Rock! His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; A God of faithfulness and without injustice, Righteous and upright is He” (Deuteronomy 32:3-4). Next week we shall continue our study with ‘Part 2 – Can a Christian be cursed with generational sin?’

It’s a terrible thing to think that no-one cares for you. While there can be many reasons for this, the ugly reality is crushing. However, the comforting news is that there is always someone who cares. Your creator God, He cares deeply. What’s more, He demonstrates His loving care in many ways, both obvious ways and subtle ways.

The Lord’s perfect character should give you confidence to cast “all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). God’s Word records the testimonies of many people who trusted in God when all seemed lost, and God proved Himself faithful and trustworthy.

Therefore, growing out of God’s enormous loving care, the Bible speaks to this most basic human need; to feel cared for. As the Lord is caring, so His people are to be caring just as their Saviour is. In fact, every believer, every member of the Church is to “have the same care for one another” (1 Corinthians 12:25). The strongest foundation for Church unity grows out of commitment to God’s Word and loving, unbiased care for the people of God within the congregation He has placed you. Through giving care we often receive care.

When Paul was saying farewell to the Ephesian elders, amongst other things, he specifically instructed them “to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood” (Acts 20:28). As the members of the Church have been bought with a high price, they are highly valued by God. Likewise, beginning with Church leaders, God’s value of His Church should be remembered, and the members cared for accordingly.

There are many ways to express care, and at its best, it expresses love. The simplest smile to the greatest self-sacrificing gifts of service can express love. Love is fundamental to the Christian faith and best expresses the heart of God. “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love” (1 John 4:7-8).

The most common way we experience the loving care of God is through the loving care provided by God’s people. However, we must be willing to receive the care offered, otherwise it can’t be experienced. So it is with love, unless it’s received, it’s wonderful benefits can never be experienced. Jesus invitation is as valid today as it was 2000 years ago. What He offers can only be experienced if personally received. Just as you cannot do anything to earn or achieve Jesus’ blessing, neither can another person’s faith earn you favour with the Lord.

So, Jesus says to you today; “Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29). Are you exhausted from trying, from labouring to make life right? Are you fed up with being unable to earn peace with God? Have the pains of life and separation from God worn you out? Are you exhausted from slaving over living independent of the love of Jesus Christ? Then today is the day to surrender!

I encourage you today, receive the loving care of Jesus Christ as your Saviour and God. “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12). Once you have received the care of Jesus, you will be equipped to care for others with Jesus care.

Much of the Apostle Paul’s writings express his concerns for the health of the New Testament Church. Paul understood Jesus words on the relationship between spiritual health and behaviour. Every state of inner health bears its own unique fruit; “every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:17).

Paul, like Jesus, gets to the point quickly once he’s evaluated who he’s speaking with. So, Jesus crystalized the truth on spiritual health; “A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit” (Matthew 7:18). Jesus spoke with such black and white words in order to be clear and definitive. Likewise, Paul does the same for the same reason.

Consider Paul’s confidence in Timothy. He was a younger man replicating Christ’s concern for God’s children. Paul says; “I have no one like him, who will be genuinely concerned for your welfare” (Philippians 2:20). Our Churches need more forward believing, forward concerned people like Timothy. Believers benefit from being part of a congregation possessing this degree of dependable concern for each other. Concern, not so much for the frivolous matters of life; but concern for the whole person that takes the required time with the needed patience. This concern has Christlikeness, purity, biblical truth, marriage and family relationships, plus the raft of everyday health and well-being issues which we all live with at its heart.

The Church of Jesus Christ needs to “take care… lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. ¹³ But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). Sin can so easily seduce you through self-centred thinking. Since in God’s wisdom, He has designed His Church with Christ as the head and not the almighty “I”, we need to look out for each other on Christ’s behalf.

Genuine Christ-like character is concerned about the Saviour’s glory (1Co 10:31) and how to glorify Christ through our relationships. It longs for opportunities to express the loving grace of God into other’s lives for the purpose of salvation, then sanctification, then glorification (Rom 8:29-30; 1Co 1:30; 1Th 4:3). Along the way there will be discipleship in personal life issues, healing and recovery from pains, and victories over sinful inner strong-holds.

The holiness of fellow Christians should captivate our attention. How easy it is for us to lose focus of God’s design, His desire for His Church. God’s eternal plan is straight forward; “those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Romans 8:30). Therefore, we Christians should walk in unity with Christ; encouraging, uplifting, equipping, and exhorting one another to selfless, holy, and more joyfull mature living for Christ (Eph 4:12-16).

Christ’s selfless character is our bullseye target in personal development; “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3). But how do you do this? “Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). When you have a thought for self, chose to have a similar thought for others. When you plan to treat yourself, plan to treat another also. When you pray for self, pray first for others. When you dream to bless self, dream and plan to bless others.

I encourage you today, to check your priority of concerns. Align them with God’s concerns, Christ will be honoured, others will be blessed, and you shall be satisfied.

Had you asked Simon Peter 40 days before Pentecost if he could see himself as a bold public evangelist for Jesus Christ, I suspect he would have answered ‘No way!’ Peter’s usefulness for Jesus’ ministry was questionable with his old character. Jesus required radical change, painful change, which Peter would initially resist until broken for Jesus.

Peter could never have dreamed possible the events of his life with Jesus. Well, not until his self-will had died. The 24 hours leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion were just the beginning; they were crushing. Who would have thought that Judas would take “a band of soldiers and some officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, …and weapons” (John 18:3) to betray Jesus with a kiss? “Then Simon Peter, having a sword (Lk 22:38), drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear… (John 18:10-11).

It’s no wonder Peter followed the arrested Jesus from “a distance, as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and going inside he sat with the guards to see the end” (Matthew 26:58). Feeling numb with defeat, Peter then did what was unimaginable for him; he publicly denied knowing Jesus, even resorting to bad language. “And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept” (Mark 14:72; Luke 22:31-34). Peter snapped!

Tears of brokenness often precede fruitful service for Jesus. It’s the surrender that makes the difference. And Peter’s tears meant that he was ready for the spiritual reconstruction required for faithful service.

It soon began with Peter and “the other disciple (John), …going toward the tomb. ⁴ Both of them were running together, but the other disciple (John) …reached the tomb first. …Then Simon Peter came …and went into the tomb. He saw the linen cloths lying there, ⁷ and the face cloth, which had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen cloths but folded up in a place by itself. ⁸ Then the other disciple (John), …also went in, and he saw and believed; ⁹ for as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that he must rise from the dead” (John 20:3-9).

Resurrected Jesus even “rebuked them (the 11 disciples) for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen” (Mark 16:14). Doubting Thomas was invited to touch Jesus resurrection scars while being instructed; “Do not disbelieve, but believe” (John 20:27). But it was Jesus’ 3^rd repeated question which struck home for Peter. “Simon, …do you love me?” Peter was grieved… and he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’” (John 21:17). Within Peter’s heart of hearts, he was now sealed for a life of loving, sacrificial service for Jesus as Lord.

Jump forward to the day of Pentecost, and we find a differently charactered Peter, one empowered by the transforming Holy Spirit. Now, Peter was publicly “standing with the eleven, he lifted up his voice and addressed” the crowd boldly and with clarity proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord. With many words he called them to “repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:14-40). Jesus’ earlier words of affirmation for Peter (Luke 22:32) had become reality; he would never be the same again.

I encourage you to accept the pains of life as training for a more Christ-like character. Yield to the Saviour’s corrections. Bow under the loving will of your God, so that He can reconstruct you for greater fruitfulness; resulting in His pleasure and His glory.

Doctor Luke records the evening before Jesus’ crucifixion; His last Passover with the 12 disciples. Simon Peter, like the others failed to understand the significance of this last dinner with Jesus. But Judas, he understood perfectly. The 11 were focused on the happenings of the here and now, instead of listening to Jesus words about the bigger picture.

Peter’s head must have been spinning that evening. A week earlier a “large crowd …heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem. ¹³ So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!’” (John 12:12-13). The thing is, Jesus’ “disciples did not understand these things” (John 12:16). Then, sometime during the week following, Satan “entered into Judas called Iscariot… He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray Jesus to them” (Luke 22:3-4).

This had been some week! And now the disciples, including Judas, were reclining while eating roast lamb of the Passover with Jesus.  Then, Jesus drops the first bombshell; “behold, the hand of him who betrays me is with me on the table. …but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” ²³ And they began to question one another, which of them it could be who was going to do this” (Luke 22:21-23). All except Judas were in shock at such an absurd thought; betray Jesus? No, none of us Lord!

Incredibly, while squabbling over their loyalty to Jesus; “a dispute also arose among them, as to which of them was to be regarded as the greatest” (Luke 22:24). Sin has this terrible ability of placing self at the centre of everything. Peter, with the others, was caught in this downward spiralling Passover celebration. Then Jesus dropped the big one which would expose Peter’s own deceptive heart.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, ³² but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail” (Luke 22:31-32a). The enemy of God was also focusing his evil intent on Peter that evening. But Satan cannot operate outside of God’s knowledge or boundaries.

Jesus could have prayed for Peter’s deliverance, release, success, or any other tangible blessing, but no! Jesus didn’t even pray for Satan to be bound (whatever that means?). No, faithfulness was Jesus primary interest for Simon Peter. What a challenge this is for us. We want all sorts of self-centred things from the Lord when under attack; but the Lord simply wants faithfulness!

Jesus then affirmed the Father had already answered His prayer. Jesus strengthens Peter’s faith in advance by informing him that “when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32b). Peter, thinking he had this faith thing sorted, tells Jesus not to worry; “Lord, I am ready to go with you both to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33).

So, Jesus clarifies what’s about to happen; “Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.” (Luke 22:31-34). WOW! Sin was looking for a breach in Peter’s self-confident faith, and it would find it.

As we shall continue to learn from Peter, the Lord’s grace is amazing. Jesus’ love is secure just as Paul says; “if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself” (2 Timothy 2:13). Despite Peter, Jesus would ensure his faith survived, would be more resilient, and he would be a faith strengthener of others. This is precisely our trust in Jesus today. I encourage you to surrender to Jesus sufficiency during your most painful times. (To be continued).