I hear a lot lately about "Generational Sin" what's your thoughts?

Question

I've noticed in the past 10-15 years I hear some talk about "Generational-Sin". Enlight of Ezekiel 18 and Gods view on this matter..what's your thoughts on this teaching?

Answer 1

I have been taught about generational curses too. Like David in the Bible. Death remained in his household after he got Uriah killed. If you look at the world around you, some people have a divorced grandparent, great-grandparent, brother, sister, etc. But...I pose a question as well..if you are serving God, how can God's people be cursed. Hmmmm...

Answer 2

Well, for me - Generational Sins are for real. These types of sins were done by our ancestors whether aware or not. And these sins have a corporate punishment- like idolatry in Exod 20, in which punishment reaches up to 3rd and 4th generation. And that will go on and on if the 2nd, 3rd & 4th will go on doing the same sin - and there will be an undless continuation.

Answer 3

I believe there are evil spirits out there that attach themselves to the minds of a particular region or families of people. We must break these strongholds by the word of God in your hearts and stand strong against the on slaught of the enemy. Alcoholism that runs throughout many years of many family members. Or drug addiction is prevalent is some families or some physical problem like heart attacks. I believe spirits are behind these behaviors and must be broken by the word of God in the hearts of true believers. Father in the name of Jesus I break these generational Sins and Curses off the lives of your people in the Name of Jesus!

Answer 4

"Generational Sin". Is a man's term.

God's Word is very clear. What one generation accepts, the next will do in abundance.

Every generation will get worse, why? The world will get worse than Sodom and Gomorrah. This isn't going to happen overnight. It will happen slow, over generations, where it is accepted slow.


If a person wants to believe in generational curses, thats up to you. The New Testament is very clear about your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. I'm no longer responsible for what others did in my family, Christ free'd me from that.

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Answer 5

Ezekiel 18 makes it pretty clear that it is the individual who is responsible for the consequences of sin -- NOT the children of subsequent generations.

However, many look to such passages as Exodus 20: 5-6 where God speaks of "visiting iniquities" in later generations, thinking that this means that children can be punished for sins committed long ago by their ancestors (ASB and KJV translations). The RSV and NRSV make matters worse by translating "visiting iniquities" as "punishing".

If you look at the Hebrew, the KJV and ASB have a better sense of what is being said here. "Visiting iniquity" means that God will be SEEING the results of sins of the fathers, long after they themselves are gone to see what their actions have caused. Now this makes sense to me, in light of abusive practices, alcoholism, neglect, etc. --we do see (visit) these sins having their effects in the children who come after.

In Exodus 20, God is speaking in particularly of idolatry as being one case where he will be visiting the results of Israel's unfaithfulness in later generations.

As I think about what this means, I imagine God looking down the road to later generations of young people who will be grappling with a sense of wondering whether their is a God who is real, whether than God acts in their lives, and just who this god is among the many Gods that their parents and grandparents appeared to have faith in.

Nowadays we don't really have the issue of which God to be faithful to, but we do have many temptations of things that lure us away from right actions in the world. The big thing today is materialism and consumerism -- thus, if we don't set examples for our children by resisting the pull of consumer society, future generations will be left bereft of having enough resources to go around and live with unhealthy conditions resisting from depletion of good air, safe clean water, and a healthy food supply. As well, we fail to teach another way of life that does not revolve around false standards of ideal body and fashion image, self-centeredness, and lack of concern for others in the world. Thus how we live today will visit iniquity on the lives of others in the future, globally and locally.

Answer 6

Its the same as if a disease has been handed down through your family or...alcoholism or anything like that... But its more emotional... tempers and such... my pastor spent 2 months on the subject... He said the only way to break the curses is to give it all to God

Answer 7

In my opinion as a non bible reader is that generational sins are like old friends that kinda never die but your older kin may have known and hung out with. just like friends they too will come around and see whats happening until you kick there a-- or something.

Answer 8

Examples: Sexual abuse, alcoholism, homosexuality, drug addiction, paedophilia, to name a few.
Yes, Generational Sins are rampant and it takes the Power of God to break the cycle.

Answer 9

This seems to be about the idea that if a person sins, then everybody related to him sins, his family and his offspring and their offspring. See Isaiah, who is principally concerned to dispel this idea.

Answer 10

Just the latest doctrinal fad in Christianity