Let’s examine this Scripture critically;
You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject Me. But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love Me and obey My commands. Exodus 20:5-6 (NLT)
Who are those that God will visit the sins of their fathers to their children and to the third and fourth generation? Those who hate God. What will God do to those who love Him? He will lavish unfailing love for a thousand generation of those who love Him
Let us note the contrast in the passage; God says He is going to punish- those who hate Him. Which means the visit of His punishment is for those who break His law. But His mercy is to those who love Him. Even right from the Scripture God made a distinction of those that will receive this punishment and those that will receive His blessing. For Christians, who do not hate God, even if their forefathers did, there is no way God will allow the person (Christian) to be punished because of the sins of his forefathers.
What does it mean to love God?
If God said those He will lavish His love and mercy on are those that love Him then we need to be concerned to find out what it means to love God.
Love is not just about emotion or a mere words. Love is action; it is active not just passive. You cannot talk about loving someone without commitment. When God wanted to demonstrate His love for humanity He did not just say it, but showed it by sacrificing His only Son Jesus Christ for humanity that don’t deserve it or didn’t ask for it (John 3:16). We did not ask God to love us when He did; we were not even looking for Him but He chose to love us all the same (Romans 5:6-10).
How do we show that we love God? To obey God. Obedience is the test of our love for God. Those who don’t obey God do not understand what it means to love God.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” John 14:15 (NKJV)
He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. John 14:21-24 (NKJV)
It is clear from here; to be a Christian or disciple of Christ is to love God and to love Him is to obey His word. Those who walk in this path will enjoy God’s blessing and no curse can prevail over them nor any generational curses since they don’t hate God. If to love God is to obey Him then to hate God is disobey God or by walking in rebellion. If this is the path you have chosen to walk then you are simply attracting curses and not blessings. (I will still return to this subject of loving God on this subject in later times, God willing).
Let us take a look at another scripture:
“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their fathers; a person shall be put to death for his own sin.
Deuteronomy 24:16 (NKJV)
Friends, you will see the word of God is consistent, it is laid bare here that children cannot suffer for the sins of their fathers, everyone will reap the consequences of their sins. Whatever teaching that anyone is teaching on Generational curses for a Christian is obvious that he is in error; they don’t have basis for it, it is actually misinterpretation of Scripture. Run from such teachings and guard your heart from such. Jesus said take heed what you hear!
To be continued…