Ironworks Pike Community Church - Pastor's Blog

Generational Curse?

11/4/2022

For some reason, the subject of generational curses comes across my path from time to time. This doctrine depresses the spirit and strangles faith, since we're helpless to change the actions of our ancestors! So here are some truths from Scripture that counter it.

The only generational curse in the Bible was caused by Adam. Because he represented us before God, his one bad action cut all of us off from God. Romans 5:15-19. But Adam was unique.

The Bible says the natural world was cursed because of Adam's sin, and so nature groans (Romans 8:18-22). This is why we can inherit genetic defects, why there are destructive viruses and bacteria, and so on. But our future resurrection is hope for the earth.

The practical consequences of parental sins do fall on children. We are sinners raising sinners. For example, a parent's alcoholism hurts the family. Exodus 20:50. However, that same verse says that if someone loves and follows the Lord, then His steadfast love is with them.

God never blames a child for an ancestor's sins. Read Ezekiel 18. Our ancestors did not represent us before God, for good or ill. The blind man's blindness was not because anyone sinned, John 9:1-4.

Sometimes Satan is doing things to us. Job 1-2. God maintains the world, and he can prevent things, but God doesn't Himself cause everything. God didn't cause Satan to be evil, or plague Job. Job incorrectly thought God was doing it, and was angry at him about something.

Every curse is broken in Christ. God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, through Christ (Ephesians 1:3). Every Christian is anointed by the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21). He has already transferred us out of the devil's domain (Colossians 1:13). We are already blessed, even when earth's circumstances are bad.

Sometimes it's true that we do waver in unbelief, and that's why we don't get answers to our prayers. James 1:6-7. We get offended if someone brings this up, but James says that wavering in regards to God's power or reliability is unbelief.

The bottom line is, the hardships we endure have a purpose -- they might be discipline, or maybe faith-training, or maybe a context for God to work in power -- but they are not a generational curse. God can lighten the hardships, or even take them away completely.

Jack

Thankful for America.

10/21/2022

As we get ready to begin the month of November, and approach that uniquely American holiday, Thanksgiving, I would like to share a few words about being thankful for America.

As we have eyes to see, we can see God's natural and spiritual graces bestowed upon America, in our history as well as now. These have come from God, and reflect back on His goodness. We don't deserve His gifts, but He has given them out of His generous heart. I give thanks for all of these. God has greatly blessed America.

There are people who burn with hatred for America, and they cite our country's many sins. Sometimes the accusations are one-sided, such as criticizing police violence but excusing abortion, or vice-versa. We know America's sins, measured against the Bible's commandments. But no country is irredeemably wicked. The Bible predicts that Egypt and Assyria will continue into the kingdom of Christ, after He returns. Isaiah 19:16-25. Instead of destroying Egypt and Assyria for their many sins, the gracious Lord will preserve and reform those two nations. In a similar sense, the Lord knows there is a "good America" that He can perfect.

God gave us an exceptional Constitution. It isn't faultless, because it was written by imperfect men who knew they were imperfect. But it is exceptional and wise, born out of the lessons of the classical past, the suffering of their time at the hand of King George, and good plain reasoning.

Some enthusiastically but unwisely call it "inspired by God." They probably mean that God's prayed-for providence was involved in its writing, which I believe was true. But it was not inspired like the Bible. The Bible is uniquely God's Word. Nevertheless, our Constitution lays out an exceptionally wise system of governance.

Knowledgeable Christians recognize that the Jews are still God's chosen people. God loves the Jewish people, and will keep His promises to them (read Romans 11:28-29). We also recognize that the Christian Church is His spiritual nation (read 1st Peter 2:9) and His Spirit-indwelt bride (Revelation 22:17). We recognize the unique, blessed status that Israel and the Church hold in God's eyes. By these truths we know that America hasn't replaced Israel in God's plan, which is a false doctrine taught by certain cults.

We ought to be thankful to God for America, because we know that everything truly good about America came down from God. As Paul said to the Corinthians in 1st Corinthians 4:7, what do we have that we were not given? Thankfulness to God for America reminds us to give the glory to God.

As Solomon once said, it is good to hold onto one thing without letting go of the other (Ecclesiastes 7:18). Good Christians recognize the sins of America, now and in the past. We also recognize the God-given virtues of America, now and in the past. We appreciate our country; we don't burn with hatred toward her, as some do. We also have a sober outlook on our country; we don't minimize America's great need for repentance and salvation through Christ. As Solomon said, we hold onto both sides of the truth.

The patriotic hymn America, America is a call to God. It asks God to shed His free grace on us, and bring about the brotherhood we don't have. It recognizes that we have flaws that only God can mend, that we lack self-control, and that our liberty needs to be law-abiding. America's gold definitely needs refining. So, we thank God for the grace He has shed, ask Him for more, and ask Him to mend us!