Generational Curses That Effect You and Your Family

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Now it seems that lately there has been a lot of talk about medical research trying to figure out why certain traits are passed from one generation to another. They recognize there is a definite pattern, but cannot pin point the reason. “Is it genetic?” they ask, or “Environmental?”

However, the Bible calls it something else. The word is iniquity or “A Family Generational Curse”.

Anger, drugs, divorce, habits, excessive eating, sexual addictions, depression and any other of the numerous battles we face are spiritual. These strong holds get into our lives and our families. Unless we know how to get rid of them, they will stay with us and be passed on to the generations after us.

Ephesians 6:12 says, “We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but rather against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of the age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

When we are growing up and even as we age we hear, “They are just like their parents!” or “She is just like her Mom!” or even “Like Father, like Son!” However, the Bible also puts another way. It says, “the iniquities of the Fathers (parents) are visited upon the children and the children’s children to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:7

Most of us think that when we receive Jesus as Lord, we are automatically going to be perfect. However, this is not true. When we receive Jesus as Lord, He comes into us and takes out our stony heart and gives us a heart that is sensitive to the things of God.

The Lord never condemns us for our past. The devil continually accuses and condemns us. The Bible tells us that when we confess our sins, He remembers then no more. The devil tries to convince us that God is angry with us and that we are hopeless, helpless, really a lost cause.

We must keep in mind always that God is not accusing us but rather reaching out His hand to help us. Jesus never said, “Go get cleaned up then come to me”, but rather He said, “Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Paul said in Philippians 1:6, “Be confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

Let’s examine what a generational curse is. The first time it is mentioned is in Exodus 20:5 when God was giving Moses the 10 commandments. At this time the Israelites had been in slavery in Egypt for over 400 years. During this time they held a reverence for God and cried out to Him, but Egypt was in their culture, their habits, and lifestyle. They lived around idols, and many unholy things. Therefore, when they come out of Egypt, some of Egypt was still in them. In the same way when we are first saved, we come out of the world like it says in Ephesians 4:17-21

Therefore, I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. "In your anger do not sin": Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. Moreover, do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. However, among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving. For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person--such a man is an idolater--has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord. Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. However, everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Be very careful, then, how you live--not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.

Now back to Exodus in verse 3 He commands them to have no other gods but Him. In verse 4 and 5 He commands that they should make no idols or bow down and worship them. If they did, their iniquity would visit their children and grand children down the generations.

Bowing down to an idol means having reverence or to worship anything more than Him. When we do we are allowing something (or someone) to rule our time, thought, emotions or life, then the spirit operating in that idol comes into our lives and causes us to bow down again and again. This afterward is passed to our generations. The spirit of iniquity becomes a force on the inside that causes us and our generations after us to bow or bend to its destructive nature.

A spirit of iniquity could be on your life because of something you did or something a member of your family did years before you were born. It could also have come due to something that has happened in or to your family. Iniquity can come in many forms, but Jesus always comes to set you free.

Destructive personality traits and behavior patterns, suicidal tenancies, divorce; sickness, depression, anger and dysfunctions can usually be traced back through a person’s family history. Statistics have shown and is now common knowledge that if a person was abused as a child, they have a strong probability of becoming an abuser as an adult. Children of alcoholic parents often become one themselves.

Sometimes the spirit that is passed form one generation to another is the same one, but the devil tries to disguise it making it look like something different. For example a family who for generations has had members die from obesity, never being able to control their eating habits. Then the family begins to suffer from anorexia and literally starve themselves. The same spirit was destroying through eating patterns just with a different operation.

Recognizing Curses

Hosea 4:6 says, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” It is Christians, “My People” who are being destroyed by divorce, obesity, depression, anger, confusion, fear and so on. This is happening because they do not fully understand the scriptures, but rather base their belief on what so and so said.

Many times we hear, “Christians can’t be cursed.” We have Jesus; His name is the name above all names. This is true. His name is above all the generational curses in the world. Nevertheless, we must learn How to use the Name and the Blood in relation to these curses. Ignoring problems or thinking them away doesn’t make them disappear. It only gives them liberty to move through our generations.

How does the devil get a door into our lives to begin a generational curse? Events in life are not just happenstance, circumstance, or Coincidental. There is an unseen spiritual side to everything that happens in the visible, physical world. Like gravity. We may not see it, but we know it is there. It is the same with a curse. We cannot visibly see them, but we are fully aware of their consequences.

When you go to the doctor they ask you to fill out a form which lists not only your medical and emotional history, but also that of your family. Doctors need to know this so they can quickly get to the root of your problem. The Great Physician, Jesus, wants us healed both physically and emotionally. 1 Thessalonians 5:23 says, “I pray God that your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless….” He came to make every bit of you whole.

In the natural, doctors understand that many problems are based in the blood. In the spiritual, the answer to all problems has been given to us through the blood. We must not be ignorant, but rather we need to recognize the source of evil, and then identify the provision God has made to break the power of the enemy.

John 10:10 says, “The thief comes only to kill, steal, and destroy.” However, Jesus said, “I have come to give you life, and that more abundantly.”

We cannot change the past, but we do hold the power to change our future. In Isaiah 61:3 it says that He will exchange our sorrow for the garment of praise, our mourning for joy and our heaviness will depart and be replaced with praise. The first step to recovery is to recognize the root of the problem. If we openly and honestly seek God in prayer, He will reveal the answer to you.

It could have its roots in previous generations and was passed down to you. Lamentations 5:7 says, “Our Fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.” In addition, in Psalms it says in 51:5 “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me.”

Now Jesus and His disciples knew this concept very well. They knew that curses were handed down generation to generation. In John 9 when they passed the man who was blind form birth his disciples asked Him if this man had sinned to cause this blindness or if it came from a generational sin of his parents. They fully understood this concept but in our society of reason, logic and each person being in control of their own destiny, we have trouble grasping this. When we see someone in the mall in a wheelchair who is crippled we don’t ask if they sinned to cause this. Neither do we ask if their parents sinned.

We cannot blame our parents or grandparents for these generational problems. We need to recognize who our enemy is, Satan, and that we do not wrestle against people. We need to look at our own lives an ask ourselves, “What is causing us to act in this manner?” “Why do I have these circumstances in my life?”

In the past I had always embraced the belief of “Just saying no” to the flesh. Having read Romans and understanding how the flesh wanted to rule me and the natural response to that was, “No”. My thinking has changed somewhat on that now. If you are operating with a generational curse which is driving and controlling you, you cannot say “no” until you are free from that curse. You will fail every time. Jesus said in John 8:32,36 , “You will know the truth and that truth will make you free. If Jesus sets you free then you are really finally free.

In Matthew 12:43-45 it says, “When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man he walks through dry places, seeking rest, and finds none.” The moment we receive Jesus, every force of darkness that’s coming against our life flees. It goes to that desert place looking for somewhere to rest. Our sin is washed away and the cause of the spiritual curse flees to that desert place. But….

Matthew 12:44 says, “Then it (the spirit) says, “I will return to the house I left.” Nevertheless, it comes back looking for an open door. “When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worst than the first."

Even though our lives have been swept and garnished, blood washed and cleansed, if it finds that we don’t understand spiritual curses-remember, “My People” perish for a lack of knowledge, it comes back and finds we have left the door open, and it comes back worse than before with its friends.

This can not only happen in our lives, but also that of our children. A person will come out of a sinful lifestyle, get saved and go into ministry or get involved with the church. They raise their kids in church. Then when the kids hit teenage years they go out and do the same things their parents did, and many times worse. We stand in awe and ask, “What happened?” We raised our kids in church, but now they are doing exactly what we did before we were saved.

This is because we swept the house, but didn’t shut the door through the blood of Jesus and understand that we had to break that family curse. When you become conscious and use the power of the blood of Jesus, those spirits and those curses cannot touch you. Sickness, cancer, high blood pressure, depression, anger, and every evil thing will try to come against you and your family, but if you have the blood of Jesus Christ on your door posts, you are living under God’s divine protection.

In Isaiah 10:27 (KJV) it says, “It shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” The burden is removed and the yoke destroyed because of the anointing. Please, you have to catch this, Jesus said in John 8, “You will know the truth and when you do it will set you free.” What sets you free?

Now what is meant by the burden-removing, yoke destroying power of God?

Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” There is no one righteous, not one and the wages for that sin was death. That was the required payment for your sin. Death. Someone had to die for our sins. Therefore, God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to make that payment. He

died in our place and we were raised up together with Him. He removed the burden. I don’t have to pay the price for my sin because it was paid in full once and for all. Done. Burden removed.

Therefore, He is the Burden-Removing God.

His anointing also removes the yoke. That is why Jesus said, ‘When you understand the truth, you will not just be free, but free indeed.” I will not only remove the burden of sin, which is death, but I’ll break the yoke of iniquity, which is the curse from you also.

Isaiah 53:5 says, “But He was pierced, (wounded) for our transgressions. He was crushed (bruised) for our iniquities. The punishment that brought us peace was upon Him and by His wounds we were healed.”

If someone cuts their finger, it will bleed. That would be considered a wound. It would cause them to bleed from the inside out. Jesus was wounded for our sins or transgressions. Then it says He was crushed, or bruised, for our iniquities. This is separate from the wound. One was a bruise the other a wound. Why would God make a distinction between these two? What is a bruise? A bruise does not bleed on the outside like a wound it bleeds inside. An iniquity is a spiritual bruise on the inside that tries to break out and destroy our lives.

Therefore, lets make this clearer. A wound bleeds on the outside and a transgression is an act on the outside. So when the Bible says Jesus was wounded for our transgressions, it means that the blood He shed on the outside washes every sin form our lives. He’s the burden remover.

When He was bruised, He was bruised on the inside to wash away that spirit or curse. Therefore, He became the Yoke Remover by destroying the generational curses in our lives. He was wounded for our transgressions or sins and He was bruised for our iniquities.

He’s the Burden Remover and the Yoke Destroyer. He washes everything away on the outside and He sets us free on the inside.

Now Jesus stands before us and He says the same words He asked the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Our response this night is that He is the Burden removing, yoke destroying Son of God. He is the Christ, the one who forgives me of my sin and breaks these curses off my life. It is time to bind the curse and loose the blessing.

It does not matter whether you are suffering from a curse because of what you have done or what your ancestors have done. The burden removing and yoke destroying Christ came to set you free. NO longer do you have to pay the consequences of that curse. You can live in the blessings and freedom of God’s deliverance and restoration.