MSEP02 - Will God Punish the Believers
for their Ancestors' Sins?

There is a growing belief now that God will punish the believers for the sins and curses of their forefathers. This belief (and teaching) stemmed from Exodus 20:5 and other verses in the Book of Exodus. But a good look at the context of this passage gives us better understanding of its emphasis.

Unfortunately, not many people read the Bible in context. As a result of this, lots of people around the world are being enslaved by false teachings. Don’t believe those who like to put fear in the mind of the people in order to keep them in bondage.

The teaching in view here is more popular among African believers. Many Africans have been convinced that they have a unique background that requires some additional rituals in order for them to be delivered. It is therefore particularly important to me as an African, to address this confusion and delusion that are plaguing many Africans and even some other believers around the world.

Many so-called deliverance ministries have emerged in the last few decades providing ‘solutions’ (especially in the areas of breaking curses) outside of Christ’s accomplishment. These ministries prescribe numerous rituals as solutions to the problems of man. Part of their talking point is this idea that God can and will punish the believers for the sins of their fathers and forefathers unless the people participate in their deliverance rituals.

Many Africans have been convinced that they have a unique background that requires some additional rituals in order for them to be delivered.

As someone who used to be a part of these false ministries, I’m in a good position to speak on this topic. The belief and teaching that God will punish the believers for their ancestors’ sins was a result of the wrong interpretation of Exodus 20:3-5 as well as the ignorance of several other biblical truths.

The Curses in the Garden of Eden

About two years ago, I was part of a discussion group where this topic came up. One of the participants, who was an advocate of this belief that Christians can suffer or be punished for their ancestors’ sins, brought up the curses of the Garden of Eden. She asked that, if the believers today shouldn’t worry about being punished for their ancestors’ sins and curses, why then are we still subject to the curses of Adam and Eve in the Garden?

It sounds like a valid point until you understand the implication of the curses in Eden and what the Bible says about them. I will address this concern later in this article, so please stay with me. My goal with this study is to show the detailed analysis of Exodus 20:3-5; the thing which many authors of false doctrines failed to do which led them into errors. I will address the wrong applications, and then share with you biblical truth that we’re given in the passage.

The Israelites sojourned in Egypt after Jacob and his household where brought in through Joseph, the young man who was sold into slavery by his brothers. In the process of time, Jacob died, Joseph died, as well as most of the families of Jacob who came from Canaan. Then the Bible says that another Pharaoh later came into power who did not know Joseph.

Exodus 1:8-11  Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph. 9 And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we: 10 Come on, let us deal wisely with them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get them up out of the land. 11 Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pithom and Raamses.

When the children of Israel had had enough of the suffering, they cried unto God for deliverance. God responded, and long story short, they were delivered out of Egypt with the mighty hand of God.

Since these are the beloved people of God, He wanted to have a cordial relationship with them. But there are lots of things in man that the Holy God cannot tolerate. So God decided to give the Israelites some rules and regulations that will enhance that relationship. This is the point of Exodus 20.

In this Chapter, God gave them what is famously known as the Ten Commandments (Exodus 34:28; Deuteronomy 4:13; 10:4). The very first of these 10 is God telling them not to have any other God apart from Him. The second is like the first, that they should not make idols:

Exodus 20:3-5: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me“

The Wrong Interpretation and Application

It is true from this passage that God says He will visit “the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation“. So those who propagate the false teaching which I’m addressing in this article ignore everything else in the passage and rip the part of “visiting the iniquity of the fathers“ out of context. With that portion taken out of context, they established their so-called deliverance ministries in which they invite people to come for deliverance from generational curses.

Their selling point is the idea that Christians aren’t supposed to be poor, sick, or have problems. And if you have any of these problems, then you are suffering from ancestral curses. Therefore you need deliverance. To enumerate the things that happen during these deliverance sessions will take pages of articles, but having witnessed it many times, I know that they are not based on the Scriptures but on traditions. Therefore I just refer to the entire process as rituals.

Their selling point is the idea that Christians aren’t supposed to be poor, sick, or have problems.

The saddest part is that these so-called deliverance ministers say that you cannot completely eliminate your battles. So you need to be subject to constant deliverance rituals. Many have been participating in the deliverance for over 2 decades and are still doing it. They are never delivered. It’s one battle after another. Where is the victory, the peace, and the rest promised in Christ?

Therefore before you condemn yourself and others around you, take a quick look at the very next verse:

Exodus 20:6  And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

I will still cover this in detail later. But I hope by now you’re getting the point! Now let’s look at what these false prophets did not see in the Bible that made them set up false ministries spreading false doctrines.

The Part that They Missed

But before we get to the part of “visiting the iniquity” in Exodus 20:5, there are four very important points in the passage that we must NOT miss:

1. “other gods“, “graven image”, or the “likeness” – these refer to anything but the God of Heaven and Earth
2. “bow down thyself” – for the gods,
3. “serving them” – serving, worshipping, and sacrificing to “other gods” and
4. “them that hate me” – that is, hating God in rebellion.

I don’t know about you, but I do not see how the above describe any of the Old Testament believers, not to even talk of the New Testament Christians. The context of this passage is the worship of “others gods” and “graven image“. It is not intended for the true followers or worshippers of God and Christ. More on this later.

The Allegorizing of the Passage

I know that at this point, some will attempt to spiritualize it and say that you don’t have to have a literal idol or graven image, anything that takes the place of God in your life becomes an idol, and on and on… That in itself is true, but in the context of Exodus 20:3-5, we must keep two things in mind:

Firstly, this passage is particular about physical idols and literal idolatry according to the Pagan traditions. And by the way, it is pointing to the land where they [Israelites] are going to possess. God is about to judge the current inhabitants of the land for this same reason. Take a look at the following passage for a better understanding of this point:

Exodus 23:31-33  And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee. 32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. 33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Deuteronomy 7:16  And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for that will be a snare unto thee.

Deuteronomy 12:30  Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.

The people of the land were plagued with idolatry and all kinds of wickedness. According to Deuteronomy 9:1-6, this was exactly why God was kicking the people out of the land. God is now warning the Israelites ahead of time to not do the same, otherwise they also shall be uprooted from the land.

Secondly, as a Christian, it is true that we can permit other things to sometimes take the place of God in our lives, especially in those things from which we sometimes seek fulfillment. But when we notice that, the solution is not deliverance ritual or the fear of God punishing us for the sins of our forefathers. The solution is simply yielding to God, and seeing Christ as being enough!

My point is that Exodus 20:3-5 is not applicable to the true Christians.

The problem with the people who claim that God will punish the believers for the sins of their ancestors is that they forgot to read the entire Bible prior to setting up their false deliverance ministries. God said a lot to the people after the Book of Exodus. In other words, Exodus is not the last Book of the Bible. Somebody needs to tell these preachers to read the rest of the Bible and preach the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27).

Consider and compare the following passages:

Ezekiel 18:1-4  The word of the LORD came unto me again, saying, 2 What mean ye, that ye use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying, The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge? 3 As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

Ezekiel 18:20-23  The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. 21 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die. 22 All his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live. 23 Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?

Jeremiah 31:29-30  In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children’s teeth are set on edge. 30 But every one shall die for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

Please take some time and study the entire Ezekiel 18 and Jeremiah 31, you will get the whole gist. We are told multiple times in this passages that “the soul that sinneth, it shall die”. We are also told that “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son”. The part that is even more amazing is in verse 21 of Exodus 18 where God says “But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

The problem with the people who claim that God will punish the believers for the sins of their ancestors is that they forgot to read the entire Bible prior to setting up their false deliverance ministries.

Our God is Merciful

He does not find joy in the death of the sinners but that the sinners should repent and live. He asks in Exodus 18:23: “Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord GOD: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?”

Ezekiel 33:11  Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

This is the promise of God that is attached to the New Covenant, which was established by the Blood of Christ 2000 years ago.

Our God is a merciful God who is always ready to receive the sinners who repent regardless of how bad they might have been. Thank God for that! If you think someone is bad today, think about Saul, who later turned Apostle Paul. How much deliverance programs did he attend after his conversion by the appearing of the risen Christ? None! It would have been recorded in the Bible if such things were necessary. God will forgive. He has always done so and always will.

Psalm 86:5  For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee.

Isaiah 55:7  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Daniel 9:9  To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him.

If you know anything about the history of the Israelites and their relationship with God, you will know that our God is a merciful God who’s always ready to forgive and restore.

He Forgives and Forgets

Also, not only will our God forgive, He will also forget our sins. This does not suggest that God has dysfunctional retentive memory. It just means that after He had forgiven us, He will never again bring up those sins against us. Take a look at the following passages:

Psalm 103:8-13  The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. 9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

This truth is written all over the Scriptures. A very good instance is the following promise of the New Covenant which by the way, was fulfilled in Christ.

Jeremiah 31:33-34  But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. 34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.

Hebrews 8:12  For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

Did you get all that? By now it should be sounding ridiculous to you that God will still punish the Christians for the sins of their ancestors after all that the Bible has been saying.

I presented some of these passages to a Pastor (whose identity I will not disclose here) one day in a Church during a Training session, and I asked him why we still needed to do additional deliverance to break covenants of the past? He answered and I quote: “it’s true that Jesus died for your sins, but you still have to break all the covenants.” In my question, I gave him three Bible passages. In his answer, he gave me none! That’s obviously a result of his loyalty to the teachings of his General Overseer and not the Bible.

Now think about this: if God will forgive you and will never bring up your sins to condemn you, why would you worry about Him punishing you for the sins of your ancestors? Isn’t that contrary to the gospel? This is a question that I believe some ‘Pastors’ need to answer!

The New Covenant Was Delivered (in Christ)

The forgiveness of sin, the blessing of Abraham, is to be received through the “seed” of Abraham – Jesus Christ. When He shed His blood and died on the cross, He established the New Covenant and provided direct access to the Father. Because His blood paid for all our sins, and having believed, we can now come boldly to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in times of need (Hebrews 4:16).

Hebrews 10:8-10  Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; 9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. 10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

Hebrews 10:11-14  And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: 12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:15-18  Whereof the Holy Ghost also is a witness to us: for after that he had said before, 16 This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them; 17 And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. 18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

Therefore beloved, if we believe in Jesus Christ and have been redeemed by His blood, let us no longer worry about God pushing us for our past sins or those of our ancestors. Let us desire to live our lives to His glory and remain thankful for our blessings in Christ.

See also: Romans 6:4-6; 7:6; 8:9-10; Ephesian 2:15; 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10; Hebrews 8:9-13.

…if we believe in Jesus Christ and have been redeemed by His blood, let us no longer worry about God pushing us for our past sins or those of our ancestors.

Someone once referred to the curses in the Garden of Eden as an argument against this point. She said, if we as believers don’t have to worry about God punishing or cursing us for our ancestors’ sins, why then do we still suffer from the curse of Eden? She said men still work hard to eat, women still feel the pains of labor.

First of all, this is part of the argument of her Pastors. This individual is obviously misled. Although that sounds like a good argument, we must not disregard the truth in the rest of the Scriptures. Consider the following points:

1. The New Testament Believers Operate Above These Curses

Our redemption through Christ puts us far above these curses. We are freely justified and totally redeemed by the Blood of Christ. All forms of curses and condemnation have been eliminated.

Romans 8:1-2  There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

Colossians 1:12-14  Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:

Also, the curses of Eden were issued on earth. The believers are not earthly but heavenly people. We are seated in Heavenly in Christ. This is why the believers should not expect to receive all their blessings here or even try to seek a perfect life on earth. We do not belong here.

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Ephesians 2:5-6  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) 6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.

Also, we may feel pains today, toil or even suffer physically. But the pains can only affect our flesh, the remnant of the old nature, and the temp part of us. Our true nature, the new man, is not cursed and cannot be cursed. In our true identity, we are in Christ and Christ is in us, this is an environment that is totally devoid of curses or condemnation.

2. The Days of the Curses Are Numbered

There is an appointed time for the curses of Eden to be removed from the Land. The Bible says that the creature (and everything earthly) currently groans and travails in pain. So also do the believers earnestly await the redemption of our body.

Romans 8:18-23  For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. 19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. 20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, 21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. 22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

The current Earth will not be fixed unfortunately. It will continue to deteriorate until it is finally destroyed by fire. After which there will be the New Earth and the New Heaven.

Revelation 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

We see a sneak peek of this New Earth in the last two Chapters of Revelation:

Revelation 21:3-5  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. 4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. 5 And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

Revelation 22:1-5 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. 5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

The curses will be lifted at the appointed time. Until then, our calling as Christians is not to worry about curses but to live our lives for Christ. No deliverance ritual can change the way man work and earn a living today. We all still have to work hard, saved or unsaved. And for the women’s struggle in childbirth, God has given to us modern medicine with options to help alleviate the pains.

Christ has been punished and sacrificed for our sins. When we believed in His redemptive works, our sins were forgiven and we’re given the gift of eternal life. We became the children of God, with His Spirit living in us which is the guarantee of our inheritance with the Father. Condemnation has not place in this.

After the atoning work of Christ, there is no more ritual necessary for sins. This is an obvious truth in the Bible.

Galatians 3:21-26  Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law. 22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

Hebrews 10:12-14  But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; 13 From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. 14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:17-18  And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more. 18 Now where remission of these is, there is no more offering for sin.

To My Fellow African Believers

If you’re not saved, you can get saved today, even now! Just admit who you are, a sinner who is unable to save him/herself. Believe that Christ has died for your sins and rose again from the dead for your justification. Your sins will be forgiven and you will be redeemed from all curses.

If you’re saved and know it, read your Bible in context and believe what it says. It is not complicated! Live your life every day with a desire to please God. And be thankful always for your salvation and blessings in Christ.

A good understanding of the true identity of the believer is important for a victorious Christian life. If you know who you’re in Christ, then no one can deceive you with false identity. Please check out What It Means to Be Saved for more about the true Christian identity. Don’t be the child of the King living like a slave!

If you know who you’re in Christ, then no one can deceive you with false identity.

There are no special steps to be taken by African believers, or anybody anywhere, in order to be free from sin and curses. There are no additional rituals required for victory in Christ. Salvation is deliverance. If you’re saved, then you’ve been delivered from all powers and spirits contrary to Christ. That is true victory, and it is on the basis of the work of Christ.

Regardless of your foundation, whether you’re:

• born in Africa
• from a royal family
• from a riverine area
• from ancestors who were wicked hunters and herbalists, etc., or
• from idolatry background,

everyone receives salvation and deliverance the same way – by believing in Jesus Christ! These takes away the guilt and penalties of sins. Remember, this is why Christ was punished and sacrificed.

There are no additional rituals required for victory in Christ. Salvation is deliverance.

In Christ, you’ve been set free from all curses. Do not return to them by believing lies!

Thank you for reading.