In ancient times it was not enough to just acknowledge a curse; someone had to BREAK the curse. According to folklore, removing a curse required visiting a mediator who would prepare a potion and SPEAK an incantation over them. This process, hopefully, would break the curse. It was the proverbial “Abracadabra” method of intervention.
It is critical that all in the Christian community learn to “Rightly divide the word of truth” as the Apostle Paul has stated in II Timothy 2:15. Proper Exegesis (“To read or draw out from as a correct conclusion”) of God’s Holy Word should be a basic goal of the Body of Christ. Personal preferences and prejudices aside, the only things that will ultimately matter in Eternity is, “WHAT did God say? WHAT did He mean BY what He said? AND WHAT DID WE DO IN RESPONSE TO WHAT GOD SAID?”
There is a growing theological concern that has arisen since the idea of “Generational Curses” has been renewed. Numerous books have been written about this subject with the intent of helping Christians understand why we act the way we do. Upon examination of the teachings from the proponents of this doctrine, it seems their claims covering our collective societal lust, rage, gambling, gluttony, guzzling and numerous other unacceptable behaviors is scripturally insufficient. The “Generational Curse Apologists” declare these conditions to be the result of a curse that, somehow, bypassed CALVARY and causes us to act the way we do. Who is there among us that would not love to blame our expanding waistlines on PaPa and MaMa instead of on Dairy Queen or Godiva Chocolates?
The word “curse” is a strong word in the language of the Bible. It literally means, “To pray down an imprecation of malevolent and harmful intent”. We do not dispute the fact that there are tendencies and predispositions to certain attitudes and actions that are the result of our heredity and environment. In my Counseling practice, I frequently dealt with people whose bigotry, bias or behavior was the result of their pre-conditioned responses developed from their environs. However, they were not under a curse that had to be broken. They were exhibiting behavioral and attitudinal patterns that needed to be corrected. These clients were caringly confronted with the possibility of change as the remedy for their condition.
Rather than support this ideology of Generational Curses, the Bible offers significant contradictory evidence to this view of “GC” Christianity. Out of deference to our space and time, I will make this a brief summary of the findings. Obviously, other references could be added but these should ignite the fire in any sincere student who wishes to further explore the subject.
1) Numbers 23:7-8 says, “And he took up his parable, and said, Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram, out of the mountains of the east, saying, Come, curse me Jacob, and come, defy Israel. 8How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the LORD hath not defied? This passage makes it plain that God’s people are immune FROM curses by other people.
2) Numbers 23:20 states, “Behold, I have received commandment to bless: and He (God) hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.” Numbers 23:23 says, “Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!” This indicates that Satan CANNOT, through HIS emissaries OF THE Occult, curse those whom God has not cursed NOR REVERSE THE BLESSING GOD HAS COMMANDED!
3) Ezekiel 18:3-4 says, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, ye shall not have occasion any more to use this proverb in Israel. 4Behold, 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.” This entire eighteenth chapter deals with the repealing of the principle God had established some 900 years earlier in Exodus 20 and repeated in Numbers 14:18. God now speaks through the Prophet Ezekiel and says this generational cursing of the children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren for the sins of their progenitors will no longer happen to my people. This means that God does not curse His people because of the LIFESTYLE, attitudes or conditions of their ancestorS!
4) Romans 8:33 asks, “Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect?” This indicates that there is no one who has the ability to indict or “curse” God’s children.
If these scriptures are taken at face value, then we must conclude that, (1) people cannot put curses on God’s children, (2) Satan cannot put curses on God’s children and (3) God says that He will no longer allow generational curses on His children because of the deeds of their ancestors. If God’s Word states that curses, generational or otherwise, cannot come from Society, Satan, or from Him, what other source is left that could evoke an effective curse?
Of the several other passages that dispute this “Generational Curse” theory, two are extremely relevant to this discussion. The first is Galatians 3:13 which says, “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.” This reveals that Christ has already redeemed us from the curse of the law. Our redemption displaced all possibilities of a curse when Jesus became the curse for us. Much can be stated about this Scripture, but it eliminates the concept of curses controlling the Body of Christ.
The second passage is found in Galatians 3:14. It says, “That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.” Paul implies here that Christ’s death acts as a “chemical catalyst” activating the BLESSINGS of Abraham in our lives. Verse 29 further strengthens this understanding that our Spiritual ancestors are Abraham and Christ. From them we receive only blessings. You can accept the curse theory if you wish, but you do not have to and you certainly cannot attribute it as coming from them.
From Abraham and Jesus you inherit only the Generational CURE!
There is NO mention in the Bible of curses being directed toward the Saints of God. The curses referred to in Deuteronomy 28 are directed toward those who break the Law of God. These curses on the wicked will be eliminated forever in Revelation 22. But for the child of God, curses ended at Calvary.
Numerous times the references to the word “Curse” in the New Testament are defined as either, “a strong vow people made about themselves” or “wishing bad things would happen to people considered to be enemies”. In many cases, the Greek word used is the opposite of the Greek word “eulogy” (Lit. “To bless or speak well”). The medieval use of “Curse” carried the suggestion that someone could cast a spell upon another person that was binding and incontrovertible. NO biblical evidence exists to suggest that anyone, including Satan, has the power to invoke that kind of life-controlling influence over the blood-bought child of God.
In those ancient times it was not enough to just acknowledge a curse; someone had to BREAK the curse. According to folklore, removing a curse required visiting a mediator who would prepare a potionand SPEAK AN incantation over them. This process, hopefully, would break the curse. It was the proverbial “Abracadabra” method of intervention.
The Bible declares that Jesus is our Mediator, the Blood of Calvary is our potion and Christ has spoken Blessing (“The Beatitudes”) over us and, therefore, the curse is FOREVER reversed! The Scriptures conclude that Christ’s Covenant of Blessings is never subordinate to any presumed curses carried over from our ancestry. Furthermore, the power (Greek, “ability”) of our Adversary does not supersede the power (Greek, “authority”) of our Redeemer! (See Luke 10:19)
The question then arises as to why the three greatest orators of the New Testament (Jesus, Paul and Peter) never mentioned Generational Curses? Jesus proclaimed that whom the Son set free, was free indeed. Peter wrote that our adversary is “The Devil”, not our ancestors. Paul declared that we are new creatures in Christ and old things passed away and behold all things became new when we were born again. Where is there room for the concept of curses to remain in these doctrinal statements?
If Generational Curses remain as a yoke upon the Christian, why was Calvary’s blood not sufficient to deliver us from the plague of our ancestry or geography? If curses were not present during Bible days, when did they originate and who was the first to be trapped in this heinous web of “curse control”?
With a differing view, Jesus taught that our relationship with, and blessings from God, are based upon our level of faith in His Eternal Word. In 12 of the 19 cases of individual healings (not mass or corporate) by Jesus in the Gospels, He stated that it was according to THEIR faith that the action of healing was accomplished. In Nazareth, Jesus said He could (not “would”) do no mighty works because of THEIR unbelief. “Curses” are strangely absent from Jesus’ teaching relative to the cause or cure of people’s conditions.
Jesus unveiled the problem they had in receiving miracles or blessings from God. He said the problem was “Doubt”, not Curses! The proper protocol for changing one’s life is faith in the “Cure of Calvary”. The difference between the curse and the cure is found in the “hiss” of the serpent. Satan always attempts to alter the Word of God and change the focus from Christ to circumstances. The interjection of Satan’s monogram (“S”) changes the cure to a curse.
While not dealing here with the Psychological Predispositions or Imprinting we may have received from our heredity and environment, it appears that “GC” is nothing short of old-fashioned “Blame Shifting”. It suggests that we can be under some spell, curse, incantation, DNA code, environmental influence or demonic control that the redeeming blood of Christ did not address when we were saved. Society looks for someone to blame and it appears many have played right into the hands of this “Blame Mom, blame Dad, blame something or somebody” mentality espoused by the “Ear Ticklers” of our day. “Just don’t blame me for my short-comings and failures” is the common refrain echoed by these irresponsible individuals. Unfortunately, too many naive Christians join in and play, “The Blame Game.”
This is not new ground. Adam shifted the blame for his failure in the Garden. When he could not lay the blame for his sin on parents, siblings or in-laws, he blamed God because of the woman he was given. After all, it wasn’t his idea to have a wife with a “snake fetish”. Perhaps he thought, “It’s not my fault I could not control my appetite. Somebody else is responsible for putting me in a situation where I was destined to fail.”
When the Bible says that, upon conversion, all things become new it does not refer to ethnicity, gender or physical attributes. If you are an Eskimo before you are born-again, you will still be one after your conversion. Natural features and genetics do not change with salvation. However, being a “Born-again Eskimo” may help you catch bigger whales or render more blubber because of Christ’s Covenant of Blessing upon your life.
It is not because of a “Generational Curse” that Eskimos have to catch whales for a living instead of selling Condo’s in Cancun. It represents the dichotomy between the Spirit realm and the Natural realm, not Curses versus Blessings. Short people are still short, obese people are still fat and bald people are still bald after they come to Christ. He changes their heart, not their hair, height or heritage when they are born-again.
It has reached the time when guarding Scriptural Integrity must be demanded of all in the Body of Christ. If “a little leaven leavens the whole loaf” as Jesus said, then precaution against error must be maintained vigilantly. What we “wish” the Bible said may not be in agreement with what it actually says. We must be willing to accept nothing less than what is “rightly divided” and accurately proclaimed. Otherwise, we subject ourselves to be censured by God along with all others who have corrupted His Holy Word.
II Corinthians 2:17, “For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.”
AMEN!
Dr. Donald M. Frazier
http://www.donfrazier.com
Author: Donald Frazier
| Author's Website: http://donfrazier.com
Written: 07/01/2006
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Category: Golden Nuggets
Comments: 6
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These are my beliefs exactly! I have a relative who has always insisted that there are generational curses, but I believe the blood of Jesus is sufficient to take care of His children. Good article!
Dr. Frazier-
Dear Readers,
Please excuse the "typos" that occurred in the transfer of the article from the "Word" document to the internet. Some things just happen through no fault of anyone involved. Thank you for your understanding.
Dr. Parks,the book that several of these articles have been taken from is completely editted and ready for publication. We need the prayers of our friends for God's guidance and favor in finding a Publisher that sees merit in this project.
Self-publishing requires capital funding and a marketing capability in order to reach the audience with the product.Established publishing firms already have these elements in place.So, we are interested in finding one who wil publish my work.
Thank you and our readers for your prayerful interest in, "Greek Nuggets from the Gospel Gold Mine". DMF
Dr. Frazier
I had just been part of a discussion on this subject with someonw who does believe this. I'm sending them this link, you explained what I wanted to say so much clearer and in detail than I ever could!
Actually I forward links to your column almost every month! Great thoughts!
DeeAnn
TGIF Today God Is First
A Brilliant explaination and scriptural rebuttal to many who have embraced this teaching of "IT'S NOT MY FAULT".Again the pythons'fingers prints are all over this error of G.C. My brother,keep teaching the body of Christ the truth and IT will set them free!
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