Generational Guilt

We discussed last meeting the topic of living free in Christ when it comes to feeling personal guilt, and the topic was raised about generational guilt, which is such a big topic I promised to discuss it this week. The bible verses most people think of for this topic are in Exodus 34:7 

“[God] keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet he will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.” 

Would anyone like to share how they feel about this verse, or biblical teachings they’ve heard over the years? I’m not an expert on the Old Testament, so I thought we could watch this video together: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWLiqU208l0&ab_channel=GotQuestionsMinistries 

Would anyone like to share their thoughts about the information presented in the video? I thought that the part in Deut. 5:9 that pointed out that it was a message for those who hate him to be very pertinent, pointing to the answer of seeking a relationship with him even while presenting the warning. Also, the context is important, that these warnings were for a specific people, in response to their idolatry and calling them to repent. 

Some things are passed down that are sin based, like the abuse of substances, physical and emotional abuse in relationships, and many other lifestyle choices that are modeled and often followed by the children and their children in turn. To make things even more complicated, there are physical sins, related to a broken world and a broken people, like addiction and mood disorders, that are not about our choice to have an illness, but the original choice of Adam and Eve which has corrupted God’s intensions for our bodies and lives.  

The uncomplicated part is that God has a plan for our path in the midst of all this: to live a life with him, repent when our actions go outside what we know to be his way, prayer for healing, strength and wisdom for our illnesses, and seeking support in one another as we make our way. In other words, this is the same conclusion as last week, which makes sense, because there’s nothing God cannot redeem, when we seek him earnestly. 

To help us to remember to have patience and grace with ourselves as we seek transformation from God, let’s sing together about God meeting us where we are: 

Little by Little 

Little by little and day by day

 Little by little in every way 

My Jesus is changing me, he’s changing me 

Since I made a turn about face

 I’ve been growing in his grace 

My Jesus is changing me.  

He's changing me, he’s changing me

My precious Jesus 

I'm not the same old person that I used to be 

Sometimes its slow going

 But there’s a knowing 

That one day like Him I shall be