Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on June 20, 2012 under Ask the Pastor | 
A visitor to our website writes:
“I’ve come to be quite confused about the ‘sins of the fathers’ being passed to generations to come. It confuses me as to why God would punish the children of someone who has sinned. I understand that the sin the ‘parent’ committed may come back to hurt the children (such as a usual “drunken father” beating their children and scarring them for life). But does God still punish the children if they are good-hearted, faithful people, just because their parents have sinned?”
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Dear friend,
Thanks for visiting our website. And thanks for a really great question.
The idea that the ‘sins of the fathers’ could be passed on to their children is probably most often taken from Exodus 20:4-6. That’s the passage that gives us the second commandment. It says; “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (You’ll find the same sort of statement made concerning the second commandment in Deuteronomy 5:9). But it’s also found in Exodus 34:6-7; when God displayed His glory to Moses and said of Himself, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.” Later on, when the children of Israel refused to enter the promised land, Moses pleaded to God for his people—reaffirming what God Himself said: “And now, I pray, let the power of my Lord be great, just as You have spoken, saying, ‘The Lord is longsuffering and abundant in mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression; but He by no means clears the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation.’ Pardon the iniquity of this people, I pray, according to the greatness of Your mercy, just as You have forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.”
Even though someone might take these statements to mean that God would visit the punishment of guilty fathers even upon their innocent children, I think a few things need to be kept in mind that will help us interpret it correctly. First, it’s important to remember that God—in all His dealings with people—will prove in the end to be perfectly just. As Abraham once said to God in Genesis 18:25—at a time when he was concerned that the judgement of God was about to fall on innocent people—”Far be it from You to do such a thing as this, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be as the wicked; far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” And the implied answer is, yes—the Judge of all the earth will always do right. God will never prove to have been so unjust as to extend the punishment of guilty fathers on their innocent children.
Another thing to keep in mind is that God Himself is very explicit in Scripture in saying that He does not unjustly punish innocent children for the sins of their fathers. During the days of the prophets—just before the people were taken captive to Babylon—there was a popular ‘saying’ that was going around. God spoke about it through the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel 18:1-3; “The word of the Lord came to me again, saying, ‘What do you mean when you use this proverb concerning the land of Israel, saying: “The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge”? As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘you shall no longer use this proverb in Israel.’” (It’s interesting that God says essentially the same thing through the prophet Jeremiah 31:29-30—”In those days they shall say no more: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man who eats the sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge.”)
I recommend that you go to Ezekiel 18; and read that whole chapter. God goes to great lengths in it to make very, very clear that He does not unjustly extract punishment from the sons for the sins of their fathers. In fact, in verse 20, He says, “The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.”
And I think that one more thing to keep in mind is that, in the passages that seem to suggest that God punishes the sons for the guilt of the father, the greater point that is being made is not about God’s punishment but about His mercy. He says that He is a God who shows “mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments”; and calls Himself “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin . . .” He only speaks of the sins of the fathers being visited on the children when He asserts that—in showing mercy—He will be found to “by no means clearing the guilty”.
So then; given all that, how are we to take the passages that say that God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children? For one thing, I think that—when you look at it from the other passages that speak of the guilt of fathers and its impact upon their children—it would obviously mean that He does indeed visit the same punishment of the fathers upon their children who walk in those same sinful footsteps. I note that God says that He visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children “to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me”. If they too hate God, and follow in their father’s rebellious footsteps, they also will be visited upon by the punishment suffered by the father. No one should ever think that if they do the same sinful things as their father did—and see God punish their father for it—that being a few generations away will somehow let them off the hook! (People do that a lot today, I’m afraid. They think that things like “sin” and “judgment” and “repentance” are words from a by-gone era; and that we’re too enlightened today to fuss about such things. But God is the same today as He was in times past—and the consequences for sinful actions are the same too.)
Another things we should note is that, in the passages above, the word that is used is translated “visit”—that the iniquities of the fathers are “visited” upon their children. That can be interpreted to mean “punishment”—and that’s how the New International Version translates it. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that. It’s a rather vague word, which—it seems to me—is best understood as simply saying that God allows the consequence of the sins of the fathers to have an impact on their children. That impact may mean punishment; but it may mean simply the unwanted consequence of sin. (I often tell people that one of the great tragedies of our sins is that it affects innocent bystanders.)
In the light of that, we should notice that those passages above speak of children “to the third and fourth generations”. When you think of it, very few people get to live past the days of their great-grandchildren. The furthest that any one person can actually bring any direct, living influence upon their offspring would be to the third or fourth generations. It’s almost as if God was saying, “I’m going to hit you so hard, your great-grandchildren will say, ‘Ouch!’” And so; I have taken it that the punishment that God may bring on a hard-hearted, sinful, unrepentant person can result in the sorrow and anguish of any of their children—even their innocent children—only to the third or fourth generation. (And that, by the way, is a great mercy from God. He visits iniquity only to the third and fourth generation; but says that He shows “mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”)
Personally, all of this reminds me of how important it is that I live a godly life; and follow the Lord Jesus Christ diligently. I do not want to be a cause for my children, or grandchildren, or great-grandchildren, to suffer because of my sinfulness. Instead, I want to leave them a legacy that will bless them—and that will inspire them to follow after the Lord Jesus as well.
Thanks again for a great question.
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 22, 2012 under 2012 |
Preached January 22, 2012; Sanctity of Life Sunday
from
Matthew 18:10-14
Theme: Jesus teaches us what our attitude should be toward the littlest ones among us.
Read more of this article »
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on January 19, 2010 under Ask the Pastor |
A visitor to our website writes:
“In the case of a person who was born prematurely, and that has mental disorders that cause them to not fully understand what is going on; are they competent enough to be held accountable before God on the Day of Judgment? Most of their emotions are due to their disability.”
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Dear friend,
When I think of a question like this, one of the first things that comforts me with respect to the Day of Judgment is that our great God will always prove to be a righteous and just Judge. The Bible teaches us that He is a “God of truth and without injustice; righteous and upright is He” (Deut. 32:4). “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?” (Genesis 18:25). In the end, when all of the facts are known and all of the judgment of God completed, He will prove to have judged everyone in a completely faithful and righteous manner. He will have accurately taken all things into account, will have rightly measured the motives and intentions and limitations of people, and will always render a judgment that is fair and just.
Because that’s true, I also take comfort in the fact that He is a God of great mercy. Psalm 103:13-14 says, “As a father pities his children, so the LORD pities those who fear Him. For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.” He knows and understands when someone truly loves Him and is genuinely seeking to live for him; and yet who also suffers under physical, mental, and emotional limitations. He will always take those things into account in a compassionate and gracious way.
As a just Judge, He holds us accountable to the degree we are genuinely “competent”. Some people can only know a little about Him, for example, because they were born in a part of the world in which the Bible had not been given. They may only be able to see the creation and know that He is the Creator. They may not have heard the full exposition of His commandments, or heard the message of the gospel. But they will not stand accountable for what they did not know. They will be held accountable for walking in the light of the truth that they had. As Paul writes in Romans 2:12-16; “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel.”
I would also add that even if a person was suffering from the disabilities you mentioned, they would still need to place their trust in Jesus Christ and believe on Him with the best understanding they have. All of us, no matter who we are and what limitations we may have, were born of Adam and Eve and are sinners. We all need to be saved from our sins; and there is no other Savior than Jesus Christ. And when it comes to the matters of everyday life; if such a person were intellegently aware of ways that they may have sinned or caused harm to someone else, they are obligated to the best of their ability to confess their sin and trust in Jesus for forgiveness. Certain mental or physical limitations may cause us to be more prone to fall into certain sins, or to more easily say things that are hurtful to others; but if we are aware that we have done so, we still need to ask forgiveness from God and from others, and trust God for help.
Praise Him! He is not only the righteous Judge of all; He is also the great Helper of the helpless!
Blessings in Christ’s love,
Pastor Greg
Bethany Bible Church
(All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on under Ask the Pastor |
A visitor to our website writes:
“I am 19 years old. I am also a wife and mother. Before my husband and I got married we had twin girls. My husband and I are both Christians and we are concerned about the children being saved. We were concerned particularly about Deuteronomy 23:2. Can you please give us some insight on this?”
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Dear friend,
Thank you for writing your question to me. I have no doubt that your daughters are very precious to you (and I assure you that they are precious to God also); and so I can only imagine how concerned this question must have made you. I’ll do my best to answer it.
First, let me assure you of something that you didn’t ask about–but I suspect still needs to be said. It seems clear that you recognize that the circumstance you and your husband were in before you got married was not in accordance with God’s will. But if you have both confessed your sins and have trusted in the cross of Jesus fully as God’s payment for those sins, He has fully forgiven you both. God’s word says, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Once we’ve done that, we can do as Paul said; “. . . [F]orgetting those things that are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).
In Christ, God does not lay your sin upon you, your husband, or your daughters. I have several married Christian friends who have come from situations like the one you described; but having embraced the forgiveness of God through faith in Jesus’ cross, they went on by God’s grace to live fruitful lives of service to Him. Not only are their marriages a testimony to God’s grace today; but their children are too!
I just wanted to start off by assuring you of that.
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Now for the Bible verse you asked about.
In the New King James Version, Deuteronomy 23:2 says; “One of illegitimate birth shall not enter the assembly of the LORD; even to the tenth generation none of his descendants shall enter the assembly of the LORD.” These are words that the Lord gave to Moses to speak to the children of Israel just before they entered into the promised land. It’s important to remember that they were spoken to a particular people in a particular situation.
God’s purpose in giving these words was to stress to the Israelites the absolute necessity for holiness in all of life. This was essential to God’s plan for them; because they were to be an outstanding people above all other peoples on the earth. It would be them (as it says in Romans 9:4-5), “to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed God. Amen.” Many of the laws and regulations that we read that God gave to them at this time in history were laws and regulations that were meant to keep them a very holy and distinct people on the earth. Those laws and regulations don’t necessarily pertain to all peoples; but specifically to the Jewish people entering the promised land, who then constitute “the assembly of the LORD”.
What’s more, the law that God spoke to the people at that time concerning those of “illegitimate birth” had to do with an earthly situation–that is, the “earthly” assembly of the Jewish people in its decisions and leadership of the nation. It was concerned with the holiness of that assembly, and probably also with their national purity as a distinct people born of Abraham and from whom the Messiah would come. But it has nothing to do with someone’s ultimate spiritual condition, or whether or not they may enter into heaven. After all, “illegitimacy” is a condition that someone is born into apart from anything they themselves actually did.
There is a great hero in the Bible named Jephthah. He was a mighty man of valor; but he was also born as the son of a harlot. Because of his illegitimate birth, he was excluded from the assembly of his people (Judges 11:2). And yet, later on–when his people were in danger and needed a leader–they called on him (vv. 6-11). Chapter 11 of Judges goes on to tell us that the Spirit of God came upon him, and he was used greatly by God to deliver his people from their enemies.
Being born in illegitimate circumstances does not prohibit God from pouring His grace on someone and using them for His glory. My advice is to simply raise your two daughters to love the Lord Jesus Christ and to give themselves to Him by faith. Pray for them. Take them to church. Teach them about His love. Let them come to Jesus; because the Bible assures us that He gladly welcomes them (Matthew 19:13-15). Your little girls are as free to come to Jesus and be saved by Him as anyone else is.
Thanks; and God bless you and your family.
Pastor Greg
Bethany Bible Church
(All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on December 15, 2005 under Ask the Pastor |
I have heard many pastors say that one should not take communion unless one truly believes in the meaning behind the ritual. How does this apply to children? I believe that very young children cannot comprehend the depth of Christ’s sacrifice; while they can believe in God and Jesus, they are not mature enough to understand what His sacrifice means to us. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” In Deuteronomy 1:39, it says: “(Y)our little ones and your children … today have no knowledge of good and evil.”
How could a child who has not reached the age of accountability, and cannot discern good and evil, make the proclamation of Christ’s death and it’s meaning?
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Dear friend,
Thank you for this good question. I’ve had to struggle with this myself – not only as a pastor but as a father concerned for my own children. I’ve had to wrestle with the question of when children should be allowed to participate in the Lord’s Supper. Many sincere Christians differ on this matter; but I’ll do my best to give you my opinion.
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First, let’s begin by thinking about what the marvelous ceremony of the Lord’s Supper (or “Communion” or “the Eucharist”) means. I would suggest that what a church understands it to mean will have a direct impact on how that church believes it should be practiced – and who it believes should participate in it.
In the Catholic tradition, Jesus’ words are taken literally: “This is my body” and “This is my blood.” Catholics teach that, while the appearance of the bread and wine remain the same, they are changed in substance into the actual body and actual blood of Jesus in the ritual of the Mass. (Lutheran theology similarly takes those words to be literal. It teaches, however, that Jesus is actually present in, with, and under the bread and wine; but not that the bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Jesus.)
The Catholic Mass, therefore, is viewed as a resacrifice of the actual body and blood of Jesus; and the bread and wine are to be adored as such. As a sacrament, it is viewed as nourishment for the soul – one that actually unites the partaker with Christ; and each Mass is viewed as a resacrificing of the body and blood of Jesus for the atonement of sins. Theologically, the Catholic sacrament of the Eucharist is viewed to work “ex opere operato” (which means, “by the work performed”). In other words, it’s effectiveness in imparting God’s grace is more dependent on the correct performance of the act than on the faith of the one participating in it.
Reformed (or Protestant) churches reject the idea that the bread and juice are the same in substance as the actual body and blood of the Savior. They do not take Jesus’ words to mean that the bread and wine literally become His body and blood; and so they do not view the Lord’s Supper as a resacrificing of Christ’s body and blood, but rather as a commemoration of the body and blood of Jesus once sacrificed on the cross. Reformed churches thus understand the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act that expresses sincere faith in the one sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.
There is an element of faith in Catholic practice of course. The sacrament of “Confirmation” proceeds the first communion of a Catholic boy or girl – and it usually occurs by or about the age of 12. In the Reformed tradition, however, the genuine faith of the participant is the essential factor in participation in the Lord’s Supper – apart from a “Confirmation”.
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These differences in practice are because of differences in what the Lord’s Supper is understood to mean. So then, what does the Bible say it means?
The meaning that the Bible gives to the Lord’s Supper can be summarized in three things; and I think that understanding its biblical meaning helps us to understand who may participate in it. First – and I would say most important of all – it is an act of remembrance. “… Do this in remembrance of Me”, Jesus said (Luke 22:19). Paul wrote, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). As a memorial act that commemorates the sacrifice of Jesus for us on the cross, one very important element in defining who may participate in it is the ability of that person to intelligently connect the act of eating and drinking to a trust in Jesus’ body being broken and blood being shed on the cross for our sins. It’s an act of faith in which we say a personal “yes” to the sacrifice of Jesus. This would require a sense of sober reflection, personal repentance, and serious appreciation for what Jesus did. Even a very small child can say “yes” to the sacrifice of Jesus; but I think careful examination and loving instruction are required to determine that this has indeed happened.
Second, the Lord’s Supper is a celebration of our communion together as brothers and sisters in Christ. Paul wrote, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we, though many, are one bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread” (1 Cor. 10:16-17). Paul was writing to warn Christians against the dangers of participating in idolatry through joining in with idolatrous feasts; but in stressing this point, he used the Lord’s Supper as an illustration of how such a feast joins us with those who worship through it. In a back-door way, then, Paul is showing us that the Lord’s Supper is meant to be viewed as an illustration of our own communion with one another as believers. This, again, would require that the participant understand that they are part of “one body” through faith in Christ (Eph. 4:4); and a child certainly could do this intelligently, but not without instruction.
A third thing that the Lord’s Supper biblically illustrates is our anticipation of heaven, and of the time when we will finally be in the presence of our Savior. When Jesus ate His last meal with the disciples, He took the cup, gave thanks, and told them, “Take this and divide it among yourselves; for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes” (Luke 22:12). In Mark, He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, I will no longer drink the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God” (Mark. 14:25). Paul said that, by eating and drinking, we proclaim Jesus’ death “till He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). In this sense, the Lord’s Supper is a prefiguring of that great meal – the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9) – that Jesus will at last enjoy with His redeemed ones in heaven. A small child could certainly understand that – but again, not without instruction.
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You’ll notice that I keep repeating the word “instruction”. The significance of these things must be taught. I believe that this would apply to all professing Christians of any age – and that would include small children, if they are able to understand.
I would say then that a small child may participate in the Lord’s Supper – but that he or she should gently and lovingly be instructed by his or her parents or guardian to “wait” until they have clearly placed an intelligent faith in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, and can understand the connection of the Lord’s Supper to that event. The ability to do so, of course, may vary from child to child. I think that “faith” rather than “age” is the key issue. Your pastor or a church leader can help you determine if your child is ready for this.
When my children were small, my wife and I sought to teach them what the Lord’s Supper means, and to help them approach that time with an intelligent faith in Jesus. When we thought they were finally ready to partake of it seriously and with genuine faith, we told them so; and then, we invited them to participate with thanks to the Savior. It was a very important day for them – and us – when they could finally do so. I believe that, because of this, it will always remain a genuinely significant celebration to them and will never be viewed by them as a pointless ritual.
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor Greg
(All Scripture quotes are taken from the New King James Version.)
