First where does this doctrine come from ?
Exodus 34:7
Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
In modern circles of Christianity there are those that teach people that they are bound by generational sins and curses.
Why do they teach this doctrine ?
While ultimately this is a deception tactic that the devil uses upon people to keep them from walking in the Gospel of Christ.
I do believe there are people that teach this and do not understand Gods word. The reason for that might just be because they themselves are not free of the sins that so easily beset us - whether that is by choice or just a lack of understanding.
Why do people believe it and buy into it ?
The reason people being ministered to might buy into this deception is because they have a difficulty in their walk receiving the things of God or answers to their prayers and so they have been told this and it is a feel good reason besides themselves rather than that something in their walk is missing or they need to make some life changes - they choose to blame the fathers the ancestors. This is easy to receive as it is not your fault it is theirs (someone else to blame - from the beginning we are like this) - so then they accept the Generational Sin and Generational Curses answer.
What is wrong with this teaching?
A person who is trying to serve God is told the reason they can not be free is because they need to seek out their family's (ancestors) past and get repentance and deliverance for their fathers (ancestors) sins.
As mentioned - this comforts people into thinking hey its not me and I am fine with my walk its just I have these other things caused by my ancestors and they accept this and go into a practice of struggle directing their spiritual efforts on something that has absolutely nothing to do with where they are at in their walk and what they need to do. Definitely very clever it is like if someone (lets just say Michael) has a broke arm and telling Michael to put their friends arm in a cast and they(Michael) will be healed. What do they do when others are gone or uncooperative for them ? Lot of senseless work going on.
So how do we know that the scripture in Exodus does not apply?
Jesus said in Mathew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. ?
This is where the people get lost on Gods word and go back to the old testament and start trying to apply the law to the new covenant after all God can not lie and neither did Jesus. There is a lot on this topic and verse that needs to be presented in another teaching, for brevity we will leave that for later.
God took care of that in the new covenant through Jesus .. there needs to be a transition to fulfill Gods word of truth - his command and a way to implement the new with out breaking his commandments and declarations of old.
You might ask how does the new covenant work - it is not just a new dispensation but it had to cover Gods word - you see when God declares something to be so it is so God sets things in a manner that lines up with what he already declared.
Have you given your heart to the Lord Jesus and have believed on him?
Lets see who Jesus declares our father to be:
In the Lords prayer Jesus declared what manner our prayer should be like unto and he declares OUR FATHER..
Mathew 6:
9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Many scriptures Jesus refers to our father in heaven specifically stating Your Father ..
Be a Father unto you.
2 Cor 6:17-18
17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
Even in Chastening God declares us to be sons.
Hebrews 12 :7-9
7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?
8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?
I shared all of that so that I may now ask you a few questions.
1: Have you repented of your sins and given your heart unto the Lord ?
If so.... then God is your Father ...
Mathew 23:9
And call no man your father upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.
2: Jesus said all manner of sin shall be forgiven men except for one , and if you are reading this you probably have not committed that one..
When you repented and asked God to forgive you and Jesus come into your life that covered everything - your entire past..all in one shot or you would not be clean.
3: Tell me what Sin has your Father in Heaven committed that you should be under generational curse ?
God your Father, Jesus in heaven has NO SIN. You are free from the curse in Christ Jesus.
And that is one part of how the old testament can be and the new testament can be - how God covered the bases if you will. Oh there is more much more but this should be enough that you know there is no such thing as Generational Curse, Generational Sin for the born again believer.