I know…you probably had some questions yesterday after reading my message about ‘inheriting’ unwanted or undesirable ‘things’ from your ancestors. I get it; especially when it comes to this idea of ‘generational curses’ that can be ‘passed down’, as Deut. 5:9 suggest… (found in Commandment #2).

You probably thought that after you turned to Jesus and confessed your sins, followed up by water baptism for the remission of sins…that your slate was now clean and your sins were ‘as white as snow’. Guess what? You were cleansed, and all your past sins were forgiven, just as the Bible teaches us. But let us also remember that as you begin this new walk of repentance, surrendering your heart/will to Jesus to be led by His Spirit for the ongoing work of ‘sanctification…there is still some ‘work’ to be done in us all (Rom. 8:29). And also…we’re not here trying to debate whether one is ‘saved’ or not at this time. IF…you are abiding in Christ, you are saved, you are being saved, and you will be saved; agreed?

When the Israelites crossed over the Jordan River to go in to take possession of the land God had for them (Land of Canaan), it was a new day of hope and expectation, that came with many promises made by God Himself, to bless them in ways they could not even imagine. But you might also remember that there were some wicked people inhabiting that land that needed to come off as well. And how did God explain this process would unfold? You can refer to Ex.23:27-33 and Deut. 7:14-26 for review; but they were going to be removed from the land… ‘little by little’.

Let’s be honest here, after you first came to Jesus…and were baptized and began to attend church and study your Bible…were you ‘perfected in His love’ in every area of your life? Or did you find yourself ‘stumbling’ in that early season…still having moments of being ‘carnal’, as ‘babes in Christ’, like those folks in the Corinthian church? (1 Cor. 3:1-3). No doubt you probably experienced some immediate and significant changes in your life, or as the Bible refers to it as ‘fruits of repentance’ (Matt. 3:8), but there probably was (and still may be) other areas that were a bit more ‘stubborn’ to leave, change, or be ‘overcome’…which is what repentance is all about.

So the fact that a ‘seasoned saint’, let alone a new convert can still have some ‘lingering areas’ in their life that remains to be a challenge for them…should not come as a surprise to any of us; especially if we have been in the dark due to ‘missing parts’ in our Bible education. Why are God’s people often ‘destroyed’? (Hosea 4:6).

So let’s talk about how one can be done once and for all…with a particular ‘sin’ in their life, that has also been a source of suffering due to the consequences of that sin. Maybe it’s been an addiction, or an ‘acquired behavior’ that you know is not godly, and you have lost count over the number of times you have confessed and ‘repented’ of it, yet still continue to struggle with this area. Could it be ‘sin’ that was passed down in the form of a ‘generational curse’?

Funny thing about this subject matter, but I have a hunch there are people out there who would not consider themselves to even be ‘religious’ or a follower of Jesus….but recognize that they ‘inherited’ some traits/behaviors that they wish they did not have, but are resigned to live with them, because they’ve never been told they could be free of them. But let’s talk about how a believer can be set free, once and for all. The first step in this would be in identifying the area of sin; and this is where the Holy Spirit comes in to play.

When a person goes out to hunt in the woods, be it for squirrels or deer or some type of fowl, it is not advised (nor wise) for them to just start shooting blindly into the sky or into the thicket …’hoping to hit something’. A hunter will be more successful when they have identified their prey, take aim, and then pull the trigger. So it is when dealing with various sins in our lives. Remember, it is foolish for us to claim we ‘have no sin’ (1 John 1:8), since we can be ignorant to what is even ‘in’ our own hearts. (Jer. 17:9-10). But when we get serious about following Jesus with ‘all our hearts’…He is faithful to lead us to deal with every ‘hidden thing’ in them, since He sees and knows all. (Mark 7:20-23)

Now, I’m speaking from personal experience; and when those experiences line up with scripture, it solidifies certain truths within you so that you ‘know that you know… that you know. Several years ago, I was contemplating this very subject regarding a particular area in my own family lineage, wondering if a certain ‘trait’ had been ‘passed down’ in my family line. I certainly could recognize the ‘fruit’ of it…in others around me, but then one night…God used a ‘dream’ to get my attention. And over the course of the next 15-20 minutes, in which the dream woke me up and had me sitting up in bed, God revealed how this particular ‘trait’ was an issue in my own heart/life. And there was no denying it…once God opened my eyes to it. It was clear as day.

The first thing I did in response to this ‘revelation’ …was my knees hit the floor, and I was actually thanking God…profusely…for showing this ‘hidden area’ in my own heart, to me. And because I wanted my heart cleansed, and to fully obey and follow Jesus, I then ‘confessed’ this area in my life that I had been blinded to. What I was actually doing in those first few moments of ‘seeing’…was I was ‘agreeing’ with God, and not denying or trying to make excuses. This is a huge…and important step in being set free. And because God had been laying much groundwork for me to study and experience and to write and share with others from His word, I knew then what I needed to do next.

I ‘renounced’ this ‘spirit’ that had been an influence on/in me for a long time, yet was blinded to it until now. I also knew beyond a shadow of doubt, that when I confessed that area, repenting in my heart as I renounced this ‘curse’…that by faith, the blood of Jesus was being applied immediately to this area in my heart…to bring cleansing to it, just as 1 John 1:6-7 describes. And in that exact moment, I was ‘aware’…of ‘something leaving’. It was not overt or dramatic or demonstrative in any shape, way, or form. But ‘something left’, and I sensed a wave of peace wash over me, and I knew in that moment…that I would never succumb to that particular area again. And I haven’t.

Oh, there have been multiple times when this ‘spirit’ has sought to return, as Jesus explains in Matt. 12:43-45, but I could ‘smell it a block away’, fully aware how to handle this ‘temptation’ when it did seek an opportunity to return. And friends…may I remind us all that we are not instructed to ‘ignore’ the enemy, rather we are to ‘resist him’ (James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8-9). I can also report that I have stayed free of this particular area ever since, which is what Jesus promises us all who will ‘receive the truth’ (John 8:32,36).

Let me finish up with a simple word of caution here, if I may. I realize that to some, if not many…this all may come across as sounding bizarre and outright nonsensical. I can’t do anything to help that. But because we are dealing with legitimate ‘spirits’ who come to ‘steal, kill, and destroy’ (John 10:10)…and actually have ‘legal right’ to move in where they see sin and flesh, I don’t advise anyone who is seeking lasting freedom to do so… if you are not serious and fully committed to following Jesus with all your heart, as in ‘abiding in Him. And I would merely point you to Matt. 12:43-45 for my reason in saying this.

But for those who are ‘all in’…freedom awaits you. What are you waiting for?