Pulling Down the Stronghold of “Generational Curses” off the Lives of Believers

Pulling the Stronghold of “Generational Curses” off the Lives of Believers

In Romans 7 the whole chapter Paul is dealing with the whole area of us trying to deal with fleshly behavioral patterns while living under the influence of the Law. Paul had just finished in chapters 5 and 6 helping us to understand that God In Christ has broken the power of sin in the lives of believers and just how it was accomplished. And in chapter 7 he continues by showing that under the law which Paul said was good in that it revealed to us just what sin was, yet while living under the Law one could never overcome those fleshly sinful tendencies that we all have. Then in the closing of chapter 7 and on into chapter 8 Paul explains to us how the flesh is dealt with. Notice Paul never once in speaking to the Roman believers that he was writing to speaks of demonic oppression or activity; he instead speaks of believers overcoming the flesh by the Spirit.

If you will carefully notice in Paul’s writings as well as the other First Century apostolic fathers the focus was never on the demonic or the power of satan but rather it was on whom we are IN Christ and what was so freely accomplished and given to believers IN Christ. In the teaching and ministry of Christ we never see satan and his demons other than as defeated. The words of Christ in Matt. 28:18 really say it all: “ALL authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” If that is true and the First Century writers tell us it is, then how much authority does that leave satan and this followers? I’ll answer that for you, NONE! NONE; what-so-ever! In fact the only thing satan has working for his is deceit and if we know who we are IN Christ, we’ll quickly catch his lies and bring them into submission to Christ, it’s in our hands how we react to or respond to satan’s deceit. This is how sin enters our lives; through our thought life and if we continue to meditate on wrongful/lustful thoughts eventually they will conceive and bring forth birth to sin in our lives and when sin is accomplished it will bring forth death (Jms. 1:14-15). One brother put it this way “The gates of hell are between our ears!”

Paul did very clearly speak of the power of sin in Rom. 6:14-18 but he goes on to say that as believer’s “sin shall not be master over us; for we are not under Law but Grace.” Yes, sin has power but Grace has the greater power. Grace is the key to living a victorious life IN Christ Jesus. The reason for the success of the First Century Church was they were taught the words and teachings of Christ from the beginning by sitting at the apostle’s feet, and they not only heard they obeyed the Gospel. Those that choose not to obey but lied to the Holy Spirit didn’t get prophetic ministry or receive deliverance they were permanently removed from their midst. This was also true in 1 Cor. 5:1-13 the wicked man who called himself a brother was removed and delivered over to satan for the destruction of the flesh. Paul put much emphasis on the individual believer obeying the Truth especially in matters of moral behavior. He said for them not to even associate with any so-called brother if he is an immoral person, or covetous, or an idolater, or a partier, a drunkard, or a swindler, don’t even eat with one such as this! We would call the prayer warriors and the deliverance team and have a grand old deliverance meeting right on the spot. But Paul put this one out, and said to do the same to others who called themselves believers that engaged in that life-style. Paul said that it was in turning this one over to satan for the destruction of the flesh that his spirit might be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus. Paul didn’t take him through prophetic or generational curses teaching of deliverance, this guy was a brother who in knowing the Truth choose willingly to enter into sin.

Paul the First Century apostle to the Gentiles taught them that God’s salvation was a gift, it could not be earned, and it came freely by grace through faith. He told the believers in Rome that “having been justified by faith, we (now) have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Paul then goes on in Rom. 5:2 to explain how grace and faith work together for us to lead victorious Christian lives just look at what he says; “through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand; and we exult in hope of the glory of God.”

How do we live, how do we stand when trial or temptations come? Paul told us the same way we are saved; “by grace through faith” we are to daily walk out our Christian lives (Eph. 2:8-9; Col. 2:6). “Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk IN Him.” We received Him by grace through faith daily we live by grace through faith. We learn to stand in every situation or circumstance that confronts us the same way by faith IN His amazing grace. Paul’s way to live the overcoming Christian life; to live victoriously IN Christ Jesus was learning to live in the abundance of grace so richly supplied to us IN Christ Jesus. (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 12:7-10; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8; Phil. 4:11-13; Col. 1:29; to name a few and don’t forget Paul’s word to son Timothy in 2 Tim. 2:1; “You therefore my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.”)

To be strong in the grace that is IN Christ Jesus compels us to grow more and more in our knowledge of and relationship to Him. To be strong in the grace that is IN Christ Jesus means to be totally dependant upon Him His strength and not upon our flesh or our ability, this was the lesson Paul had learned and now he passes it on to his spiritual son Timothy and then on to us today who read his epistles. This requires us to understand that everything we need now and in the life to come is abundantly supplied us IN Christ and we don’t have to go back and dig up past junk it was dealt with at the cross. When we repent we don’t have to dig up every past sin, or go back and dig up every past sexual encounter or sexual partner we ever had, nor do we have to ask forgiveness of our ancestor’s sin done before we were even born, that is covered in Christ and the cross. IF WE OBEYED THE GOSPEL IN OUR SALVATION EXPERIENCE WE ARE FREE AND THE ONE SET FREE IN CHRIST IS FREE INDEED! If we did not obey the Gospel has presented so clearly by Peter in Acts 2:38 very simply we by an act of our own will make that choice and by faith receive what God has so freely given us IN Christ.

Blessings
Jerry Sorrow<