Ezekiel 18:20 "The person who sins will die. A son will not suffer the punishment for the father’s guilt, nor will a father suffer the punishment for the son’s guilt; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself."
Humans are not animals who follow their instincts, nor are they dominated and controlled by curses placed upon them by outside forces.
No one will be punished for the sins of their ancestors. Just as in racial disputes, there ought not to be reparations against the ancestors of those who did not commit the crimes.
Never apologize for the sins of others simply because you were related to those who chose to sin. Feuds are of this nonsense, families against families, when it was the grandfathers or great-grandfathers who did the evil against one another.
I have always believed that a feud cannot continue with only one party acting with evil intent. Just as a couple in marriage cannot fight if only one person is fighting.
Matthew 5:43-45 …43 You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
Romans 12:14
"Bless those who persecute you. Bless and do not curse."
Romans 12:20-21
"On the contrary, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink. For in so doing, you will heap burning coals on his head.” / Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."
1 Peter 3:9
"Do not repay evil with evil or insult with insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called so that you may inherit a blessing."
Those who are entitled, expecting to be compensated for what someone else's father did to their father, are acting foolishly without regard for individual accountability.
Here is God's instruction to those who are born again:
1 Thessalonians 5:15
"Make sure that no one repays evil for evil. Always pursue what is good for one another and for all people."
The only ones who must be accountable for their sin and carry out restitution are those who committed the crime themselves.
This principle is not rocket science; it is easy to understand, unless those who want to gain something for themselves that they did not earn wish to rob others, pretending they have a reason.
By the way, if everyone were to hold everyone else accountable for the sins of ancestors, then every single person alive on earth today would owe someone something, since we have all sinned against someone else at one time or another. Do you hold yourself accountable for your own sins, or do you blame others for your sins?
When we get to heaven, God will not ask us about what others did to us; He will ask only what we did to others that dishonored God. We will not be allowed to blame anyone else for our own behavior, just as no one else will get the credit for our good behavior but us.
No woman will be able to use the excuse, "my husband wanted me to do it", nor will a woman be able to take the credit for what her husband did. And, so with the husband, he will not be allowed to blame the wife or take her credit.
We will stand alone before Christ!!!!!
