Ezekiel 18:19 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. 20 The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.
This passage of scripture addresses one of the more serious issues that many people often grapple with, and it has to do with what is referred to as the generational curse, a teaching which must be thoroughly understood in its proper context, lest we inadvertently arrive at incorrect conclusions as to God's purposes and ability to save as many as are willing to be saved. It is true that bad habits, tendencies, vices, and evil propensities are passed down from one generation to another as a legacy, but we must never overlook the fact that each individual is given the power of choice, do either do good or evil, and it is only as a person cultivates and participates in the sins of his or her progenitors, that the generational curse then becomes a reality.
The above passage of scripture explicitly states that the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, meaning that although a person may have been born to parents who were given to moral abandon, yet this fact does not in and of itself bind a person in iron shackles, from which there is no possibility of escape. If this were the case then none of us could be saved, and the plan of salvation would thus be rendered both ineffective and irrelevant, for all of us, together with our parents have sinned on many different occasions, a fact that even the righteous are not exempt from. Let's read:
1st Chronicles 3:1 Now these were the sons of David, which were born unto him in Hebron; the firstborn Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; the second Daniel, of Abigail the Carmelitess: 2 The third, Absalom the son of Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur: the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith: 3 The fifth, Shephatiah of Abital: the sixth, Ithream by Eglah his wife. 9 These were all the sons of David, beside the sons of the concubines, and Tamar their sister.
It's obvious that David was a pretty "Busy" man, and as stated in the scriptures, his son Solomon did indeed follow in his footsteps by taking to himself seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines. However the Bible records the fact that not all of David's and Solomon's offspring followed in the footsteps of their predecessors, for Jehoshaphat who came from the very same hereditary line, chose a different route, demonstrating the sacred truth that the chains of sin can be broken by individuals who choose God as their source of strength and deliverance. Let's read:
1st Kings 22:42 Jehoshaphat was thirty and five years old when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and five years in Jerusalem" ... 43 And he walked in all the ways of Asa his father; he turned not aside from it, doing that which was right in the eyes of the Lord" ...
This sacred piece of history is very important and pertinent, especially in our day when many people erroneously believe, that on account of the habitual misdeeds of parents, that the children are then bound in an iron destiny of sinful indulgences, with no possibility of escape. The grace of God and the omnipotent power of His Holy Spirit can break every chain, and permanently deliver all who choose good over evil. This sacred truth should never be lost sight of, for it brings hope to the most abandoned sinner, and thus constitutes the essence of the plan of salvation, in which God is able to save to the "Guttermost", them that come unto Him by faith in Christ Jesus.
We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reiterates this very same truth, and it is the will of God that we begin seeing the potential in every person to become a sanctified, believing child of The heavenly King. Let's read:
John 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
May God grant unto us a clear understanding of this subject, for it directly affects our expectations and hope in the salvation of God, in behalf of our children and ourselves. God bless!