One of the reasons I enjoy John Piper is that he makes me think. He has done it again with an article he posted yesterday called How God Visits Sins on the Third and Fourth Generation. He is absolutely correct in his concise harmonization of the ways in which God does visit sins on the third and fourth generation (Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 5:8-10; Leviticus 26:39) and the ways that He doesn’t (Deuteronomy 24:16; 2 Kings 14:6; Ezekiel 18:20; Jeremiah 31:30).
While Piper’s assessment is correct, I doubt he would disagree that the issue plays itself out temporally. Even though God’s economy forbids a child be charged with the sins of his father, those sins are certainly a temporal impediment to his godliness. This is evidenced continually as we follow up with children who attend our AWANAs, Sunday School and VBS. More than once, I have had to step over an intoxicated father to speak with a child in the home. The sins of those fathers are most certainly inherited by their children in the form of generational welfare, abject poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse and rampant immorality. As I experience the drug and poverty infested streets of our community, I am often overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. It is easy to succumb to thoughts that these children have no hope.
Praise God that He has provided the solution not only to personal sin, but to generational sin as well. It is comforting to know that His grace will overcome the sins of generations as we are faithful to take His Gospel not just into our Jerusalem and Judea, but into our Samaria as well.
Acts 1:8
While Piper’s assessment is correct, I doubt he would disagree that the issue plays itself out temporally. Even though God’s economy forbids a child be charged with the sins of his father, those sins are certainly a temporal impediment to his godliness. This is evidenced continually as we follow up with children who attend our AWANAs, Sunday School and VBS. More than once, I have had to step over an intoxicated father to speak with a child in the home. The sins of those fathers are most certainly inherited by their children in the form of generational welfare, abject poverty, drug and alcohol abuse, physical abuse and rampant immorality. As I experience the drug and poverty infested streets of our community, I am often overwhelmed by a sense of hopelessness. It is easy to succumb to thoughts that these children have no hope.
Praise God that He has provided the solution not only to personal sin, but to generational sin as well. It is comforting to know that His grace will overcome the sins of generations as we are faithful to take His Gospel not just into our Jerusalem and Judea, but into our Samaria as well.
Acts 1:8
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