When it comes to curses, I want to be clear. I’m not talking about a witch putting a hex on someone. That’s a topic for another conversation. I am speaking of being cursed by the consequences of sin. In essence, this is the principle of sowing and reaping.
In Ezekiel 18 we see generational curses; patterns of sin that the Israelites were committing, and that they passed down to the next generation. Therefore, they missed God’s blessings and faced the consequences of sin themselves.
But Ezekiel tells them that this doesn’t have to be so. They don’t have to be stuck following their parents’ unbelief. With God’s help, they can make their own path. They can follow God even if their parents didn’t. God can plant new family trees for them.
Part of the importance is not just that God can do it, but how those things are done. Ezekiel addresses that as well. After He tells them they are not destined to be like their parents, he gives them five ways to follow God and be on the path of righteousness and blessing. Here are those five steps found in Ezekiel 18:30-32.
#1 Realize you are personally responsible:
While our parents, grandparents, and society show us how not to live, and pass down patterns of sin, we are the ones personally responsible for our sin. God judges each person according to their own ways. We can’t say we received that from our parents. We are called to personally own our sin.
#2 Turn away from sin:
Next Ezekiel calls us to repent and turn from sin. It has the idea of getting away from it or walking away from it. Stop being involved in the sin. Find people who don’t take part in those sins. Run for your life.
#3 Realize sin has consequences:
After turning away, we need to realize sin has consequences. This will help us realize sin doesn’t bless, but curses. It makes it easier to leave sin behind when we realize it will destroy us.
#4 Confess former sins:
We next are called to take time to confess former sins. This will remind us not to go back to those sins. We are not talking about sins to confess that we already have confessed, but ones left unconfessed.
#5 Allow God to implant a new heart in you:
Lastly, allow God to implant a new heart in you. It’s not good enough to just confess sins and run from them. We need something to replace them. We need a new heart with new actions and new motives.
Think On It
Do you take responsibility for your own sin?
Do you turn from sin, realize its consequences, and confess former sins?
Have you allowed God to implant a new heart in you?
Thanks for taking time to read this Maddening Theology post. If you enjoyed this content you can find Pastor Tim’s sermons at www.cornerstoneforestcity.org. You can also join us at 520 Marion St. Browndale, PA 18421 on Sundays at 10 AM. To make following the blog easier you can also register. You can also join us on Facebook at Cornerstone Forest City. Also, don’t forget to download our APP on iTunes or Googleplay.