The Root of the Curse: How Sin & Iniquity Affect Generations

In life, sometimes no matter what we say or do, somebody is going to take it the wrong way and make you feel like you should never have opened your mouth or done that.

And the thing about it, is, that’s even when you know that your intentions were good or you didn’t mean to invite any confusion.

Why is that? The harsh reality is that some people are just living under a curse and need deliverance.

Now, I can testify that I have been in such situations, too often, but I can also say that this is scriptural.

Last evening, I had a hard conversation with God. And as if to confirm that He is with me, He sent me comfort in more ways than one, through some late night interactions and directly through His Word.

He showed me that this curse lies in sin and iniquity, where some people’s spiritual blindness prevents them from seeing truth clearly, causing them to misinterpret and resist it.  

2 Corinthians 4:4 (NIV) – “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

God showed me that despite this glorious gospel, while some declare it they don’t live it, and they continue to operate under deception, leading them to reject truth and embrace falsehood.

Isaiah 5:20 (KJV) – “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”

God showed me that there are people who continually reject truth and allow their minds to become darkened, leading them to react negatively even to good. And the sad thing about it, is that these people do not accept that they are cursed.

Romans 1:28 (NIV) – “Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done.”

Where am I going with this?

In life, we often face struggles that seem to be bigger than anything we can do at a given point in time. And this affects not only us but current relationships and the generations that follow. 

Fact is, these struggles are often rooted in something deeper than the surface of personal choices. And sometimes you hear people say: I can’t help it. Or some even silently recognize they have a problem but peer pressure pulls them in a wrong direction, they can’t seem to get a grip. 

The problem of sin and iniquity, Family, is the root cause of generational curses. 

Sin, we know, is a violation of God’s law—an individual act of wrongdoing. It can be a lie, theft, unforgiveness, or any other action that goes against God’s Word. 

The Bible tells us clearly in Romans 3:23 (NIV), “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” 

Iniquity, however, is different. It refers not just to a single sin but to a repeated pattern of sin, often carried through the generations. It’s more than a momentary transgression—it becomes a tendency or inclination to sin in the same way. 

Iniquity is the ingrained nature of sin that is passed down, continuing from one generation to the next, sometimes without us even realizing it. It’s as though the sins of our ancestors find a place in us, shaping our thoughts, decisions, and behaviors. 

That is deep Brothers and Sisters. Listen back to that some time.

The Bible speaks about iniquity in several places. For example, in Numbers 14:18 (KJV) “The Lord is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.”

The consequences of iniquity are not only evident in the lives of individuals but can extend to entire families or nations. One clear example of this can be seen in the lives of the Israelites. 

From their bondage in Egypt to their wandering in the wilderness, the Israelites repeatedly fell into patterns of idolatry, rebellion, and disobedience. These sins didn’t just impact the individuals who committed them but affected the entire nation and I dare say even us today.

In the book of 2 Kings 17:7-8 (NIV), it is recorded that the Israelites suffered because of the sins of their ancestors, “All this took place because the Israelites had sinned against the Lord their God, who had brought them up out of Egypt… they worshiped other gods and followed the practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before them.” 

The iniquities of previous generations—idolatry and disobedience—continued to affect the people, even though God had delivered them and provided a path to redemption. This cycle of sin was ingrained in their culture and kept them trapped in a legacy of spiritual disobedience, leading to further consequences for future generations.

Similarly, the story of David and his family shows how iniquity can shape future generations. In 2 Samuel 12:10-11 (ESV), after David’s sin with Bathsheba, the prophet Nathan declares, “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.” 

Again, throughout this series, we will emphasize that no matter the curse, there is a blessing in its place. No curse is greater than God's blessing. Hallelujah!

So that is good news. Because while iniquity may shape the generations before us, it doesn’t have to define us. We don’t have to remain enslaved to the spiritual inheritance of sin. Glory to God.

Again, through Christ, we have been given the power to break free, step out of the curse and into the freedom that Christ offers.

Hear ye the Lord. Repent. Turn away from sin and acknowledge the wrongness of our actions. It’s more than just feeling sorry for the things we’ve done; it’s a radical change in our hearts and minds. 

Family, repentance brings cleansing. When we repent, we break the chain of iniquity that binds us to the past. God’s faithfulness and justice ensure that our sins are forgiven, and we are purified from the consequences of sin.

Acts 3:19 (NIV): "Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord."

Then we have to recognize these iniquities as such. These negative patterns that want to hold us in bondage must be released, in the name of Jesus. Name them and rebuke them. Identify them and reject them. We declare that these spiritual chains will not take root in our lives and our children and their children.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 18:18 (NIV), “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” 

By renouncing the iniquities of our ancestors, we loose ourselves from the cycle of sin that has been passed down. We have the authority to break these patterns, but we must actively choose to do so. This act of renouncing releases us from the curse and sets the stage for a new legacy.

Thirdly, people of God, we have to represent our Father well. We have to be ambassadors of His. We have to walk holy, we have to live righteous, to maintain the freedom we’ve gained. 

Romans 6:16 (NIV) reminds us, “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” 

Walking in righteousness means choosing to live in alignment with God’s will. It’s a conscious choice every day to live according to His Word and not according to the sinful patterns that once controlled us. It’s about actively being obedient.

And as we walk in obedience to God’s Word, we step into the new life He has promised us. Galatians 5:1 (NIV) encourages us, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

If you notice Family, we are already repeating certain steps we need to take to receive freedom from generational curses and walk in generational blessings. 

Generational curses are real, and the weight of sin and iniquity can linger across the years. It is weighing down some of us right now, so much so that you can’t even open up about what you are going through.

But I want to encourage myself and encourage you today, to give it all to Jesus. Jesus offers us a new legacy, one that is free from the past and filled with the hope of His redemption. 

Remember, the root of the curse is sin and iniquity. But no curse is too powerful for the blood of Jesus Christ to break. 

aub - Fri14Mar25

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