Article #22
by Bill Nugent
In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brethren.” Does Satan have any legal basis for accusing us based on the sins of our ancestors? Do we really need to repent for what our ancestors did ten, twenty or even one hundred generations ago? Are there strongholds of iniquity in our bloodlines that need to be broken off when we present our case in the courts of heaven? I believe the New Testament teaches that our bloodlines matter.
It’s easy to make the case for bloodline accountability from the Old Testament scriptures. A case is often made from Second Samuel 21:1-14 regarding the famine in the land that resulted from Saul’s slaying the Gibeonites. Saul’s sins against the Gibeonites occurred in a prior generation. Atonement was made for the brutality of Saul and the famine was ended.
Old Testament bloodline accountability is also reflected in the Old Testament passages that refer to the bloodline of David. Good things and bad things were passed down from David to David’s descendants. Nathan rebuked David in Second Samuel 12:10 which says “the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.” Trouble came to David’s descendants because of David’s adultery and murder. We read the tragic tales of Absalom and Amnon in connection with this.
Then, on the total opposite end of the spectrum, we read of the blessings that flowed from the godly devotion of David. King Solomon, son of David was blessed “for the sake of My servant David” (I Kings 11:13). Such a passage indicates that judgement was spared because God was mindful of Solomon’s father, David, the man after God’s own heart. Solomon got a break because of David’s good behavior.
The Old Testament clearly teaches bloodline accountability. I can hear the objection now: “But that’s Old Testament!!!” Let’s flip over to the New Testament and I’ll show that bloodlines still matter even for born again believers in Christ.
First, in His rebuke of the Pharisees in the twenty-third chapter of Matthew, Jesus said: “That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall come upon this generation” (Matt. 23:35-36). This passage is a pretty clear New Testament statement of the judgement of sins of past generations coming upon a present generation. Judgement fell in 70 A.D. on that generation of Pharisees. The Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem and killed many people.
Now let’s look at the blessings of bloodline coming on a present generation in a New Testament context. In Romans, chapter eleven, Paul discusses the children of Israel. He describes the Jews as “beloved for the fathers’ sakes, For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Rom. 11:28-29). This is after the death and resurrection of Christ. This is clearly during the New Covenant era, yet Paul clearly states that Jews are “beloved for the fathers’ sakes.” Jewish bloodline still matters. God still has special blessings for the Jews. My fathers were Irish. I guess I’m not loved in the same way as Jews. I’m not loved any less, just differently.
You can also consult with Romans 3:1-2 and Romans 9:4-5 for further light on the present and continuing bloodline based blessings on the Jewish people. These passages in Romans, by the way, are part of the scriptural basis for Evangelical support of the right of Israel to build their homeland in the present day land of Israel in the Middle East. Those who ignore or deny the concept of bloodline blessings of the Jews can eventually find themselves in the camp of Replacement Theology. You don’t want to go there.
Someone might object and say “the above passages refer to unbelievers; I’m a new creation in Christ; my bloodline is wiped clean.” Second Corinthians 5:17 does indeed say: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.” There is nothing in this passage that refutes bloodline blessings or bloodline curses for the believer. Let me explain.
When you were born again your spirit was reborn, not your body. Your spirit was regenerated righteous and holy. Your flesh remains in a fallen state. Your body will be redeemed at the resurrection of the dead. Romans 8:23 says: “we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.” We are waiting for the resurrection of the dead when “this mortal shall have put on immortality” (I Cor. 15:54).
Hymenaeus and Philetus got in trouble for teaching that the resurrection was already accomplished. “Of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some” (II Tim 2:17-18). Few in our day would claim that the resurrection has already happened. However, you’d be surprised how many teach a kind of sinless perfectionism that implies past-tense resurrection. I’ve confronted this error on several occasions over the years. I’ve never met a Christian in a resurrected, sinless, glorified body. The believer’s spirit has been regenerated and is experientially righteous. The body is not yet regenerated. Your body is a product of your ancestors.
We’ve seen that the New Testament, in Romans 11:28-29, teaches that the Israelis still have the blessings of the covenants because God’s gifts and callings are irrevocable. As a corollary, we can infer from Matthew 23:35-36, that the sins of the fathers are also inherited. Your unredeemed, unresurrected fleshly body is a product of your bloodline. Good things come down through your bloodline and bad things can come down through your bloodline. We must face this soberly and deal with it scripturally. Identificational repentance for the sins of our ancestors is appropriate. Repentance for the sins of our ancestors will cut off an important basis of accusation by the enemy.
Of course, we must always bear in mind that we are not actually guilty of our ancestors’ sins. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:20). We are, in the final sense, responsible to God as individuals. Each of us will stand alone before Christ’s Bema seat. We repent of our ancestors’ sins in identificational repentance similar to how Daniel repented for the sins of all Israel in Daniel 9:4-16. This repentance for our ancestors’ sins cuts off one legal basis for accusation by the enemy.
Each of us are independent individuals but we are also branches on a tree. We identify with family and nation. No man is an island. If your ancestor was a millionaire and left you a fortune you’d gladly receive it. If your ancestor was an occultist who sacrificed babies would you regard that as a stronghold in your family line? Or would you slough it off and say “That was then and this is now”?
Make no mistake, the enemy will seek any basis to accuse us. It’s wise to pray the prayer of repentance for the sins of past generations of your bloodline when presenting your case in the courts of heaven. Ask God to lead you by His Spirit as to how to do this. There is adequate and compelling scriptural basis for bloodline repentance in both the Old Testament and New Testament scriptures.
In addition to the scriptural evidence, there are many experiential testimonies that tell of the efficacy of repentance of the sins of one’s bloodline that have released healing and deliverance for people. I refer you to the ministries of Paul Cox and Robert Henderson, among others, for testimonies about this.
Steps to salvation:
Jesus said “Ye must be born again” (John 3:7).
Prayer to receive salvation:
“Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13).
To receive the salvation that Jesus purchased for us at the terrible cost of His suffering and death on our behalf I invite you to pray this simple prayer:
“Dear heavenly Father, I thank you for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah, to die for my sins. I admit that I am a sinner. I repent of my sins and I ask for your forgiveness on the basis of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit to empower me to serve you under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, Amen.”
If you prayed this prayer in the humble sincerity of your heart then you have received everlasting life, which includes power to live right in this life and entrance into heaven in the afterlife!
Awesome and valuable teaching of pure biblical truth. Thank you for your offering this to us to be healed and lead others through this bloodline cleansing!