Sins of the Father (Part I)

This phrase has been used as a popular title throughout history, often heading stories that have to do with sons reliving or suffering the consequences of a huge mistake or sin that their father committed. This phrase can often haunt us when we become fathers when we see our son making a poor choice or we hear about it after the fact. Somehow we blame ourselves, thinking that the son is being punished for some bad choice we made in the past. But if we turn to Scripture, we find that God has a lot to say on this matter.

“Parents must not be put to death for the sins of their children, nor children for the sins of their parents. Those deserving to die must be put to death for their own crimes.” (Deuteronomy 24:16)

“Yes, each of us will give a personal account to God.” (Romans 14:12)

In Ezekiel 18, God addresses this matter in great detail. In the NIV translation, the heading of Ezekiel 18 reads: “The One Who Sins Will Die.” We know this to be true; the first half of Romans 6:23 tells us, “For the wages of sin is death.” You see, Israel had a saying, much like our “sins of the father” phrase, which went: “The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children’s mouths pucker at the taste.” It was a proverb they quoted, and God was not pleased with it.

“As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, you will not quote this proverb anymore in Israel. For all people are mine to judge—both parents and children alike. And this is my rule: The person who sins is the one who will die.” (Ezekiel 18:3-4)

We too ought to do away with “sins of the father,” for the Lord is clear: the person who sins is the one who will die. To clarify his point even further, God gives three examples through three generations of men. The first is a righteous man who does what is just and right. He lives his entire life faithfully obeying God’s decrees and regulations. But he has a son who grows up to be a robber and a murderer and refuses to do what is right. This man has a son who sees his father’s wickedness and decides to live a life of faithfulness, obeying all of God’s regulations and decrees. God says of the first and third man, “Such a person will not die.” But of the second man, God says:

“But the father will die for his many sins—for being cruel, robbing people, and doing what was clearly wrong among his people. 
‘What?’ you ask. ‘Doesn’t the child pay for the parent’s sins?’ No! For if the child does what is just and right and keeps my decrees, that child will surely live. The person who sins is the one who will die. The child will not be punished for the parent’s sins, and the parent will not be punished for the child’s sins. Righteous people will be rewarded for their own righteous behavior, and wicked people will be punished for their own wickedness.” (Ezekiel 18:18-20)

I think God was so adamant about being clear that no man would pay for another man’s sins because He knew, in His grand rescue plan, that there would only be one man to pay for the sins of another—for the sins of everyone—that was Jesus Christ, His son. Only Jesus would have to pay for the sins of others because only Jesus lived a righteous and sinless life. Only Jesus was the perfect sacrifice to pay everyone’s sin debt.

“But if wicked people turn away from all their sins and begin to obey my decrees and do what is just and right, they will surely live and not die. All their past sins will be forgotten, and they will live because of the righteous things they have done. Do you think that I like to see wicked people die? says the Sovereign Lord. Of course not! I want them to turn from their wicked ways and live.” (Ezekiel 18:21-23)

 “The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.” (2 Peter 3:9)

This is one of the central messages that runs through the entire Bible: God does not want to see anyone destroyed; He wants everyone to turn from their wicked ways. The story of the Bible is God’s pursuit of His creation, driven by His great love for us. The cost of sin is death so God sent His only Son to pay that cost for us, so that we don’t have to die because of our sins! We have the opportunity to turn away from that life and accept Jesus’ payment. If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us. But what if we declare with our lips that we want to follow Jesus but we still live in obedience to our sinful desires? We will look at what God has to say about those who “start doing sinful things and act like other sinners” in our next post.

May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

—Redeemed