How many of us have experienced constant set backs and wilderness times where we never seem to break through. We are in debt, sick, full of doubts and unbelief. I know I have battled this for years now, even all my life.
I came to Jesus 26 years ago but since coming to Him life has been one big mess. Sure there have been times of victory and seasons of grace but overall I am left crushed and defeated in so many ways.
And now that I have children I am seeing the same things that have afflicted me afflicting them. These things I am talking about are generational curses or iniquities. Iniquities are those particular sins that are common to a family line. Iniquities are said to prevail against us.
Psa 65:3 Iniquities prevail against me; As for our transgressions, You will provide atonement for them.
I am making a difference between Iniquities and transgressions in this post. David seems to say that while our transgressions are atoned for, our iniquities somehow are prevailing against us. Iniquities are harder to deal with than sins. Iniquities are an inward leaning towards a particular area of sin.
I see that often the word iniquities is used to speak of generational sin that is visited upon the next generation. If a man’s forefathers broke God’s law in some evil intentional way then the Lord promise to visit that same sin upon the next generations.
Ex 20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; Exo_34:7 Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
Exodus 34:7 says that God is “Forgiving iniquity, transgression and sin”
iniquity (‛âvôn ‛âvôn perversity, that is, (moral) evil: – fault, iniquity, mischief, punishment (of iniquity)–from‛âvâh -to crook, bent, bow down, make crooked, do amiss) transgression (pesha‛- a revolt, rebellion, sin) FROM pâsha‛ to break away (from just authority), that is, trespass, apostatize, quarrel: sin (chaṭṭâ’âh chaṭṭâ’th- an offence (sometimes habitual sinfulness) FROM châṭâ’ – to miss, to sin,
God forgives but He also visits the particular BENT or CROOKED WAY of our forefathers going back at least 4 generations. Of course that father 4 generations back may have been visited with a particular iniquity from his forefather 4 generations before him! A person such as myself is born having inherited certain sinful predispositions or iniquities from my family line as well as good traits.
God forgives all these things of course but each one must be recognised and brought into the light of His jealous love for us. God loves us fiercely, more than we can comprehend. He wants to set us free from all that offends and stumbles us, all that causes us pain and suffering. He has made a way for that to happen through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ His son. It is said that Jesus
“was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isa 53:5-6 Isa 53:11 He(God)shall see the labor of His(Jesus) soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, For He shall bear their iniquities.
The suffering Saviour bore our iniquities. God laid on Jesus all our iniquities and it crushed Him. Jesus died under the weight of all our transgressions, sins and iniquities as a sheep sacrificed for our sins. By doing this Jesus won for us justification before the Father. Jesus has justified many by bearing our iniquities. Many actually means all, everyone!
Rom 5:18 Therefore, as through one man’s offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. Rom 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.
Paul did not make a mistake here…all men is equal in meaning and weight as many. All were made sinners by Adam’s sin. The same all will be made righteous by Jesus obedience.
If Jesus bore all our iniquities then how can a believer still be bound by them?
Jesus did indeed bear our transgressions , sins and iniquities when he hung on the cross. He has justified us freely and in return we have had His righteousness imputed to us in the person of the Holy Spirit who we have received as a down payment from God.
We are imputed or accounted as righteous before God by faith because of what Jesus did for us. But there yet remains a final being made righteous when we receive our immortal body and death is swallowed up by life.
Yet we find that even as Christians we still struggle with particular sins and do not seem to be able to overcome them easily at all.
What is going on?
Like all sin there are demons involved in luring and tempting us to choose to do or think a certain way. When God says He will visit the iniquities of the fathers upon the children He is saying that the sins that a father was involved in will become the inherent bent that the next generation receive. It is justice being served.
Yet each generation has the opportunity to find cleansing and forgiveness and victory over all his families iniquities. This is what the Holy Spirit strives in us to accomplish with our consent and cooperation. Isn’t this only an old testament thing? We are under a better covenant!
In the New testament the word iniquity is: adikia
From G94; (legal) injustice (properly the quality, by implication the act); moral wrongfulness (of charater, life or act): – iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong.
We can see this principle played out in the life of Simon the Sorcerer in Acts 8. Some background of the story follows….
Act 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. Act 8:13 Then Simon himself also believed; and when he was baptized he continued with Philip, and was amazed, seeing the miracles and signs which were done.
Simon the sorcerer had for a long time astounded the people with his powers and magic arts but he came to believe in Jesus and was water baptised. Then…
Act 8:18 And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, Act 8:19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
When Peter and John came from Jerusalem and began praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit baptism Simon wanted what he thought was an ability or a “power” the Apostles had. But it was not a power but simply through their relationship with Jesus Christ and the authority that comes through walking in the calling of the Holy Spirit. Peter discerned something wrong with this fellow and told him….
Acts 8:20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! Act 8:21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. Act 8:23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”
I suppose some will say that Simon had a false conversion…That even though he believed Philip’s preaching he did not have a heart conversion. There is no need to assume that. Luke says, “Simon also believed and was baptised.”..By saying “also”, he signifies that Simon’s belief was as real as the rest of the Samaritans who believed that day. Peter had no personal dealings with anyone else except Simon, at least we are not told about it here and if he had of spoken with others he may have said similar things to them as well.
What we are told is very specific and I believe it relates to generational iniquity passed onto Simon.
Peter through the Spirit tells Simon:
You thought the gift of God could be purchased with money. Your heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this your wickedness, the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.“
1. Simon thought. This is an interesting word and thought is not the first meaning of it. It is the word
nomizō
Thayer Definition: 1) to hold by custom or usage, own as a custom or usage, to follow a custom or usage
1a) it is the custom, it is the received usage
2) to deem, think, suppose
Strongs Definition From G3551; properly to do by law (usage),
that is, to accustom (passively be usual);
by extension to deem or regard: – suppose, think, be wont.
It is obvious to me that the Holy Spirit chose this word here for Simon to reveal more than just him thinking something casually. Simon thought…No
The meaning is that in Simon’s mind was an accustomed- SET- way of thinking.
His way of thinking was something he did by law. Not the Law of God, but his thinking was mandated by someone or something imposed upon his mind. He was accustomed to thinking of any and every way he could still be the number one man and keep getting all the attention in Samaria. This reveals that he was getting his ligitimacy or validation from doing magic to fix people or impress people. He had done this for a long time Luke says.
Act 8:9 But there was a certain man called Simon, who previously practiced sorcery in the city and astonished the people of Samaria, claiming that he was someone great, Act 8:10 to whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the great power of God.” Act 8:11 And they heeded him because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.
Now Simon the sorcerer was a newly baptised believer in Jesus the Messiah his accustomed way of thinking caused him to conclude that if he could just add this new ability to his repertoire he could continue being the centre of attention.
2. Peter said his heart was not right. This shows us that although we may be born again, our heart can still be NOT RIGHT because of the evil thoughts we meditate upon. Simon’s motive was to take the glory of the people to himself.
3. Repent – metanoio- to change one’s mind of this your wickedness. Peter narrows it down for Simon and specifically points to this particular thinking as something he needed to have a change of mind (repent) about. No one takes God’s glory, no flesh shall glory in His presence. Humble yourself and take the lowly place. But because of this iniquity operating in Simon’s heart and mind he could not easily humble himself. your wickedness- kakia
From G2556; badness, that is, (subjectively) depravity, or (actively) malignity, or (passively) trouble: FROM kak-os’ Apparently a primary word; worthless (intrinsically such;)
The wickedness or kakia is not simply some bad things he was doing..but going deeper as God always does, his wickedness was a malignantcy and depravity driven by a deep sense of worthlessness in his soul.
Granted..Simon was acting wrongly. But his actions are coming out of a centre of worthlessness. THIS IS WHAT JESUS WANTS TO HEAL AND SEND AWAY FROM US!!
4. PRAY if perhaps the thought(epinoia)of your heart may be forgiven(aphiēmi) you.. –aphiēmi means: to send away. Paul uses it to say “..a husband is not to put away (aphiēmi) his wife. 1Cor 7:11
In Simon’s case Peter is saying to him, ‘If you repent of this thinking and have a change of heart about it, God will send away the power that is holding you in this kind of thinking.’ If you confess this pride and vainglory and humble yourself God will forgive–send away–the generational iniquity powered by a spirit of darkness attached to your soul.
The word aphiemi is also translated as “left” as in leaving something.
Mat 8:14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. Mat 8:15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left(aphiemi) her. And she arose and served them. Mat 23:38 See! Your house is left (aphiemi) to you desolate;
I do not think the forgiven is a good translation of what Peter said to Simon in Acts 8:22
Act 8:22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven LEAVE AND BE SENT AWAY OR DIVORCED FROM YOU.
It is showing that the thinking or thought is something that has a power and a nature and a substance behind it. It is a stronghold and an iniquity in the soul that a person must be separated from in order to walk pleasing to God. It is seen more clearly in the following verse from Mark that aphiemi means to send something away.
Mar 7:8 For laying aside(aphiemi) the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” Mar 7:9 He said to them, “All too well you reject,( set aside, disesteem, neutralise,) the commandment of God, that you may keep (and strongly hold fast) your tradition.
The Pharisees had sent away God’s commandments from their heart and instead were holding tightly and gathering to themselves traditions of men. They had rejected God’s thinking and were bound to the iniquity of man’s thinking. If they repented of this like Simon was told to do God may have sent the power attached to this thinking away from them, effectively setting them free to hold fast to God.
5. Poisoned by bitterness. Peter could see this. He probably could see it with the eye of faith rather than anything physically apparent. Here was a man who practiced sorcery for along time and claimed to be somebody great in order to receive the adulation of the crowd. Peter sees to the heart and realises Simon has been poisoned by bitterness somewhere in his past. This wounding he had received is leaking bitterness everywhere and it is driving him to find meaning for himself in life from sorcery and performing for the people. The wounding had somehow affected his identity and crushed him. At that point, spirit’s of bitterness began controlling Simon and forming the customary thinking patterns in him.
Bitterness or Greek- pikria meann
1) bitter gall 1a) extreme wickedness
1b) a bitter root, and so producing a bitter fruit
1c) metaphorically bitterness, bitter hatred
Bitter roots can grow out of wounds that we receive in our lives….but they also maybe an iniquity that is visited upon us from our fathers.
6. Bound by iniquity
First we look at “bound”
- Greek- sundesmos From G4862 and G1199; a joint tie, that is, ligament, (figuratively) uniting principle, control: – band, bond. G4862 Soon
A primary preposition denoting union; with or together , that is, by association, companionship, process, resemblance, possession, AND G1199 DESMOS- A BAND OR BOND
This compound word sun-desmos means that Simon is bound with a uniting principle, a controlling influence through union and association and resemblance. Someone in his family tree that he resembles most likely sinned in some way and this bond or controlling principle was passed onto Simon. Peter told him to pray God sends it away!
Sadly we know from historians that Simon went on to be a thorn in the side of the Church for many years. He never did repent of the iniquity in his life and it took him out of the race. One day in the resurrection Simon will finally be free from that binding principle.
Many people are in Simon’s position today. It is very common for people to have been wounded as a young person or even later in early adulthood and to become bitter and disillusioned. At the point of the wounding malevolent spirits take advantage of people and attach themselves to their soul and body. Spirits of self pity and self hatred and accusing spirits begin to torment them and shape their thinking. By coming to Jesus Christ one encounters perfect love and all authority to heal these things and to send away those spirits that have become a part of our lives.
Once they have gone it is amazing how different we feel! Then the Holy Spirit will graciously reveal the thought patterns you have had that were injected into your mind by these spirits which were attached to you before. If we find that we constantly have the same bad things happen to us…or we are the cause of the same bad things happening to others….then we are most likely dealing with generational spirits..spirits of bondage.
As Peter said…we need to pray that God forgives us and in forgiving us He will send the powers away. We need to ask God to reveal the bitter root and the iniquity that we are dealing with. He will answer you in His timing and way.
The challenge for those in the iniquity and bondage of magic and sorcery is that if they truly seek to be delivered they will lose their powers. That means losing their usefulness and repuation as someone great. They will have to trust God alone as the one Who affirms them and gives them validation- not the crowds who once flocked to them.
I think of today’s magicians such as “Dynamo” – Steven Frayne- who openly admits that as a boy he was always beaten up and picked on at school and in his neighbourhood. There is the wounding. Then his grandfather taught him magic and the rest is history.
Now he has people claiming that he is something great…just like Simon the sorcerer above. Yet Frayne’s powers of magic, which I believe are real, are driven by evil spirit’s attached to his wounded soul. Frayne is trying to find his legitimacy through fame and helping people and entertaining people.
Yet everyone who attaches themselves to Dynamo and who follows him is being DEFILED by evil spirit’s who will draw them into the same nest of iniquity. THis will cause curses to operate in your family. It is no different than the Harry Potter garbage.
The magic presented in Potter is real. Dabbling in it is breaking God’s laws which in turn gives Satan and his demon spirits legal right to invade your life and those of your children.
Peter’s words to Simon are for all to hear. Here are those words again from an expanded amplified version-
Acts 22. “So change your mind and your way of thinking – away from this worthlessness (or: ugliness; baseness; badness of quality; malice) of yours – and then at once urgently ask of the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh] if consequently (or: since in that case) the thought and purpose of your heart will be caused to flow away (or: will be divorced from you; will be forgiven and sent away),
Acts 23. “For you see, I am presently seeing you existing (continuously being) drawn into the bile (or: gall) of bitterness as well as a close joint-bond of injustice (inequity and unfairness; that which is not in right relationship and contrary to the Way pointed out).”
Mitchell’s version properly points out that the forgiveness he needs is of the type that sets him free from a power of bitterness and iniquity and worthlessness and unfairness. The events of his past or that of his ancestors have brought him into bondage.
24. So, making a decided response, Simon said to them, “I am now asking for help: would you men at once urgently make a request over me (or: on my behalf; for my situation; concerning me) to the Lord (Christ or Yahweh, reads- God) so that not even one of the things which you have said can (or: would) come upon me?” (he could not cease shediing many tears) Jonathan Mitchell amplified version
Simon asks for the Apostles to remove this problem. But it is Simon himself who needs to do the confessing and praying over his own sins and those of his fathers. Magic and sorcery are forbidden by God. Simon needs to repent , not ask someone to pray that the powers leave him. Without personal repentance–a change of mind- the powers do not have to leave.
If the Apostles did cast out these spirits, they would just come straight back when Simon continued on in the same vein of thinking and acting. As a start I recommend listening to brother Arthur Burk’s series on the 7 curses.
God bless you!
Dennis Rhodes