Vital Signs: Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Personal Responsibility and Grace

“‘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. 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.” - ‭‭Ezekiel‬ ‭18‬:‭19‬-‭22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When children go astray, is it always caused by generational sin or the sins of their fathers? And as fathers, should we blame ourselves when our children rebel? Ezekiel clarifies that God holds each person accountable for their own sins—discipline is not passed from one generation to another.

However, this does not mean our sins have no impact on our children or grandchildren, just as we may feel the effects of our forefathers' sins. Let us resist the temptation to falsely judge other fathers, and if we are fathers ourselves, let’s extend grace to ourselves.

Our children are not responsible for our sins, but they may still suffer the consequences of our actions and poor choices.

Yes, everything we do matters—because it affects someone else!