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VBVMI Staff
In the charismatic movement of South Africa, we learn that curses need to be broken and often times they are passed down in the bloodlines as a result of unrepented sin. Can unconfessed sin leave a door open for curses to take effect in your life?
The charismatic religious movement is replete with false teaching and demonic activity. The specific teaching you mentioned concerning "curses" is typical of charismatic heresy and is contrary to the Bible's teaching on grace.
The Bible acknowledges that all believers sin continually this side of Heaven (as Romans explained), and therefore we must depend on God's grace in Christ. Because of our faith in Him, we receive the righteousness of God, and therefore, we are never cursed, condemned, judged or otherwise punished for our sin, since Christ took such things for us:
Therefore, a believer can never be "cursed" by God, for a curse means eternal damnation, and Christ took that curse for us. Moreover, we have been forgiven of ALL sin already:
John says if we confess our sins (i.e., if we repent and come to faith in Jesus), then He forgives us of our sins. This forgiveness is not conditional on confessing every specific sin we've ever committed, because it is literally impossible for a believer to recognize and confess every sin. We all commit more sins than we even know!
John is saying that by our faith in Christ alone God is just to forgive us of all our sins, past, present and future, by His grace, so that:
This is the meaning of grace, and the notion that God would cast "curses" on believers when we sin is the antithesis of grace and love. It is, however, the natural outworking of the charismatic movement's false, works-based theology. Some churches may talk of God's grace, but the dominant doctrines and practices of the movement emphasize works of one kind or another in order to remain in God's love.
Clearly, this is not the Bible's teaching, since no work brought us God's redemption in the first place, and therefore no work "keeps" us there either.
We highly recommend believers steer clear of such movements and their false doctrines. Instead, seek sound, Bible churches that understand and live out grace.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. www.lockman.org