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Righteousness Has No Second Generation
Ezekiel 18:20
"The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him."
We often hear about people who are what we call second-generation Christians. A second-generation Christian is one who was reared in a Christian home and who is now an adult. One of the sad things I see is it is very common to see the lack of spirituality among second-generation Christians. Many second-generation Christians attended church regularly while growing up, and often they went to a Christian school. Because of the spirituality of their parents, many times a second generation Christian will have the mentality that they inherited the righteousness and Christianity of their parents. However, righteousness and Christianity cannot be inherited, for these are conditions of the heart and actions that previous generations cannot give you.
The verse above makes it very clear that you cannot inherit righteousness. The only way you can be righteous is by living a righteous life. Your parents righteousness cannot be passed along to you. Likewise, just because your preacher is a very spiritual man does not mean that you are spiritual. I had the privilege of having Dr. Jack Hyles, a prominent Christian and pastor of his time, as my pastor for many years. However, just because I was under his ministry did not mean that I inherited his spirituality.
Likewise, just because you are a member of a large church does not mean that you are spiritual. Throughout my lifetime I have had the privilege of being a member of some very large churches. These churches have been known in fundamentalism as great churches. However, just because I have been a member of these churches does not mean that I am spiritual or righteous. My spirituality and righteousness is completely reliant upon how I live and what I do with Christ.
Furthermore, just because you were born in a "Christian" nation does not make you a Christian. Being born in a car wouldn't make you car. Likewise, being born in a Christian nation doesn't make you a Christian, and being a beneficiary of living with or under someone who is righteous doesn't make you a good or righteous person.
You must realize that your righteousness is dependent upon how you live. What others before you have done does not make you what they are. If others before you lived unrighteously, then you can decide to live righteously by not living like they did. Likewise, if others before you lived a righteous life, you must still decide to live a righteous life because it cannot inherited.
Finally, you are responsible for your own actions. You are your own fault. What I mean by this statement is you are what you are because you choose to be that way. Nobody makes you the way you are but you. Therefore, if you don't like something about yourself, then change the way you are by doing right. Furthermore, if you are going to continue to be known as a righteous person, then you must continue to live right. Be careful about taking on the mentality that your surroundings and background make you spiritual and righteous. Always stay focused on the fact that the way you live daily determines how righteous and spiritual you truly are. Righteousness is never inherited, it's always lived.