Inheritance
As an eleven-year-old stuntwoman, my youngest daughter sees her share of the bumps and bruises around the house. She continually seeks higher places to climb, faster ways to race her bike, and better ways to tumble around the house. We establish normal boundaries, yet find ourselves adding unusual rules to address her adventurous nature.
Such rules in our house include: When we sit on a chair, the chair cannot be on the table, another chair, or in any way balanced on a sibling; we do not climb on the furniture, toys, siblings, appliances, or babysitters; there is no diving in the bathtub; and at no time should we stand on the seat of our bike as it is moving (fortunately, she wears a helmet!).
I try to ignore any similarities to my own youth, especially the scar on my chin from when I stood on the seat of my bike when it was moving and I thought I could let go of the handlebars (Did you know chins bounce on sidewalks? Did you know they are alarmingly loud when they bounce?).
Could it be my youngest daughter has inherited some traits from her father? When we usually think of an inheritance, we consider estates and possessions, and often overlook the bloodline. We recognize our features in our child’s expressions and in their looks, yet forget the similarities in character.
I believe children develop their personalities from the environment where they are raised, and their character may be a reflection of our own in being raised in our family – this is in agreement with well-known psychologists whom have written many articles and books regarding this belief. I believe there are attributes passed to our children in our DNA – this is in agreement with well-known scientists and doctors whom have written literature regarding this belief. And, I believe there are spiritual influences passed to our children – this is in agreement with basic Biblical principles.
The last bit might need to be explained, so let me Dr. Phil you through it: We find a spiritual influence over the entire human race with the curse of the first sin. In Genesis 3:11, the Lord asks Adam, “Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” The first original sin is defined as Adam’s disobedience from what the Lord commanded.
The forbidden fruit was on the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, which the Lord warned in Genesis 2:17 would bring death, “but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.” Romans 5:14 confirms this with, “Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam…”
While Adam’s rebellion against the commandment of the Lord was forgiven, it could not go unpunished – and sin does pass from generation to generation. This principle is explained in Number 14:18 “The LORD is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.”
Adam also passes down the spiritual influence of a sinful, or fallen nature. Romans 8:13 links the sentence of death for Adam’s sin to this influence with, “For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die…” In our fallen nature, we are drawn to sin as it comes naturally for us. I know I find it much easier to sin than not to sin, as there is an influence and a natural tendency in the direction of sin.
Fortunately, God’s plan is to deliver us from this burden through His Son, Jesus Christ. In Romans 8:3, Scripture tells us, “For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering.”
In the above verse, Numbers 14:18, we find that sin cannot go unpunished. We may be forgiven when we confess, but the sin we have committed deserves punishment. To pay the ultimate price for our sins, God sent His only Son as a sin offering.
Jesus paid the ransom for our sins. Hebrews 9:15, “For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance – now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.” 
His death paid the debt of our sins, and His resurrection gave us a new inheritance: a promised eternal inheritance. Which, by the way, is far, far, far better than a scar on your chin from standing on the seat of your bike without holding the handlebars.
Accept your inheritance today!
Glenn Sasscer
www.glennsasscer.com
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