Are we to repent for our ancestors past sins?

[Amanah]

I never think of repenting for dead ancestors, but I have stood before God asking him to forgive our city and our nation and our leaders, praying for our leaders.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

I never think of repenting for dead ancestors, but I have stood before God asking him to forgive our city and our nation and our leaders, praying for our leaders.

Amen. It's not much different at all, accept one might feel a more personal connection with the sins of the family, or community, if they know their ancestors were directly responsible for sin that continues to have an effect on people until the present day.

And Amanah… people are saying that we don't have a priesthood. However, in the Scriptures we read...

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

We, the entire body of Christ, are a royal priesthood, a holy nation. And what you were doing when you prayed for city, nation, and leaders was interceding on their behalf. You were acting in your priestly office my sister. While your prayers may not bring the forgiveness that "saves" the soul... your prayers may have very well stayed the hand of God's judgment regarding their sin. And as a result, your prayers may have given a number of people more time to get right with God.

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by berkeley

So why is the white guy whose grand dad was in the Klan repenting of a mindset he doesn’t have?

He's repenting of the complacent mindset towards the sins of his ancestors, especially once he was made aware of them, and the ripple effects that are being felt in the lives of people today.

While my story was a really bigly exaggerated example, even if all he did was dedicate himself to making sure that his kids knew the terrible truth about their fathers, and had them pray with him to denounce such hatred, and repent of any and all racial hatred in their lives, committing themselves to loving their neighbors unconditionally, he will have repented of the evil of his ancestors, and led his family away from the sin.

Please understand, this is only necessary whenever it may apply. You and me might not have a clue as to what our ancestors have done. And even if we did, maybe their sin has passed with them, leaving next to no effects on the present. We wouldn't have to deal with such sin.

My dad was a Vietnam Vet. The most I've done is give a financial contribution to missionaries serving in Vietnam. But when I was younger, a part of me wanted to take part in a missions trip to serve the very people my father was dedicated to killing. He was artillery, serving as part of a crew operating the Howitzer 155 mm. He helped turn entire villages into craters... there is no telling how many non-combatant civilians he killed.

As a believer, I kinda carry that with me.

[berkeley]

Dumb

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by berkeley

Dumb

If someone can do something to right a wrong, and they don't, do they bear any responsibility for not doing so?

[Aquila]

When Israel repented of the sins of their fathers (which was drifting from their love for the God of Israel, and marrying foreign women) they divorced the foreign women they married, and rededicated themselves to the LORD, did they not?

They righted the wrongs within their community that were the direct result of the influence their ancestor's sins had on their present manner of living.

[Amanah]

Does this passage implicate us as responsible if we are not warning our society?

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[b] them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Amanah

Does this passage implicate us as responsible if we are not warning our society?

Renewal of Ezekiel’s Call as Watchman

33 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, speak to your people and say to them: ‘When I bring the sword against a land, and the people of the land choose one of their men and make him their watchman, 3 and he sees the sword coming against the land and blows the trumpet to warn the people, 4 then if anyone hears the trumpet but does not heed the warning and the sword comes and takes their life, their blood will be on their own head. 5 Since they heard the sound of the trumpet but did not heed the warning, their blood will be on their own head. If they had heeded the warning, they would have saved themselves. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes someone’s life, that person’s life will be taken because of their sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.’

7 “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the people of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 8 When I say to the wicked, ‘You wicked person, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak out to dissuade them from their ways, that wicked person will die for[a] their sin, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. 9 But if you do warn the wicked person to turn from their ways and they do not do so, they will die for their sin, though you yourself will be saved.

10 “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of[b] them. How then can we live?”’ 11 Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

12 “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ 13 If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. 14 And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— 15 if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. 16 None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

17 “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. 18 If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. 19 And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. 20 Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

I believe that warning our society regarding sin is a part of the Great Commission. We have no excuse if we do not preach the Gospel. And preaching the Gospel includes addressing the sins of a society, both past and present. Does it not?

[n david]

Originally Posted by Aquila

And Amanah… people are saying that we don't have a priesthood.

You are completely twisting what I posted, Aquila.

Please show me where we have a LEVITICAL priest system with a HIGH PRIEST who offers an ANNUAL SACRIFICE for our sin.

Originally Posted by Aquila

1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;

We, the entire body of Christ, are a royal priesthood, a holy nation.

Apples and peanut butter, Aquila. Not anywhere near what I was saying.

[n david]

http://www.apostolicfriendsforum.com...&postcount=116

No response to the latter contradiction?

First you say it's not a matter of salvation, then you claim that if one refuses to do it, they're somehow implicated in the sin of the dead ancestor.

Which begs another question: how is possible to be implicated in the sin of a dead ancestor who committed the sin decades or centuries before?