are we punished for our sinful genes?

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 While individuals are not directly punished for the "sinful genes" or inherited tendencies they receive from their parents, the sources emphasize that the consequences of parental sin are indeed transmitted through generations, and individuals are held accountable for their own choices and actions in dealing with these inherited propensities.

Here's a breakdown of how the sources address this complex topic:

  • Inherited Tendencies and a Fallen Nature:

    • Humanity inherited a "fallen nature" from Adam and Eve's transgression. This means people are born with "inherent propensities of disobedience" or "sinful propensities".
    • Parents transmit their "perverted appetites," "lustful propensities," "irritable tempers," "evil tendencies," and various physical and mental deficiencies to their offspring.
    • This "degeneracy" is seen in dwarfed forms, crippled limbs, misshapen heads, and physical and mental weakness.
    • These physical and mental weaknesses make it more difficult for individuals to think and act rationally on all points, and can predispose them to disease and corruption.

  • No Punishment for Inherited Guilt, but for Participation:

    • The sources clearly state that children are not compelled to suffer for their parents' sins. God is just, and "the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father".
    • However, the effects of a sinful life are often inherited. The warning "visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me" is understood to mean that the example of parents is imitated, and the consequences of their depraved appetites and sinful habits are transmitted.
    • The punishment for sin falls upon those who participate in the sins of their parents, i.e., those who develop similar characters and continue in the wicked practices.

  • Individual Accountability and the Power to Overcome:

    • Every individual is a "free moral agent" and is held accountable for their own choices and actions. One "cannot change the heart" through education, culture, or human effort alone; a "new life from above" is required.
    • Despite inherited weaknesses and temptations, God provides the means for individuals to overcome every unholy tendency. This is done through reliance on Christ, who enables them to be "more than conqueror".
    • The process of overcoming these "hereditary and cultivated tendencies to evil" is described as a lifelong "warfare" or "conflict" requiring "stern, persevering effort" and "most thorough discipline and severe restraint". It involves bringing natural desires and "animal passions" under the control of reason and divine law.
    • Those who choose to "yield to temptation" and "continue in sin" will harden their hearts and incur greater guilt, as God's Spirit has less and less influence to restrain them.
    • Individuals are responsible for the influence they exert on others, as words and actions have a "telling power" that can affect a soul's "eternal destiny".

In essence, while the sources acknowledge the widespread impact of inherited "sinful genes" or tendencies on humanity, they firmly place the responsibility for salvation and character development on the individual's choice to accept divine grace and overcome these tendencies through Christ. Punishment is not for the inheritance itself, but for the chosen path of sin despite the provision for redemption and transformation.

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