Love for 1,000 generations

One twenty-fourth of 2025 has passed. President Trump’s second inauguration is next Monday, which for most voters foretells a brighter future for the USA.

On that same day, we’ll remember the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who was a pioneer in America’s brighter future three generations ago, if 20 years is considered a generation.

According to various websites in a Google search for “generations,” four generations have come about since 1963 when King made his “I Have a Dream” speech near the end of the birth years of the baby boomers. Subsequent generations are called “X,” “millennials,” “Z” and “Alpha.” The birth years for the latter may have ended in 2024 to be followed by Beta.

The beginning and ending birth years of generations since the baby boomers seem disputed based on the various websites I reviewed.

The Bible says a lot about generations, and the biblical terminology is just about as ambiguous to our understanding, but that doesn’t indicate a Scriptural conflict. Rather, the conflict exists because of our ambiguity, not God’s (Hebrews 6:13-20; Ephesians 4:11-16).

Personal and corporate Bible study helps us understand how to please God, and he’ll reveal everything else on his timing, which is always perfect (Philippians 3:15-16; Ephesians 1:3-10; Romans 5:6-8; Galatians 4:4-7; 3:36-29; Acts 2:38-41).

Jesus said his generation wouldn’t pass away until Jerusalem was destroyed, which took place less than 40 years later, and even not until he came back to gather Christians to be with him forever (Matthew 24:1-51; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

It’s been almost 2,000 years since Jesus said that. Of course, that would be about two days, based on God’s timing (2 Peter 3:1-13).

On one occasion, God told Abram a dismal part of the bright future planned for his descendants because they’d be in slavery for 400 years, and in the fourth generation, they’d return to the land of promise (Genesis 15:13-16; Jeremiah 29:11).

So, in that context, a generation was minimally 100 years, which is consistent to life expectancy during that time period since Abraham lived 175 years (Genesis 25:7).

While giving the Ten Commandments, God said he’d show his love to 1,000 generations of those who loved and obeyed him (Exodus 20:4-6; John 14:15-21; 15:9-14). Even at 20 years per generation, that would be 20,000 years, but I suspect God’s intent is he’d love them throughout eternity if they continued to love and obey him, which is why his Spirit stays with us forever (Acts 5:32; Revelation 2:10).

When we obey God to receive forgiveness of our sins and become indwelled with his Spirit as his child, we also break free from the consequences of our sins, which everyone faces otherwise (Romans 3:23; 6:3-23; Ephesians 1:11-14).

However, we must live to not grieve God’s Spirit causing him to depart (Ephesians 4:20-32; 1 John 1:5-9; 3:4-10; 1 Samuel 16:4; Hebrews 6:4-12; 2 Peter 2:20-22).

Are you living to please God in the present generation so you can be among those he loves for 1,000 generations (Philippians 2:12-16)?

Leonard Lauriault is a member of the Church of Christ in Logan who writes about faith for the Quay County Sun. Contact him at [email protected]