The Christian’s Heredity by MRS. I. H. E.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 22, 1916

The Christian’s Heredity

By MRS. I. H. E.

PEOPLE hear a great deal nowadays about “heredity.” Children are told from babyhood that they have “mother’s eyes and curls,” “grandma’s smile,” “auntie’s dimples,” “grandpa’s forehead,” and so on. If a child learns easily, he is like some admired member of the family; a love for music is declared to be the gift of some musical genius, near or remote; and a special interest in his physiology lessons shows at once that he has fallen heir to his father’s skill as a surgeon. But that is not all. Too many children hear their outbursts of temper, their rudeness, their careless, thoughtless ways, their negligence, even their cruelty, excused because they “inherited” these undesirable traits from some ancestor.

Now while it is undoubtedly true that we do inherit from our ancestors certain traits of character, certain tendencies and gifts, that is not all the truth there is on this subject. If it were, no one would be really responsible for his acts. But God has put within every person’s grasp the power to rise above his heredity, to overcome his tendencies to evil, to govern his temper, to conquer himself.

But there is still more for the Christian; that is, he accepts more. He is “born again.” Wonderful experience! By this new birth he becomes an heir,—an heir of God the Father, a joint heir with his divine Son, Jesus Christ, who, in spite of his earthly ancestry, lived a perfect life on earth. Think of the heredity of one who has this new birth. The grace, the wisdom, the patience, love, and peace,—all the qualities that his Father has may be his.

Then of his acts it might truthfully be said, “Oh, it is natural for him to do that way! He was born so. His Father is faithful and just, merciful to his enemies, loving and kind to the ungrateful and unthankful; and he is like his Father.”

The best part of this is that it is all true. We see it actually worked out in lives right around us,—an earthly heredity conquered, uprooted, displaced by the divine. And when this blessed heredity has been provided, and is freely offered to each one, we cannot excuse ourselves—and certainly God will never excuse us—because of any evil earthly inheritance. MRS. I. H. E.