There is nothing we can "inherit" from our parents regarding our relationship with God. We can see from them what it means to walk with the eternal and true God, or we can observe a rigid following of rules and regulations that fail to bring life and joy. But ultimately, every person has to come face to face with God him/herself. Before that encounter, people have only heard about God, but they do not know God.
When God appeared to Isaac, He said, "I am the God of your father Abraham..." i.e., the one you have heard about----but now, here I am, face to face with you. It is always an I-Thou encounter, unmediated by a third party.
If our parents, like Abraham, truly walk with God and have a relationship with Him, God honors their friendship and reveals His face to the children of those who love Him. But the next generation must cultivate their own friendship with the Almighty. The "Faith of their Fathers" will not sustain them as adults; they must have their own faith and trust to walk with God.
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I have long thought that one of the most important messages Jesus brought to earth was the message that we do not inherit salvation; we must seek it. You have always been one of my mentors on my spiritual path, and the spiritual paths of my children. I am eternally grateful for your generosity.
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