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Family Salvation


John81

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Some years ago I read something of this in a book by Andrew Murray. Yesterday I read an article in the latest, March 14, issue of Sword of the Lord, on this topic.

 

The base text (others are used later) is Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

 

The premise is, that if one person in a household gets saved, and they pray believing for their family just as they believed for their own salvation, that sooner or later the whole family will be saved too.

 

It's stated that if we believe we can be saved as the verse above says, then we must also believe the part about all in our house being saved too.

 

The article is from a sermon by John Linton which he's apparently preached in many churches.

 

Has anyone else read this?

 

Please share your thoughts on this.

 

In the article/sermon, it's says:

 

"These words (referring to Acts 16:31) not only teach that if a man believes in God for the salvation of his soul he will be saved, but also that if he believes, God will as surely save his house for his faith as He saves that man's soul for his faith."

 

"In other words, it is the expressly declared will of God that the whole family of a believer should be saved. And the one condition of their being saved is for that believer to ask and believe that God will save them."

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(God): "Excuse me, you have no choice but believe on Jesus, the Christ, the only way of salvation."

 

(Man): "Say what? I don't even believe in the existence of any Divine being outside of my inner spirit." 

 

(God): "Oh, but you will."

 

(Man): "How do you figure?" ("Wow, I can't even believe I'm engaging in this conversation, hallucination, or whatever.")

 

(God): You lost all free will due to your sister getting saved, I'll just check with you later."

 

 

I may be wrong, but I doubt that even most Sovereign Grace adherents hold to familiar election.

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The base text (others are used later) is Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

 

In the article/sermon, it's says:

 

"These words (referring to Acts 16:31) not only teach that if a man believes in God for the salvation of his soul he will be saved, but also that if he believes, God will as surely save his house for his faith as He saves that man's soul for his faith."

 

"In other words, it is the expressly declared will of God that the whole family of a believer should be saved. And the one condition of their being saved is for that believer to ask and believe that God will save them."

 

I would think that Acts 16:31 is saying that if (you) believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved, and if thy house (-hold members) believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, they will be saved too.

 

That last line about family members being saved on condition that someone else ask and believe at the best adds to salvation (which occurs when the individual trusts Christ for salvation. Scripture doesn't say anything about them being saved when someone else asks) and at the worst is a works salvation - you do this and so-and-so will get saved. Never mind. There is no 'best' and 'worst'. They're both adding to salvation.

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I think this has to do with the culture of the time. When the head of the household got saved the rest of the family out of submission and respect usually followed suit. This is still common among primitive tribal people. Once the patriarch or chief gets saved usually the whole tribe follows. This just isn't the case in modern Western culture. Everyone is doing their own thing and the man's authority in the home is almost non-existent. . 

 

Noah would be an example of this in the OT. No indication that his family received any message from God about a coming flood but they were saved because of his faith. As I see it they submitted to Noah and believed out of respect for his authority. 

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I think this has to do with the culture of the time. When the head of the household got saved the rest of the family out of submission and respect usually followed suit. This is still common among primitive tribal people. Once the patriarch or chief gets saved usually the whole tribe follows. This just isn't the case in modern Western culture. Everyone is doing their own thing and the man's authority in the home is almost non-existent. . 

 

This is basically what I've always thought, too.  The head of the house would influence the rest of the family because there was respect for his decisions. That wouldn't preclude Holy Spirit conviction - I think the conviction would come easier because of the respect for the head of the household - right/wrong, OBedience/submission taught and practiced on a more regular basis than nowadays. I have heard it preached that once the head of household gets saved, it is easier (and more likely) for the family to follow suit due to his influence.

 

One of my hubby's co-workers was saved a little over a month ago (he almost died, woke up scared and ready!).  My hubby had been praying and witnessing to this man and his wife for 5 years.  There were times that my hubby felt that the man's wife would get saved if her hubby would....well, when he got saved, she followed right along.  Her own salvation, but his somehow freed her to accept what God had for her.

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I forget what the statistics on this are; however, I was taught that if the man (head of household) gets saved, and serves the Lord, the rest of the family generally follows suit.

Also, I was taught that the woman is kind of like the Holy Spirit of the family.  I was taught, as a child, that she is the glue that holds the family together.  So, when mama ain't happy, the whole family ain't happy.   :yeah:    

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Although I would absolutely, positively love to believe hinton's theory on this passage. The contextual situation of Acts 16 seems apparent to me that Paul explains the Gospel first to the man with the caveat "the same goes for your house" if they also believe. In the subsequent verses Paul and Silas go and preach to the man's "house".

 

I wish there were a nepatistic program clause in the Gospel, but I am afraid we are all on our own.

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My Dad was the first in our family to get saved. I was next, followed by my Mother and Sister. There was a big difference in my Dad I had never seen before. I miss him so much every day and he has been gone to be with the Lord for 15 years,

 

After I got saved, my Wife got saved, then our kids all got saved as they came along. Our eldest Son is a preacher, and our Daughter and younger Son are Sunday School teachers. I think, like Happy says; there's just something about the father getting saved. It has nothing to do with 'election' and everything to do with association and influence. It also has nothing to do with the father either; it's just the way God works in lives and families. God honours His Word and His Word does not return unto Him void. I could be wrong but I believe that Philippian Jailer's family could see such a big change in His life and they wanted what he had.

 

Acts 16:29Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, 30And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

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Then, you have a person like me who is the only one saved in my entire first family, except my mom did get saved in 2006.   I will never forget that day in my entire life, nor the day of my salvation.  My IFB church did a follow up with her, and she knew the way to heaven.  I have a cousin who is American Baptist.  She and her husband (in heaven) were/are saved.  The oldest cousin, on my mom's side of the family is saved, as well.  She wrote me after my mom passed on.  She is dying of cancer, and talked about meeting Jesus soon.  She also used KJV verses in her card that assured me that she was saved.  My dad passed on in 1993, unless someone witnessed to him in the hospital, he died a lost man. 

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 when my wife and I were saved we raised our children in the lord taking them to church and teaching them at home today all of my children have been saved, but not by my wife and I it was the lord who did the work in their heart .

The way I see it. we planted the seed and watered it and as it grew we fed it God gave the increase and it grew up unto him.  

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The passage couldn't be a cultural reference otherwise if a family simply decided to follow dad that wouldn't make them a biblical Christian, they would have to be born again for that to be the case.

 

They also aren't addressing this from an "election", or any sort of Calvinistic viewpoint. Sheldon Smith, editor of the Sword of the Lord, is a staunch anti-Calvinist and he had to have approved of this sermon being printed in the Sword.

 

The preacher says that "Household salvation is taught all through Scripture"; using such as:

 

Genesis 7:1 and Hebrews 11:7 regarding Noah and his family.

 

Exodus 12 and the Passover.

 

Joshua 2 and Rahab and her family.

 

Joshua 24:15 regarding Joshua and his family.

 

JOB, he refers to him and his family.

 

Acts 10 and 11 on Cornelius

 

He then refers to historical examples, including Jonathan Edwards family, etc.

 

What is being put forth is that if a member of a family gets saved, he says it doesn't have to be the dad, it can be mother, child or another, and they pray with the same faith and belief for their family which they did for their own salvation, that the Lord will work in their family members so that they to will come to Christ and be born again.

 

For this to be a front page sermon in the Sword of the Lord, a long time IFB publication with much influence and deep connections across IFBdom, this has to mean something.

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More input on this would be greatly appreciated.

 

Has anyone actually read this article in Sword of the Lord?

 

I know Jerry gets the Sword but I don't remember who else here does.

 

As I mentioned above, until I read this sermon in the current Sword of the Lord, I had only heard of this teaching one other time and that was in a book by Andrew Murray (I don't recall which book, that was several years ago I read that). I was surprised to see this sermon in the Sword and wondering how many other IFBs preach this and what others think of this.

 

Is anyone familiar with John Linton, the one who preaches this sermon? Anyone ever heard him preach? In the article he mentions having preached this sermon in many churches so I'm assuming maybe he's a travelling guest preacher or perhaps an evangelist, but I really don't know. I know I've not heard him preach and I don't recall hearing his name before.

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I used to get Sword of the Lord years ago from my first pastor.  I believe my in-laws and a SIL get their publication.

I certainly hope the facts are correct.  My son has an unsaved father, so my husband and I are the only parents he looks to for spiritual guidance. 

I also look at the Apostle Paul.  The Lord saved him, so God can do anything. 

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The cultural idea mentioned was to highlight the fact that culturally, there was much more respect for the man of the house in those days.  Nowhere did anyone say that the household just followed the head and weren't saved themselves. The idea that was given was the fact that if the head of a household is respected in the right way, then, were he to get saved, his influence would be great in bringing his family to Christ.  That is a truth that I have seen more than once in my lifetime. That doesn't mean that every single time every single person will get saved - but when the head of a household is respected well and gets saved, the change in his life will influence others to follow. It happened in my husband's father's case: he got saved (my FIL) and one of my hubby's brothers watched closely...saw that it was real and got saved himself.  And he wan't even living under the same roof, because he was a grown man with a family of his own.

 

I agree that once any family member gets saved, they can influence and pray for other family members. But there is not guarantee that other family members will bow the knee to Christ. I do strongly believe, though, that if the father gets saved, shows a change in his life, prays for and teaches his family right, there is a strong likelihood that most, if not all, will get saved.  Does it happen every time? Nah - especially nowadays when there is a decided lack of respect for men all over the place - including Christianity.

 

I believe that is consistent with scripture that teaches that man is the head of his home. He leads his home - whether he tries to or not - in the way it goes. Even spiritually. (now, that doesn't mean people won't rebel, because people are sinners...)

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