Musing – Is Salvation of the Family Scriptural?

Hebraic Musing – Is Salvation of the Family Scriptural?

Something special happens when even one member of a family accepts Jesus as their Lord and Savior; especially when it is the father, but it might be any member!  Let’s look at some well-known examples:

·      Rahab, the inn-keeper woman, asked in faith – “Give me a sure sign that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them, and that you will save us from death.” Josh.2:12-13 NIV    And it was fulfilled in Josh.6:22 – “Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her.”  Faith saved her & family!

·      Passover - “Tell the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each man is to take a lamb for his family,…”  Exod.12:3  Thus, the families with faith were spared from the Angel of Death.

·      “The LORD then said to Noah, ‘Go into the ark, you and your whole family, because I have found you righteous in this generation….’”  Hmmm… Noah was the only one found righteous!  The family’s salvation was confirmed in 1 Pet.3:20 – “In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water,…”

·      An Official - “Then the father realized that this was the exact time at which Jesus had said to him, ‘Your son will live.’ So he and all his household believed.”  John 4:53  It started with the father’s belief!

·      Jesus called Zacchaeus “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” After confession time, Jesus spoke again – ““Today salvation has come to this house,…”  Luke 19:5-10

·      Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth – “When she and the members of her household were baptized,” Acts 16:31

·      And the famous Jailer – “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’   They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.’”  Acts 16:29-31

Now here is the most important example of a family finding Jesus.  This is a true story of a seven year old girl, Susan, who was invited by neighbor kids to join them on their Sunday School bus.  After two months of attendance Susan came home, went straight to her room, got down on her knees and said (or prayed) what she heard at church – “I know that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  And “the wages of sin is death.”  She concluded by saying “Jesus, please save me.  I don’t want to go to hell.”

Susan prayed for her whole family to experience what she had experienced.  A few years later Susan’s mother joined her at church and also accepted the love of Jesus.  Susan’s mother told each of Susan’s brothers about Jesus and each of them accepted Jesus as their “Lord and Savior”!

Susan and her brothers prayed fervently for their father.  Finally, ten years later, Susan’s father came home and announced to the family “I talked to Jesus!”  They asked him “Does that mean you are Born Again?”  He said “I don’t know what you call it, but I talked to Jesus and I want all of you to have the same experience.”  They replied “We already have; we’ve been praying for you!” BTW – Susan is my daughter.   

Here is our whole family of Christians celebrating a 50^th anniversary.

So this is what Jesus meant when He said - “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matt.19:14

Points to ponder   or   RSVP

How important is a “Children’s Ministry” or a “Bus Ministry”?

♫  Jesus loves the little children, all….  ♫    or     ♫ I’m so glad I belong to the Family of God…♫

Yosef   a.k.a.  Joe Brusherd                          November 12, 2019

Author: “Hebraic Insights – Messages exploring the Hebrew roots of our faith” 
“Biblical Marriage (by Yosef)”   Weekly “Hebraic Musings”