Resume of a Christian Believer.

Resume of a Christian Believer.

Contact Address: Philippians 3:20, Kingdom of God Road, Heaven. Gods Phone number: Jeremiah 33:3

OBJECTIVE:

To grow in Godliness and to encourage others towards Godliness, to serve GOD with all our heart and with all our soul by Praying at all times and thanking God for his mercy forever and to preach the gospel to every creature.

EDUCATION:

• School: For the LORD gives wisdom, from His mouth come knowledge and understanding and All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

• Major: One Lord, one faith, one Holy Spirit, one baptism so that we are made perfect in Christ Jesus.

• QUALIFICATIONS: Living holy, soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts.

• SKILLS: Gods word of wisdom and knowledge, gifts of healing, prophecy; discerning of spirits; diverse kinds of tongues and interpretation of tongues and to bear the fruit for the kingdom of God.

EMPLOYMENT:

● To equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

●Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, Enduring Suffering for Christ and to be Joint-Heirs with Christ.

●Inheritance with Saints in Light and to Sit in Judgment with Christ.

●Hoping for the crown of righteousness, Crown of Glory and Crown of Life and to be heirs of God’s glory by converting the soul.

●To shun all forms of debauchery and sinful life styles through Gods gift of repentance by committing ourselves to Him through water baptism by Resisting the devil and temptations.

●To be Humble & Having a Child-Like Faith by Seeking First God's Kingdom, Not Worldly Wealth & Possessions.

●To speak out and warn people of Gods coming Judgments and Teaching God's Word & His Ways to Sinners & Believers by Making Disciples and doing everything for the Glory of God.

●To be Doers of the Word, not Merely Hearers and to teach the commandments and doctrines of God and faithfully obeying them. By admonishing each other, in psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs

HOBBIES/INTERESTS:

Whenever we have an opportunity, let us do good to all people, and especially to those who belong to the family of faith.

To live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives and to become more like Christ by continually reading, hearing, memorizing studying, meditating scripture and applying the Gods word in every area of our life.

To Be Christ’s ambassadors by following the example of Christ and to be blameless and harmless in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation by following the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes.

REFERENCE(S):

Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Saints & Angels

Infant Baptism, Accepting Jesus as Your Personal Savior, faith of parents, age of accountability for baptism and many more questions…

Infant Baptism, Accepting Jesus as Your Personal Savior, faith of parents, age of accountability for baptism and many more questions…


Where is this in the Bible? Not only will you not find this statement in the Bible, you will not find any of the phrases found in the Bible either. Show me where we even read the phrase, "accept Jesus." You will not find it. Show me where you will find the Bible say "personal Savior." You will not find it either. We ought to be concerned and see some red flags when we cannot find in the Bible the very phrases the religious world uses to teach people that they are saved. There must be a problem if I cannot find these things in the scriptures. Further, show me one example of someone accepting Jesus as their personal Savior. Not only will we not read in the Bible to accept Jesus as our personal Savior to be saved, but you do not read of a person saying that they did this.

Further, I believe we need to ask what this phrase means? What does it mean to accept Jesus as your personal Savior? How do I accept Jesus as my personal Savior? But how does one do this? Can I simply say the words that I accept Jesus as my personal Savior? Is this enough? Can the criminal or murderer do nothing more than utter simple words? Is this all that the Lord requires of me for salvation? Not only does it go against the scriptures, but it goes against our logic. Do we allow our criminals under our legal system to simply say that they are sorry and we let them go free? No, that is completely unacceptable. The criminal has to change his life, show true contrition, and obey the laws of our government before consideration will be given to be released into society again. So why do we believe that God will simply overlook all wrongs by saying sorry? Why do we think that sorry is what God has required of us? When someone wrongs us, is a simple statement of words enough? No, we want to see more than that. We want to see repentance and change. Well, so does the Lord. We should not think that God is some sort of push over that we can do what we want and give a tongue in cheek sorry and everything be okay.

All disciples are to be baptized. so Infants and children are disciples and hence they can be baptized. "And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"(Matthew 28:18-19).



Paul places of children within covenant which he does, not on the basis of their profession of faith but merely that of a believing parent. As he states "or the unbelieving husband is made holy because of his wife, and the unbelieving wife is made holy because of her husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy"(1 Corinthians 7:14). Given such things as: holiness, receiving biblical guidance, kingdom membership, and the ability to give God acceptable praise it seems we cannot deny the status of disciple from the children of believers



It clear that the blessing and promise of salvation was not just for adults, but for children as well. And Peter said to them, ‘Repent and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God shall call to Himself’” (Acts 2:38,39) the children mentioned here were young enough to still be considered under the protection and authority of their parents. Although this is only indirect Scriptural evidence, the fact that the Bible mentions that entire “households” were baptized does make it seem probable that children and infants were included.

“Now I did baptize the household of Stephanas …” (I Corinthians 1:16)

(An angel spoke to Cornelius saying) “Send to Joppa, and have Simon, who is called Peter, brought here; and he shall speak words to you by which you will be saved, and all your household.” (Later, when Peter arrived at Cornelius’ household) “…he ordered them to be baptized.” (Acts 11:13b, 14; Acts 10:48a)

“And when she (Lydia of Thyatira) and her household had been baptized…” (Acts 16:31, 33b)

The Bible never gives one example of the baptism of a Christian child as an adult. when a child’s capacity to believe the Gospel is developed enough so that he can receive baptism. Neither does the Bible state that every child is in a “suspended state of salvation” until they have reached this age, which one would have to believe if he held to the “age of accountability” theory.



As we know through one man sin is entered the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men.” (Romans 5:12) For this reason “…there are none righteous, not even one” (i.e. not infants). (Romans 3:10) how are these young ones saved from the sin they have received from Adam’s race? They are saved through the regenerative power of baptism and the faith of the Church.



“He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration (baptism) and renewing by the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)



Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” (Acts 2:38)

“Jesus answered, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God.’” (John 3:5)

“…when the patience of God kept waiting in the days of Noah, during the construction of the ark, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through the water, and corresponding to that, baptism now saves you.” (I Peter 3:20,21)

Circumcision, the sign of God’s covenant between the people of Abraham and Himself, was performed on every male child who was eight days old (Genesis 7:12).



Many see a direct parallel between circumcision and Christian baptism in Scriptural passages such as Colossians 2:11,12:

“And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism…”

If baptism is the “New Testament circumcision” there can definitely be no objection to “sealing” the infant of a consecrated Christian family in Christ’s New Covenant.

b) Moses’ leading his people through the Red Sea is seen as an Old Testament foreshadowing of Christian baptism. The following New Testament passage clearly points to this:

“For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all at the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them, and that rock was Christ.” (I Corinthians 10:1-4).

It is worthwhile to note that “all were baptized” through Moses’ leadership in crossing over the Red Sea. He did not leave the infants or children on the shores of Egypt to become prey to the angry armies of Pharaoh because they were not old enough to believe in the promise of the Old Covenant. Rather, entrusted to the arms of their parents’ faith, they were carried through the “baptism of Moses.”

c) The saving of Noah’s entire family by the ark can also be seen as a prefigurement of a baptism which includes infants. All that needs to be said, as in the case of Moses’ passing through the Red Sea, is that the entire family was on board the ark. Why should we leave infants out of the ark of baptism?

Some Scriptures which support the possibility of an “infant faith” are these:

“Yet Thou are He who didst bring me forth from the womb; Thou didst make me trust when upon my mother’s breast.” (Psalm 22:9)

“And whoever causes one of these little ones who believe to stumble, it would be better from him if with a heavy millstone hung around his neck, he had been cast into the sea.” (Mark 9:42)

“For behold, when the sound of your greeting (Theotokos) reached my ears (Elizabeth), the baby (John the Baptist) leaped in my womb for joy.” (Luke 1:44)

“Infants are baptized for the remission of sins. What sins? Whenever have they sinned? In fact, of course, never. And yet: ‘No one is free from defilement.’ (Job 14:4) But defilement is only put away by the mystery of baptism. That is the reason why infants too are baptized.”



There is … one Lord, one faith, ONE baptism.” (Ephesians 4:4,5) If you have been baptized once, there is no need to be baptized again.



God includes the children of believers as members of this church.



The living God himself embraced the children of believers as members of his church. Genesis 17:7—"I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you."

Christian parents, this means that you must actively nurture your children in the Christian faith. You may not treat your children as neutral until they are "old enough to make their own decision." In baptism, God has laid claim to your child. Thus, you must train your children to respond with faith and obedience to the Christ of the covenant.

God deals with individuals, as well as with families. When God baptizes you into Christ, you become part of the Body of Christ, which is the worldwide family of God.



To get the full flavor of this truth, we ought to see the entire New Testament witness. Look at these verses one by one, remembering the normal meaning that any Jew or instructed Gentile would attach to the word "house" and let the cumulative force of these verses overwhelm you:

Matthew 10:12-14 "And when you go into a household, greet it. If the household is worthy, let your peace come upon it. But if it is not worthy, let your peace return to you. And whoever will not receive you nor hear your words, when you depart from that house or city, shake off the dust from your feet."

Luke 19:9 "And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham'"

John 4:53 "So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, 'Your son lives.' And he himself believed, and his whole household."

Acts 2:38-39 "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.'"

Acts 10:2 "[Cornelius was] a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always."

Acts 11:14-18 "'[Peter] will tell you words by which you and all your household will be saved.' And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as upon us at the beginning. Then I remembered the word of the Lord, how He said, 'John indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' If therefore God gave them the same gift as He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could withstand God? When they heard these things they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, 'Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.'"

All baptized persons have a right and a duty to worship God. This is why we do not have "children's church" in which we send our children away from worship (or at least preaching). They have a right to know from their earliest years that this is the place where God's people meet to sing and pray to him, and I am one of those people.



All baptized persons have a right to be instructed in the faith. The child down the street doesn't have this right, but ours do. The parents have taken a vow to raise that child "in the nurture and the admonition of the Lord."

When a baptized person strays away, we don't just let them go. They have a right to be exhorted, admonished, censured, disfellowshipped, and excommunicated as a last attempt to restore them to the flock. We do not pursue the children of the world in this way. But our own children have a right to this.



For more info please read my other articles in my Blog.

Why do babies need to be baptized?

Through Adam’s sin, sin touches even the soul of the infant. Psalm 51:5:


Psalm 51: 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done that which is evil in thy sight, so that thou art justified in thy sentence and blameless in thy judgment. 5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Job 14:1-4

1 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2 He comes forth like a flower, and withers; he flees like a shadow, and continues not. 3 And dost thou open thy eyes upon such a one and bring him into judgment with thee? 4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? There is not one.

Since birth, man is unclean. Only Jesus can make one clean. But one starts off unclean, according to Job and Psalms.

Paul develops the concept of original sin further in Romans 5:12-19. Let us look at some of these verses:

Romans 5:12

Therefore as sin came into the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all men sinned--

Because of one man’s sin, all sin? What in the world is that? What causes all men to sin? One man’s sin? That is Adam’s sin. If it was just that all men, happen to coincidentally 'choose' to sin, why does Paul mention Adam as foundational to that choice? It is that Adam's sin causes men to be bent towards sin. Otherwise there would be no reason to mention Adam. What is that? Original sin.

Romans 5:14

Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sins were not like the transgression of Adam,

How can death reign from Adam onward if there was no original sin? Why does death reign, even if it was not like the sin that Adam chose?

Romans 5:15

15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many.

Through one man’s trespass, many die. That is what original sin does. Paul explicitly says that one man’s sin, spreads to many. What is that except original sin? Why do all later in life choose to sin? Because of that one man’s sin spreading to all. That is original sin. Thus, one is bent towards sin, even from birth.

Rom. 5:17

If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

One man’s sin causes death to reign on all? It doesn’t say, well, because we choose to sin later on. No it says that through one man’s sin, death reigns on all. What is that except original sin. It is original sin, that bent away from God, that causes us to sin.

Rom. 5:19

For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by one man's obedience many will be made righteous.

Many are made sinners by the one man’s disobedience. That is Adam’s sin we are made unrighteous. Not through us committing our own sin. We start off as bent towards sin, and actually unrighteous. That means as babies, we are so bent. Thus, original sin. Scripture profitably instructs us that Adam’s sin death spread to all, which is the reason that man commits sin. In fact, if there is no original sin, then why do we all sin when we get to the age of reason. Because of what Adam did. All sin, because of what Adam did. That is original sin. Notice that Paul writes that through one man’s sin, many are made sinners. If I am only a sinner because I choose to be, then how in the world would Adam’s sin make me unrighteous? In fact, why do I choose to be a sinner? Because Paul says it is Adam’s sin. What is that except original sin? What is Paul’s solution? Through Jesus one is made righteous. Thus, Jesus makes man righteous. How does he do that? It is not a coincidence but right after that, Paul writes:

Romans 6:

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

Romans 5 speaks of the sin of Adam effecting all of those who are born, as being unrighteous. Romans 5 shows that all are effected by Adam’s sin, and that would obviously start at birth. And we notice that right after that he says that we are made righteous in Roman 5:19 through Christ. In Romans 6, following upon this he gives us the further solution in how we are made righteous. Since he is speaking about all and all would include babies, his solution would also include all, including babies. What is his solution to get people into Christ? Those who are baptized into Christ. The solution to original sin is thus baptism, and since those in original sin are babies and are in Adam’s sin, to get out of Adam and into Christ’s death, and thus get justified, is baptism.

In addition, Ephesians 2 points to humans as “children of wrath” and we will see later that 1 Cor. 7 shows children are born unclean. To those against infant baptism, if children are born in a state of sin as evidenced by Job, David and Paul, original sin though it may be, why leave them that way and not put them in God’s grace? Even if babies have not sinned personally, this sin of Adam effects their soul. The baby did not choose to be unclean. Why do they absolutely have to be the ones who have to choose to be clean, when they can not reason for themselves?

Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

According to Jesus one must be born of water and Spirit to enter the kingdom of heaven. (To see that water and Spirit means baptism, please see: Are Catholics Born Again?. Jesus did not give exceptions for infants. He did not say, “In order to enter the kingdom of heaven, adults must be born of water and Spirit, but babies get in without getting born of water and Spirit.” This command was universal, and if anybody wants their children, to be guaranteed of them going to heaven, in case of death, being born of water and Spirit is absolutely necessary. Even if there were no other principles that pointed towards infant baptism, the authority of Jesus words settle the matter.

In the Old Covenant, the principle of including babies in the covenant is established. God tells Abraham in his covenant, Genesis 17:9-14:

9 And God said to Abraham, "As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your descendants after you throughout their generations.

10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your descendants after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

12He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,

13 both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised. So shall my covenant be in your flesh an everlasting covenant.

14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant."

In the Old Covenant, Abraham, the man of faith, is called to choose circumcision as an adult. Also, however, men of faith are called to exercise faith for their children. Babies 8 days old would have to be circumcised. That is how babies came into the covenant. The babies made no choice in the matter. God even says that those who are uncircumcised have broken my covenant. Babies who have not been circumcised are thus guilty, according to God’s own words. Children come into the Covenant established by God through the family. We thus see the necessity of those who love their children who want them in the covenant, circumcising their children.

We see that the way that children in their relation to God necessarily depending upon their parents believing for them. In Ex 4:24f, Moses is on the way back to Egypt and God seeks to kill Moses. Why? Moses neglected to circumcise his son. If circumcision gave spiritual benefits (Gen. 17:14, the part of being within the covenant), how much more would baptism?

All of Israel was told to sprinkle the blood of the lamb (which prefigured Christ) on the doors of the houses (Exodus 12:13). There was an issue of the firstborn of the land of Egypt and Israel. Those who were in Israel were commanded to sprinkle this blood on their doorposts so God would not destroy their firstborn. I guess maybe some individual Americanized Christians, with the anti-infant baptism mentality might have said “Well, let the children believe for themselves, since they must choose for themselves to sprinkle the lamb’s blood.” Instead, all of Israel, realizing that God works through the covenant, sprinkled the lamb’s blood on the doorpost to save their children. The Egyptians, similar to those against infant baptism, did not sprinkle blood on their doorpost, and all of their firstborn died (Ex. 12:24-28). Neither the firstborn of Israel or Egypt showed any faith. However, the difference was, that those of faith believed for their children while the Egyptians did not believe for their children. If the anti-infant baptism mentality was around, Israel would have ended up with dead babies, just as the Egyptians. Who in the New Covenant should we imitate? The mentality that would have produced dead babies, or the parents who believed for their children and put them in the Covenant of the family of God , and thus saved their children?

We see later in Joshua that God punished the nation of Israel, and those with Joshua because they had not circumcised their children (Joshua 5:2-7.) It was not until all the children were circumcised did God remove the reproach of Egypt from them (Josh. 5:8-9).

We thus see that God puts his children into the Old Covenant through the faith of their parents and grace. Are we to assume that even though in the Old Covenant that children are included in it by their parents faith for them and obedience for them by having them circumcised, that the children are not to be brought into the new covenant? Hardly!!! After all, the grace of the New Covenant far exceeds that of the Old Covenant. Romans 5:15 says,

“But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man's trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift in the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many."

We see in the Old Covenant that the people who are in God’s covenant, are put into the covenant of faith, for the most part, by the faith of their parents, as shown in the covenant that God established with Abraham, and by the parents sprinkling the blood on the doorposts for their firstborn. Is there any hint that in the New Covenant that children are not be included in the covenant, and thus we should deny baptism to them? The rationale given for this idea is that one must repent before they should be baptized (Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38). How does the idea of circumcision in the Old Covenant relate to the New Covenant? Paul writes about this in Colossians 2:11-14, where he refers to circumcision when he writes of baptism:

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of flesh in the circumcision of Christ;

12 and you were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

13 And you, who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

Paul specifically declares that baptism replaces circumcision in the New Covenant. What does baptism do? Put off the body of flesh, forgives trespasses, and raises them up. We saw earlier that children were born in sin (even if it is only original sin, according to David and Paul). They thus need the cleansing of baptism. Thus, Paul, mentioning in passing, as a matter that everybody should know, that baptism , which forgives sins, (See also Acts 2:38, Acts 22:16, Rom. 6:3-4, etc.) replaces Circumcision. Romans 5:15 shows that the grace in the New Covenant is far greater than the old (where God commands Abraham that the children in the Old Covenant must be circumcised or else the children would be cut off from covenant with God). It follows naturally that children would enter the new covenant that Paul is writing of through baptism. He makes no disclaimer that circumcision in the Old Covenant was for babies, but baptism is only for those “of an age of reason” in the New Covenant.

In Colossians, Paul equates circumcision with baptism. Circumcision was done on the 8th day, and of course, without the infant's consent or belief. As we saw earlier in Genesis 17:14, and following, we saw that uncircumcised infants are outside of God's covenant. If circumcision gave spiritual benefits (Gen. 17:14, the part of being within the covenant), how much more would baptism? Since the OT covenant promise applied even to infants, the NT covenant would as well.

Acts 2:38

And Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is to you and to your children and to all that are far off, every one whom the Lord our God calls to him."

Peter talks of the promise and how to get forgiveness of sin. What is the promise in regards to salvation? The promise of the Father of our Faith, Abraham (Rom. 4, Gal. 4). We see that this promise that was made to Abraham is now made to the believers in the New Covenant. Who does this promise include? Only those who are of an age of reason? No, according to Peter it is to you and your children. Children are thus included in this promise. All the believers were Jews, who had been brought up in the Old Covenant, and realized that children were included in covenants that God made with his children. It would have been unthinkable that in a new covenant with greater grace, that now all of a sudden they would have been excluded. Peter confirms this idea, all the more, when he says this promise is for you, and your children. When they heard Peter give this promise, they no doubt brought their children to be baptized. If the children were not to be included, there would have been a great controversy, and Peter would have had to have said, “Well, even though I said the promise included children, this baptism can only come when we reach this age of reason, that they could choose for themselves.” There was no controversy only because children were not to be excluded in the New Covenant.

How are we to come to Jesus in the New Covenant? Jesus proclaimed that we must come to him as children, Matthew 18:2-5:

2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, 3 and said, "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.

Notice that we must come to Jesus in the New Covenant, as children. It would be strange to say that we must come to him as children, but then exclude the very children he proclaims that we must be like, from entering communing with him through baptism!!! This definitely has baptismal implications, especially since he says in my name. In Acts 2:38 it is used of baptism in Jesus name. the New Testament talks about people being baptized "in the name of Jesus," , or Jesus Christ. There are four such passages (Acts 2:38, 8:16, 10:48, and 19:5); It means to baptize in the authority of Jesus. Thus, when Jesus uses the phrase to welcome the children in my name, he definitely has in mind, that this would be a reference to baptism. Now unlike the oneness Pentecostals, we baptize per Jesus’ commission in the “name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19), but this specific reference in the gospel, when compared with the baptism in Acts, shows that baptism is in Jesus’ mind here. God does not work in coincidences. BTW, in this great commission he said to baptize all nations (includes the people in that nation, whether adult believers, or their children).

We have seen in the Old Covenant through Abraham and Moses that God commanded that they circumcise their children who had absolutely no say in the matter. In Jesus’ teaching, is their any hint as well, that spiritual blessing and forgiveness can be given through the faith of others? In Matthew 9:2-6, we see:

2 And behold, they brought to him a paralytic, lying on his bed; and when Jesus saw their faith he said to the paralytic, "Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven." 3 And behold, some of the scribes said to themselves, "This man is blaspheming." 4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? 5 For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise and walk'? 6 But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins" --he then said to the paralytic--"Rise, take up your bed and go home."

Notice it was not the paralytic who chose for himself to accept Jesus words. It was the faith of his friends, which provided not only his physical restoration, but most importantly the forgiveness of his sins!! We also see in Mark 5, a Father acting on behalf of her dying daughter, saying:

22 Then came one of the rulers of the synagogue, Ja'irus by name; and seeing him, he fell at his feet, 23 and besought him, saying, "My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live."

We see later in fact, over the guffaws of many who might have thought, “well, this daughter should have believed for herself!! Nobody could believe for her”, Jesus responding to the faith of her Father. In fact she was now dead. However, Jesus, acting on the faith of her Father, restored her to life.

But do we have any indications of any households being baptized that would include infants? “The indications are fairly clear. Lydia was converted by Paul's preaching. "She was baptized, with her household" (Acts 16:15). The Philippian jailer whom Paul and Silas had converted to the faith, who had been about to commit suicide when they were miraculously freed from their imprisonment, was baptized that night along with his household. We are told that "the same hour of the night . . . he was baptized, with all his family" (Acts 16:33). And in his greetings to the Corinthians, Paul recalled that, "I did baptize also the household of Stephanas." In all these cases, whole households or families were baptized. This means more than just the spouse; the children too were included. (1 Cor. 1:16, also, Acts 18:8). If one is against infant baptism, one would have to argue that in not one of these households (Acts 11:14 implies household baptism, as well) were there any babies, or small children below the age of reason. The term oikos, (or household), normally refers to and would include small children or infants. If only one of those households had infants or small children, infant baptism is right there. It is very unlikely that there were no small children in any of the households. This was a world with no reliable form of birth control. Furthermore, if given the New Testament pattern of household baptism, there were to be exceptions to this rule (such as infants), they would be spelled out.”

To prove it further, I take them back to Acts 16 and tell them of the passage of Lydia who sold purple. I state that the Bible shows that God touched Lydia's heart and she became a believer after hearing the Word by and through Paul, and as a result, Paul baptized her household because of her belief. I tell them that it does not say God touched the hearts of her family, neither whether the family were true believers, but baptism was given because of her faith.

If any disagreers are still resisting or doubting, usually informing me that the Bible does not say infants were included in the household of Lydia, I informed them again that Acts 16:31, says, "..AND THY HOUSE" and insist that is everyone in a house is sanctified accordingly by one believer minimum. Yes, all are still accountable and responsible in time for what they do after baptism, but baptism cleanses them from original sin nevertheless and gives them grace.”

However, the grace that is given in infant baptism makes it easier for him to come to the conclusion that Jesus is Lord, than one without that grace given at baptism. The child who is baptized as an infant should be nurtured in the faith, no doubt. All parents are commanded to “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it”, Proverbs 22:6. Us Catholics must admit that many Catholic parents do not do what they were commanded to do this very thing at their infant's baptism.

Nevertheless, what do we do with the idea that one should repent and believe before they are baptized? As I just said, for those who by God’s grace are of the age of reason, and who have the ability to believe, they must believe for baptism. Nevertheless, those who have no ability to believe should not be denied, because of a principle well established in the Bible. Biblical commands must be looked at in context, and with common sense. For example, let us look at a similar command by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, where he unambiguously writes:

For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: If any one will not work, let him not eat.

Many in the camp of Thessalonians were not working, because they were expecting the Lord to come. Paul writes that those who do not work, should not eat. No exceptions seem to be given. Well, using the same line that those against Infant baptism argue, should we say that we should starve infants (or wives who do not work, or old people unable to) because they do not work? Of those against infant baptism that I know, not one of them starves their children because of the command in 2nd Thessalonians 3:10. They use common sense in appropriating the verse. The principle that is established, is that those who have the ability to work, should work. Those who do not have the ability, such as infants and Old people are also given food, even when they are unable to work. God works through family. In the same way in reference to baptism, those who have not been baptized and are of the age of reason to believe, should believe before they get baptized. However, just as we do not deny food to infants per 2 Thes. 3:10, neither should we deny babies the sacrament of salvation, who are unable to choose for themselves.

With these principles established, we can say that Infant Baptism is indeed Biblical, and one should never forbid the Children from entering the covenant established by Christ. After all, Jesus did say, Mt. 19:14:

Let the little children come to me, and do not forbid them, for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”(Mt. 19:14)

Sprinkling is the only Christian baptism

1) Baptism, as a sacrament of the Lord’s house, is an emblematic ordinance.
(2) It is the emblem or sign of the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

(3) As a sign of the Spirit’s baptism, it derives its name, its nature, its mode, and its very existence from its original; so that, as one is to the soul, so the other is to the body.

(4) As sprinkling is the only mode of the Spirit’s baptism, this alone settles the question, and demonstrates sprinkling to be the only mode of baptism, both of the Spirit and of water as its sign.

(5) That God ordained sprinkling by positive law as the only mode of baptism, both of the Spirit and of water as its sign.

(6) That for 1,500 years the Jewish church practiced sprinkling alone for baptism by God’s expressed and oft-repeated command.

(7) That when Christ and John the Baptist came and practiced the same baptism, in its improved form, they found the whole Jewish nation in the daily practice of sprinkling for baptism, and not a word was said, or any information given, of the law being repealed, or the old mode being changed.

(8) I proved that when God ordained sprinkling as the mode of His baptism, He had an infinite reason for so doing; and as human nature and salvation from sin are the same now as they ever were, that divine reasoning favor of sprinkling still continues, and must continue to the end of time.

(9) That the mode was essential to the ordinance, and that the least variation here was suicidal; that the shadow must conform strictly to the substance—the picture to the original.

(10) That two things were necessary to the validity of this, and every other emblematic ordinance: (1) an exact conformity of the sign to the thing signified; and (2) to use the sign with an enlightened faith in the thing signified. Therefore, sprinkling was the only mode of baptism, because any other mode violated both of thee conditions, and, of course, nullified the sacrament by making it a nonentity—an unmeaning ceremony.

(11) I proved that immersion for baptism was a senseless absurdity, from the fact that it could not represent the Spirit’s action upon the soul, and as this is the only thing the mode of baptism can represent, hence, immersion is just as absurd as for you to sit for your picture and when you receive it from the artist it proves not to be your likeness at all, but the likeness of a jackass! This is no burlesque, but the sober, honest truth; for immersion has no more resemblance to the Spirit’s work than the one picture has to the other.

(12) That there is no immersion in the word “baptize”; that in the Bible it has but one meaning—salvation from sin by sprinkling; that no writer, either of the New or Old Testament, ever spoke of the mode of the Spirit’s baptism, or that of its emblem—water—but as a sprinkling (sprinkling and pouring being, as we have seen, the same mode).

And for these reasons, ant one of which would be sufficient to establish any truth in the universe, but altogether they ought to force conviction into the darkest mind, and overcome the prejudices of the hardest heart, and satisfy every conscience that sprinkling alone is baptism.

Can the faith of the parents save the kids without Baptism? Where does it say in the Bible not to baptize infants?

The children in a family are part of the father and mother. When people are saved, it is God's desire to save their family. God has given us children as a blessing to train for Him and His glory. Jesus received little children, even infants and toddlers, to bless them and told his disciples not to reject them ( Luk. 18:15-17). God has created us in such a way that when we are small children we accept what our parents say without question or doubt. They will believe what their parents say about who God is and what He has done for them. They will believe what we teach them about Jesus. When they trust in Christ, their faith is genuine, however they are immature.

We believe that our children are gifts of the Lord. We are responsible to train them according to His Word not only at home and in church, but in school as well." If we send our children’s from the childhood to True Christian schools it provides an opportunity for our child to witness for Christ. Child will learn to view life from Gods perspective .If we send them to godless, secular schools, is it a surprise that they grow up to think and act like the rest of the godless world? The Bible does not teach that children should be exposed to all kinds of sin. Children do not grow spiritually stronger in a negative non-Christian environment. Standards for morality must be taken from Scripture alone, not from situations as often taught in non Christian schools. Watchman Nee a Christian author and church leader during the early 20th century in his book he has beautifully explained about the household salvation.

When God saves man, He takes the whole family, rather than an individual, as a unit. some children born into our fleshly family. We should make sure that they are born into our spiritual family also. We cannot just beget them into the world; The Lord has placed them in our hands ,we still must bring them to the Lord.

In the Bible most of those who bore some responsibility were the heads of households. The head of a family has the special responsibility before God for bringing his whole household to the Lord and to His service. You need to take your stand as the head of your family to declare that your household will believe in the Lord and that you will not tolerate anyone who will not believe. The head of the household can decide for his entire household. Even if the little children do not believe, you can still say that your household will believe in the Lord, because this household is yours and not your children's. You are responsible for your household, not your children. You can declare Joshua 24:15 before the Lord and before your whole family: "As for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah." You have to acknowledge that your family is a believer's family. You need to declare this by faith, and you need to put your wife and children on this ground. Always lay hold of this fact: I am the head of my family, and my family will believe in God. My household will not believe in the devil. I have decided that this family will be a family that worships God. I have decided that this family will be a family that believes in the Lord. If you declare this with faith, and if you exercise your authority to take the lead, your children will go along.

I believe the head of every household should make the declaration of Joshua 24:15. You should gather your children and dependents together and tell them, "As for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah." Then as long as you are in the household, your household will serve the Lord. The household is yours, and you have the power to decide whether this house will serve the Lord. When you take this stand, everyone who is under you will come to the Lord; they will have no other way to take


There is no single Biblical verse NOT to Baptize infants. Jesus Christ said in Matt 28:19, "GO, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit..."

He did not say adults only did he? Did he ever put an age limit to receive Baptism?

Acts 22:16, "and now WHY DO YOU DELAY? Get up and be Baptized and wash away your sins, calling on his name."

So why do you delay in Baptizing your children?

Acts 2:38, But Peter said to them, "Repent and be Baptized every one of you..."

I would say that verse would include everyone, including infants and children of all ages. Peter did not say to leave your infants at home.



Acts 16:15, "And when she and her household had been Baptized..."

Did her household have infants maybe? Did Luke say "everyone in her household except infants"?



Acts 16:33, "And he took them at that very hour of the night and washed their wounds; and he and ALL his family were baptized immediately."

Again, were infants excepted here?



1Cor 1:16, "I Baptized also the household of Stephanas..."

Did Paul say "everyone except infants"?



Luke 3:21, "Now it came to pass when all the people had been baptized..."

Aren't infants part of "all the people"?



He also said in John 3:5, "...unless a man be born again of water and the Spirit HE CANNOT ENTER INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD."

How are they to come to Him unless they are Baptized?

Those who say not to Baptize infants clearly have a Biblical conflict here, and they risk the salvation of the souls of their children.



There are several examples in the Bible where it shows that salvation is a matter of the whole household, not individuals.



1)Genesis 7:1 says, "And the Lord said unto Noah, Come thous and all thy house into the ark," and 1 Peter 3:20 says, "A few, that is, eight souls, were brought safely through by water."

The ark was not for an individual; it was for the whole house. In Genesis 6 we see a man who was righteous before God -- Noah. The Bible does not say that the sons and daughters-in-law of Noah were righteous. The Bible only says that Noah was a righteous man before God. However, when God prepared a way of salvation for Noah, He commanded Noah's whole house to enter the ark. Therefore, the household, not an individual, entered the ark.


2)Genesis 17:12-13 says, "Every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed. He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant."

God called Abraham and made a covenant with him, saying, "I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee" (v.7). The sign of the covenant between God and Abraham was circumcision. All who were circumcised belonged to God, and all who were not circumcised were not of God. God also told Abraham that his whole household needed to be circumcised, including those who were born in his house and those who were bought with his money. Therefore, the promise of circumcision was not given to Abraham alone but to his whole household. Circumcision takes the household as a unit. God's promise came to Abraham's house, not to him alone.


3)Exodus 12:3-7 says, "Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for a house...and they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper doorpost of the houses, wherein they shall eat it."

The Passover lamb was clearly given to a household, not to an individual. Again we see the importance of a household before God. The Passover lamb had to do with a household, it was not an individual matter. A lamb was not prepared for each person, but for each household. The blood struck on the doorpost and side posts was to protect the whole household. The angel of destruction would pass over a whole household.

If one man eats the lamb, it means that only he is being saved. But if the whole household eats the lamb, it means that the whole household is being saved. Salvation is for the whole household. The whole household eats the lamb, and similarly the whole household strikes the blood. The whole household enjoys these things together.

4)God's promise of the priesthood was also for a whole house. It was not for one or two individuals. Numbers 18:1 says, "And Jehovah said to Aaron, You and your sons and your father's house with you shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary."

Verse 11 says, "This also is yours, the heave offering of their gift, all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual due; every one who is clean in your house may eat of it." God gave all the sacrifices and offerings to the house of Aaron. The sacrifices were for the house of Aaron, not for Aaron alone. This is because God accepts the house as a whole. Please remember that the priesthood was for Aaron's house, not for Aaron alone. The priesthood took the household as a unit.

5)Joshua 2:19 says, "Anyone who goes forth from the doors of your house into the street, his blood will be upon his own head, and we will be innocent. And whoever is with you in the house, his blood will be upon our heads if a hand should come upon him." Joshua 6:17 says, "And the city shall be devoted to Jehovah for destruction, it and all that is in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in her house, because she hid the messengers we sent."

Here we see Rahab the harlot and her household being saved. What did she do? She received the spies. When she received the spies, God gave her a sign. She was to tie a line of scarlet thread in the window. All who were in the house which had the scarlet thread were spared, while the rest of the inhabitants of Jericho were killed. The scarlet thread signifies salvation. The scarlet-thread salvation saved Rahab's household; it did not save just her.

We need to be very clear about the scope of salvation. Chapter two of Joshua gives the promise, and chapter six gives the actual execution. Both the promise in chapter two and the execution in chapter six show us that Rahab's whole household was saved. All who were in the house which had the scarlet thread were saved. God's salvation is for the whole household, not for individuals.

6. Second Samuel 6:11 says, "And the ark of Jehovah remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and Jehovah blessed Obed-edom and all his household."

Rahab was not the head of her house; she had a father. But Rahab held to God, and her household was blessed and saved. It is very good if you are the head of your household because you can speak for your household. But even if you are not the head of your household, you can still speak in faith as Rahab, saying, "Lord, turn my household to You to receive Your graceand blessing."

7)Deuteronomy 12:7 says, "There you shall eat before Jehovah your God, and you and your households shall rejoice in all your undertakings, in which Jehovah your God has blessed you." You and your household receive the blessing of God and rejoice therein.

Deuteronomy 14:26 says, "You shall exchange the money for anything that your soul desires, for oxen, for sheep, for wine, for strong drink, or for anything that your soul would like; and you and your household shall eat there before Jehovah your God and rejoice."

Have you seen this? God promised the Israelites that they would eat, drink and rejoice before God on that day household by household. In other words, blessing is for the household, not for the individual.

1. The House of Zaccheus

Luke 19:9 says, "Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house." This is wonderful. The New Testament declares the same principle. I am afraid that many people have been preaching for over twenty years about personal salvation only. However, the Lord tells us that "salvation has come to this house."

When you preach the gospel, you must pay attention to household salvation. You must not look merely for individual salvation. If you truly believe and expect this, your work will undergo a great change. This depends entirely on your faith and expectation. If you expect others to come to the Lord one by one, they will come one by one. If you believe that they will come household by household, they will come household by household. The scope of God's salvation is the household. You must not make this scope smaller than it should be.

2. The Household of a Nobleman

John 4:53 says, "Then the father knew that it was in that hour in which Jesus said to him, Your son lives; and he believed, he and his whole house." Here only one person was healed -- the son. However, the Bible says that "he believed, he and his whole household." You can lay hold of this fact before the Lord. Although the son was the one who directly received His grace, the whole household turned and believed. Our hope and expectation is that we would bear fruit in such a prevailing way.

3. The Household of Cornelius

Acts 10:2 says that Cornelius was "devout and one who feared God with all his household, giving many alms to the people and beseeching God continually," and 11:14 says, "...who will speak words to you by which you shall be saved, you and all your house."

Cornelius's entire household was saved; it was not just one person who was saved. Cornelius invited his relatives and close friends to hear the worlds of Peter. While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were in Cornelius's house, and all of them received salvation.

4. The Household of Lydia

Acts 16:15 says, "She was baptized, as well as her household." The apostle preached the gospel to Lydia's household, and the whole household believed and was baptized.

5. The Household of the Jailer

Acts 16:31 says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." This is one of the most outstanding verses in Christianity. Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household. God's Word does not say that if you believe on the Lord Jesus, you and your household shall receive eternal life. It says that if you believe on the Lord Jesus, you and your household will be saved.

Throughout the entire Old Testament, God dealt with man by households. Likewise in the New Testament, He deals with man by households. This is the smallest unit; one cannot reduce it to a smaller one. If anyone believes in the Lord Jesus, his whole household shall be saved. This is indeed a wonderful thing. I do not know why this is so, but the Lord's Word says it is so. The Old Testament and the New Testament are consistent; both recognize the same unit.

The church in Philippi started with a jailer. Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." Verse 34 says, "And he brought them up into his house and set a table before them; and he exulted because he had believed in God with all his household." Here we see a wonderful picture. In the beginning the promise was given to the jailer; no one else heard it. "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household." Later, the jailer brought his household to Paul. After Paul spoke to them, they were baptized. Then the jailer brought them into his house and set a table before them; and he exulted, having believed in God. "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household' -- this is not something difficult to achieve. The apostle gave the jailer a promise, and his whole household was saved. Everyone listened, everyone was baptized, and everyone exulted.

Suppose the apostle told the jailer, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved." If this was the case, we would have to wait a few days after a person was saved, teach him something, and hope that he would understand. Then he might gradually testify to his family, and his family might eventually believe and be saved. If this had been the case, how long would it have taken for the jailer's household to be saved? The apostle did not preach the gospel this way. He did not deal with individuals one by one, instead, he addressed the whole household. He said, "You and your household" shall be saved. You need to see this: The salvation of a household is no different and certainly no more difficult than the salvation of one person. You should never forfeit the privilege of saving the whole household. If you bring the whole household along, the whole household will be saved.

I hope that when the church preaches the gospel five or ten years form now, household after household will be turning to the Lord. From now on, the goal of our workers in evangelism should be whole households. If our goal is a household, we will gain a household. If our goal is only an individual, we will gain only an individual. God does things according to our faith.

If we are clear about God's way with men, we will not suffer unnecessary loss. God takes a household as a unit. If God gains a person, He should gain his whole family as well, regardless of how many persons there are in that family. I hope you will tell the brothers to rise up household by house hold. Those who are the head of a family have the ground to bring their whole household to the Lord, and they should help their families be saved.

Household salvation means household rejoicing. This is a great matter! If we see that God's dealing with man is by households, we will experience much blessing. We must learn to lay hold of this promise of God.

6. The Household of Crispus

Acts 18:8 says, "Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with his whole household...and were baptized."

In the Bible there are individuals who believed in the Lord and there are households which believed in the Lord. Notice how easy it is for God's grace to come to a household. The whole household of Crispus believed and was baptized.

7. The Promise of Pentecost

Being Given to You and Your Children

Let us consider the condition at Pentecost. Acts 2:39 says, "For to you is the promise and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself."

The promise of Pentecost includes the forgiveness of sins and the receiving of the Holy Spirit. It was given "to you" and "to your children"; it was not merely given "to you." Those who are heads of the family in particular should lay hold of this promise and say, "Lord, Your promise is for me and also for my children. It cannot be mine without my children also being included. I want it for myself, and I want it also for my children."

8. Peace to a House

Luke 10:5-6 says, "Into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house. And if a son of peace is there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall return upon you."

The Lord says that when a person sets out to preach the gospel, he should say as he enters into a house, "Peace to this house." It is not just given to individuals, but to households. If anyone is worthy of peace n a house, peace will come to his entire household. This verse is clear enough. God deals with man by households Thank God, peace comes to man household by household.

9. The Household of Stephanas

First Corinthians 1:16 says, "I did baptize the household of Stephanas also." Here Paul said that he baptized every member of the household of Stephanas. Like the jailer and the house of Lydia, Stephanas's whole household believed and was baptized.

10. The Household of Onesiphorus

Second Timothy 4:19 says, "Greet Prisca and Aquila and the house of Onesiphorus," and 1:16 says, "May the Lord grant mercy to the house of Onesiphorus, for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chain." Here was a family that took care of Paul, a household that was not ashamed of his chain. Notice again that it was not an individual matter but something to do with a household.

These numerous cases provide ample proof in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that God deals with man by households. This is particularly true in the case of salvation; God takes the household as a unit.

We also wee that THE HOUSEHOLD BEING ALSO THE UNIT OF GOD'S PUNISHMENT

We need to see some verses which show that the unit of God's punishment is also the household. When man rebelled against God, God was provoked and He judged man. In judging man He took the household as a unit. God's judgment comes through one man to the entire household, just as God's blessing comes through one man to the netire household. Once we see this, we will take a stand for our household and declare that our household is for the Lord.

A. Pharaoh and His House

Genesis 12:17 says, "The Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues, because of Sarai, Abram's wife." The sin of Pharaoh brought God's plague to his whole household. God punished his whole household. If God's judgment comes to a household, we should expect that His blessing also will come to a household. We are not those under condemnation but those under His blessing.

B. The House of Abimelech

Genesis 20:18 says, "For the Lord had fast closed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham's wife." God closed up all the wombs of the women of the house of Abimelech. His whole household was punished, not just one or two men.

C. The House of David

Second Samuel 12:10-11 says, "Now therefore the sword will not depart from your house forever because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says Jehovah, I will now raise up trouble against you from within your house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and will give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun."

After David sinned, God did not rebuke and punish him individually. He said, "Now therefore the sword will not depart from your house." This is very clear. David sinned individually, but the result was that his whole household was judged by God. In God's eyes the people of this world are divided into households, not individuals. We need to come to God household by household.

D. The House of Jeroboam

First Kings 13:34 says, "This matter became a sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as even to cut it off and destroy it from the face of the earth." Jeroboam was the one who set up the idols, but God judged his house and destroyed it from the face of the earth.

First Kings 14:14 says, "Jehovah will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and even now." Jeroboam worshiped idols, but God cut off his house. I do not know why God did this. I can only say that in God's eyes a household is a unit. This is too clear. Unless we purposely ignore this fact, we have no choice but to acknowledge it.

E. The House of Baasha

First Kings 16:3 says, "I am now sweeping up after Baasha and after his house, and I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat." Because of the sin of one man, Baasha, God took away the posterity of Baasha and his house, in the same way that he cut off the house of Jeroboam. God deals with man by households.

F. The House of Ahab

I think one of the most well-known houses in the book of 1 Kings is the house of Ahab. First Kings 211:22 says, "I will make your house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat and like the house of Baasha the son Ahijam because of the provocation by which you have provoked Me to anger and caused Israel to sin." Why did God deal with the house of Ahab? Because Ahab provoked God. Ahab was an evil king in the Old Testament. God said that He would deal with his house as He dealt with the house of Jeroboam and the house of Baasha. The entire house would be cut off. The unit of God's dealing is the household. This is more than clear and obvious.

G. The Households of Dathan and Abiram

We will consider one last portion which illustrates our point quite clearly. Deuteronomy 11:6 says, "And what He did to Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben, when the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up and their households and their tents and all their substance that went with them, from the midst of all Israel." When Dathan and Abiram sinned, God opened the earth and swallowed not only Dathan and Abiram, but also their households.

In the Bible, both on the positive side and on the negative side and both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, all records show clearly that God deals with man by households. Brothers, we need to take care of how we live before God, because what we do individually can affect our whole household.

One of the greatest failures of the Protestants is that they are too loose with their next generation; they allow their next generation to have the freedom to choose their own faith. The Catholics do not have to preach the gospel. Their increase through natural birth alone is greater than the increase the Protestants have in a lifetime; Have you seen Catholics preaching the gospel on street corners like the Salvation Army? No. They just propagate through natural birth, generation after generation. Two become four, and four become eight. Every Roman Catholic child automatically becomes a Roman Catholic. The Catholics do not pay much attention to increase from the outside. As long as a person is born into Catholicism, he is dragged into the religion whether or not he eventually becomes a true believer. It is no wonder that the Catholic population exceeds the Protestant population by more than three times. Do not be nonchalant in this matter, and do not allow your own children to drift away.

Let me repeat: A new believer needs to declare right from the start that his household belongs to the Lord. Not only must he be the Lord's individually; he also must declare that his household is the Lord's. Take full control of this matter, and it will be done for you.