Proverbs 3:33

33 The curse of the Lord is on the house of the wicked, but He blesses the home of the just.

Whose home does God bless? How can God use you to bring blessing to your family?

In this lesson, we are going to examine how we can influence God’s blessing on our family. This verse in Proverbs shows us how our obedience to him can bring benefit to our family. These benefits don’t come because of our goodness, but rather because God has promised his blessings to his children. Nevertheless, we participate in God’s plan by following his precepts and honoring him in our family life. The first way we influence our family is by accepting Christ as our Savior. The wicked in this verse refer to all those who reject God, and the just refer to all those who have made a commitment to God. If you want your family to be blessed, you must accept Christ as your personal Savior, and you must be willing to serve God.

Psalm 103:17-18

17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children's children,

18 To such as keep His covenant, and to those who remember His commandments to do them.

What is God’s promise to those who keep his covenant? What do these verse speak to you about your responsibility as a parent?

These are some of the great verses of God’s promises to the Christian family. What we do will influence our children and even their children. We know our descendants have to choose for themselves to serve God, but we are promised God’s mercy toward our family. As Binnie explains, "The family is honored in the Psalms, because it has a very honorable place assigned it in God’s economy of salvation. Christian families are ordained to be nurseries for heaven."

This should make us realize the immense responsibility we have to keep God’s covenant. It is our duty as parents to be the kind of influence that will mold and train our children and even our grandchildren. God has promised us his blessings. We may not be perfect parents or grandparents, but the important thing is that we honor God and place him first in our family life. If we do this, the impact on our family can be for two generations and even more as our children and grandchildren choose to honor God.

Acts 10:22-24, 30-33, 44-48

Next, we examine the story of a Roman centurion and his influence on his family recorded in Acts 10. I believe we can learn from Cornelius’ actions how we need to respond to God in order for our family to be saved.

22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."

What does verse 22 tell us about Cornelius’ prayer life? How important is your prayer life for the spiritual well-being of your family?

We see that Cornelius is already serving God. It was during one of his times of prayer that he is instructed by an angel to send for Peter. The point is Cornelius was willing to spend time alone with God and was willing to hear instruction. The fact that God would dispatch an angel to bring this message to Cornelius speaks of the importance of this mission. God does not always send us an angel, but if we spend regular time alone with him in prayer, we will receive instruction on how to treat our family. As we allow God’s spirit to minister to us, we will discover the spiritual well-being of our family will grow. As Paul told the woman married to an unbeliever in

1 Corinthians 7:13-14, "And the woman which hath an husband that believeth not, and if he be pleased to dwell with her, let her not leave him. For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife...."

23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24 And the following day they entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them, and had called together his relatives and close friends.

What does verse 24 tell you about Cornelius’ concern for the spiritual welfare of his family? How can we call our family together today?

Notice that Cornelius called his whole family and close friends together to hear this message. We are not told how willing all his family members or friends were to come, but he didn’t hesitate to let them all know about it. He was concerned for their spiritual welfare and so he did something about it. He didn’t just wait for when his family members or friends were ready to hear the message. He felt it was important to bring them together to hear Peter’s message.

Gathering your family together for a time of prayer and Bible reading will help them to experience true spiritual growth. Making sure that you spend time as a family is also important. When our boys were growing up, some of the greatest times of blessing were when we gathered around the dinner table. We always prayed before our meals. And then we would share with each other what was happening in our day. Many times, my sons would ask spiritual questions or share some trouble they were facing in school. Gathering the family together where each member is made to feel important is an essential part of spiritual growth.

The most important way, I believe, we minister to our families is by example. We tell our family by our actions what is important to us. It is a fact that our attitude toward attending church and being faithful to God in our lives will have a profound influence on our family. How important is it to you to have your family with you in church? I know some think that they can serve God at home. And it is true that it is more important for us to serve God at home than at church. However, by gathering the family together for a time of worship with other believers is sending a clear message to the family of the importance of this activity. I have seen parents who could get by spiritually with a hit and miss approach to church, but invariably their children departed from the faith after they grew up because it was simply not that important in their family. God still uses the church as the main focus of ministering to his spiritual family. We cannot neglect this if we are to be a strong family.

30 So Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting until this hour; and at the ninth hour I prayed in my house, and behold, a man stood before me in bright clothing,

31 "and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.

32 ‘Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter. He is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.’

33 "So I sent to you immediately, and you have done well to come. Now therefore, we are all present before God, to hear all the things commanded you by God."

What actions were necessary for Cornelius to take to bring this blessing to his family? What does verse 33 tell us about their willingness to receive instruction? How willing are you to be taught new things from God’s messengers?

Cornelius had been praying for his family and had been fasting. If we are not willing to spend some time alone with God, we cannot expect God’s blessing on our families. Prayer is important. God responded to Cornelius’ prayer by sending an angel with instructions. God will respond to our prayers also. Observe that Cornelius had to be willing to receive the instructions from God. Too often, we know what God wants us to do, but we neglect to follow his instructions. Cornelius was not this way. He tells Peter, "so I sent to you immediately."

God may not send an angel to your home, but he uses many messengers today. I believe the most important messengers he uses in our lives is his word and that still small voice speaking in our heart. But he also uses ministers, whether at church, on the radio or television, or in commentaries and books. He can use friends who are also believers. Sometimes he will teach us through the words of a song or a poem. Even life’s circumstances can sometimes be a message from God. Are we willing to hear his voice? Are we willing to follow his instructions?

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who heard the word.

45 And those of the circumcision who believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

46 For they heard them speak with tongues and magnify God. Then Peter answered,

47 "Can anyone forbid water, that these should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"

What was the result of Cornelius’ obedience and faithfulness? What do you need to change to be more like Cornelius?

Because of Cornelius’ obedience, his whole family was saved. God gave to Cornelius and his family, who were Gentiles, the same gift of the Holy Spirit he gave to the Apostles on the day of Pentecost. Verse 45 tells us the Jews were astonished. In God’s plan of things Cornelius’ family was just as important as all the apostles and leaders of the early church. This result came because of Cornelius’ obedience. What blessings does God have for your family? Are you willing to be obedient to God’s instructions for you?

48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked him to stay a few days.

Why would Cornelius want Peter to stay with them a few more days?

I think this verse is an important addition to the story of Cornelius. I believe the centurion understood the significance of what God had done. I’m sure he felt overflowing with God’s spiritual blessings. But he realized that not all of the members of his family or his friends had been as close to God as he had been. Perhaps this was confusing to some of them, or maybe they had questions. So he asked Peter and the believers from Jerusalem to stay with them a few more days so they could receive additional instruction. That way they could learn more about this Jesus of Nazareth who had so profoundly changed their lives.

Acts 16:30-33

Cornelius was already serving God when he took actions to gather his family to hear the important message God sent through Peter. But in Acts 16 we have another example of someone who led his family to the Lord. But this was not planned or organized. The Philippian jailer was in danger of losing his life if his prisoners escaped. He sensed that God had caused the earthquake that had loosed the prisoners and opened the prison doors, and he was probably terrified. Sometimes God will cause frightening events to happen in our life so that we may turn to him.

30 And he brought them out and said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

31 So they said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household."

How can our commitment to Christ influence other family members to be saved? What do you need to change to be a better influence on your family?

In verse 31 Paul tells the jailer, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household." I find this interesting. Paul knew that the jailer’s decision would have a profound influence on his family. But it is the same in our families. Our actions have consequences. We can be an influence for God in our family, or an influence for sin. Each of us face times when we realize that we need to change our behavior – that we may be having a negative spiritual influence on our family. If there are family problems, we always like to blame everyone else for them. But the fact of life is that it is up to us to assume our share of the blame, and to ask God to help us to change. Our faith must take action. Sometimes a traumatic situation in the family will cause us to realize the necessity of change. It was a traumatic event in the life of the jailer that would have an eternal influence on him and his family.

32 Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house.

33 And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized.

Why were all in the jailer’s house so willing to listen to Paul’s presentation of the gospel?

I believe that before the family made their commitment to Christ, they saw a real change in the jailer’s attitude. He may have been a cruel man. Most jailer would naturally have to be. But notice in verse 33 he is taking the prisoners and washing their stripes – perhaps stripes that he himself inflicted. His family saw the change in him, and so were ready to hear Paul’s message.

Adam Clark comments, "Thus, by teaching him and all that were in his house the doctrine of the Lord, they plainly pointed out to them the way of salvation. And it appears that he and his whole family, who were capable of receiving instructions, embraced this doctrine, and showed the sincerity of their faith by immediately receiving baptism."

I believe we can apply this lesson of the jailer to our own family. Has our family seen a change in us? Do they see evidences of Christian behavior in the way we handle difficulties, conflicts, and frustration. If they do, they will be more willing to hear the gospel message that we preach. Our most influential sermon is not the words we say, but the life we lead. What in your life do you need to change so that your family will see Christ in you?

Footnotes:

This study on A Family Bound Together by God © 1998 by David Humpal. All rights reserved.

All scriptures unless otherwise noted are from the New King James Version © 1984, Thomas Nelson Publishers

Binnie: quoted in Barnes’ Notes on the Old Testament, Psalms, vol. 3, pg. 364, Baker Book House

1 Corinthians 7:13-14 from the King James Version

Adam Clark’s Commentary, electronic version © 1996 by Biblesoft