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Yes, in
some cases both the believer and his household will be saved, for in the book
of the Acts of the apostles it is written that when an angel of God appeared
to Cornelius he said to Cornelius to send to Joppa for Simon Peter, who would
tell him words by which he and all his household would be saved. Here are the
words of the holy angel: “Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose
surname is Peter; Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house
shall be saved” (Acts 11:13-14).
According to the book of the Acts of the apostles, Lydia also, who was from
the city of Thyatira, believed on the Lord with all her household, as it is
written: “And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of
Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that
she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was
baptized, and her household, she besought us, saying, If ye have judged me to
be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she
constrained us” (Acts 16:14-15).
The same thing is said by the Scripture about the keeper of the prison in Philippi,
as it is written: “And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all
that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and
washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when
he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced,
believing in God with all his house” (Acts 16:32-34).
Another person who believed on the Lord with all his household was Crispus,
as it is written: “And Crispus, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on
the Lord with all his house; and many of the Corinthians hearing believed,
and were baptized” (Acts 18:8).
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But in
some other cases, not all his household will be saved. Let me explain to you
why. Jesus said: “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not
to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against
his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law
against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own
household” (Matthew 10:34-36); it is evident, therefore, that in this case
since the enemies of a disciple of Christ will be those of his own household,
not all members of his household will believe on the Lord and be saved. Jesus
said also that “Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the
father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall
cause them to be put to death” (Mark 13:12). Therefore, it is evident that
when Jesus returns there will be households divided against themselves. The
fact also that Jesus said that on that night “two people will be in one bed;
one will be taken and the other left” (Luke 17:34 – NIV),
confirms what I have just said because it is evident that Jesus principally
referred to married people. Another thing that confirms this is the fact that
Paul wrote the following words to those believers who had an unbelieving spouse:
“But to the rest speak I, not the Lord: If any brother hath a wife that
believeth not, and she be pleased to dwell with him, let him not put her
away. 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, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the
husband: else were your children unclean; but now are they holy. But if the
unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under
bondage in such cases: but God hath called us to peace. For what knowest
thou, O wife, whether thou shalt save thy husband? or how knowest thou, O
man, whether thou shalt save thy wife?” (1 Corinthians 7:12-16)
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