act 16v34 All His House
"ALL HIS HOUSE"
Acts
In the 16th chapter of Acts,
the Holy Spirit directs our attention to the Philippian jailor and "all his house". He gives us seven instructive pictures
of that family.
(1) THE
JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE WERE LOST AND PERISHING.
This man and his family lived in the prison compound at
(2) God
saw to it that THE JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE HEARD
THE GOSPEL. The Lord arranged an earthquake to open the door for the gospel
to be preached to this jailor at
(3) THE
JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE BELIEVED ON CHRIST. Each
one heard the gospel of redeeming love and saving grace. Each one believed. And
each one was saved.
(4) THE
JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE CONFESSED CHRIST IN BAPTISM.
In the middle of the night Paul and Silas took the old jailor, his wife, his
sons, his daughters, and his servants down to the prison bath and baptized
them. All who were baptized were believers; and all who believed were baptized.
Immediately upon their profession of faith, they confessed Christ, being buried
with him in the watery grave.
(5) THE
JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE SERVED CHRIST. Believing and being baptized, each one seems
to have said, "What can I do for Christ?" And they did what was at
hand: they served the needs of God's
messengers. They washed their stripes, fed them, and entertained them willingly
at a most unaccommodating time.
(6) THE
JAILOR AND ALL HIS HOUSE REJOICED IN THE LORD.
Faith in Christ caused them to rejoice. They were forgiven, justified, accepted
in Christ, and heirs of eternal life. Why should they not rejoice?
(7)
Though it is not written in the text, it is clearly revealed that THE JAILOR
AND ALL HIS HOUSE ARE NOW IN GLORY.
There, seated before the throne of the Lamb is the jailor, his wife, all
his children, and all his servants. What a delightful picture! I cannot help asking myself this question:
Will all my house be there with me? Will yours? May
God be so gracious, to you and to me.