(ii) SALVATION IN THE HOUSE

Kenneth Robinson

Acts 11: 13-15; Luke 19: 9, 10

I desire to add a word because each of these scriptures refer to salvation. I would commend to our young brother and sister today that they get a real personal sense of an impression from Jesus. It is a wonderful truth to get a hold of, the truth of salvation. Salvation from our sins, from the world, from place, are all great aspects of this truth that have come out and have come within the scope and understanding, and also enjoyment of the believer. I trust that everyone here knows salvation from his or her sins. I trust every young person here has an impression of the value of the saving power of Jesus, the saving power of the work of Jesus, and especially the saving power of the blood of Jesus. How important that is! As you think of two souls getting married, two believers, to me that is a great victory that a young brother and sister, as having individually come to know the current love of Jesus, so that each of them individually can say, that He is my Saviour, that He died for me and shed His precious blood and I know salvation from my sins. But then, more than that, that He is my Lord. What a wonderful matter it is, as believers, to have a living link with a living Lord, with a glorious Man who becomes the object of your affections and the object of your life. I think that is all part of the words, “who shall speak words to thee whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house”. I am sure our prayers would be that the house that is being set up today under the Lord will prove God’s salvation, prove God’s blessing. I would link the words of salvation with the understanding and use of the scriptures. May the Bible be a ready open book in this new house. May the scriptures be a ready reference as their experience together in life develops, because there is no comparison with the value of a verse of Scripture at any given point in time in your life. We all prove that and desire to prove it more and more as we go on. How important is the currency of the word of God! I trust that every one of us here, every young believer, is more than ever convinced of the inspiration of the scriptures – every Scripture being divinely inspired and suitable for conviction for correction, for all the various features that are brought out in 1 Timothy 3. But think of how Peter, at the threshold in Acts 11, of the opening up of a heavenly testimony and a heavenly vessel in the sheet which comes down out of heaven (see Acts 10: 11), and Peter’s being exhorted and being taught and instructed in it, that this word comes in, “who shall speak words to thee whereby thou shalt be saved, thou and all thy house”.

I would commend these words on household salvation to us all. For our brother and sister, we would desire (as our brother has already referred to the affection that our sister has been held in here in London and the regard that we have for our brother locally in Glasgow) that the Lord may add His blessing to it and that they will be a distinct asset to the locality by way of the features already described in the previous word. We want this household to be an environment of happiness, joy, dependence, dedicated to divine interests and proving therefore the experience of God’s blessing. There may be no house in the street where they will reside that will be like that. I wonder sometimes how much I appreciate it and consider when we look along our local avenues or streets where we may stay, as to the different atmospheres that will be in different homes. What a wonderful consideration to have a Christian home where there is light – light from God regarding Christ, light from God regarding the assembly, because that is what is coming out here, it is assembly light as we know of a heavenly vessel and the truth of the assembly that is being introduced as the sheet is taken up three times. I say to our brother and sister, hold on to every impression you have as to the truth of the assembly. Hold on to every impression and every desire that you have to desire to walk in the light of the assembly in a broken day, seek the Lord’s gracious help to be maintained in that in order that your household enjoys present salvation. How important and how necessary it is that we all continue to prove this in all our households.

Then just a touch in Luke 19 – “salvation is come to this house”, think of this remarkable matter that Zacchaeus has this distinct word from the Lord Jesus and He says it very distinctly to him, “salvation is come to this house, inasmuch as he also is a son of Abraham; for the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost”. I was thinking of that a little this week, what a Giver God has been. God has given His Son for us, God has given His Spirit to us. Think of such truth being brought into a home. The giving of God, a God who has operated in His own purposes, has operated from His own side and demonstrated His own great thoughts in majesty and moral glory being brought out. Such truths give character and build stability into all our homes. A wonderful glorious object to have in our affections is Christ, and more than that He has given His Spirit to us. These are all included in the truth of salvation. So it comes into the house and both our brother and sister should take this on and seek to understand it. Many practical matters have already been referred to; the test will come, should the Lord leave us here, but they can stand so that their house is clearly built on the rock. It is a big change for our young sister to move north, we realise that, and we desire that she may quickly find a place in the affections of the saints locally in Glasgow. But initially the responsibility to work matters out is theirs – individually with the Lord and before the Lord, but now as they take up marriage. There is glory in a marriage in the Lord. It is a bulwark in relation to what is morally corrupt all around. I commend to them both that they desire to have a personal confirmation from the Lord Jesus and that “salvation is come to this house”.

Salvation is a truth provided of God in view of the protection and preservation of the saints until that day which we have already sung of when He will soon come. How wonderful, beloved brethren! May we all be encouraged! May every one of us here embrace the truth of salvation afresh today and take it back into all our homes. Every head of house here, take it on board and desire to bring salvation into the home by conversation, by relating matters to Jesus, by holding on to the truth of salvation, the truth of the assembly, by desiring by conduct and piety to have a house that is different from what characterises the world all around. But my desire for this particular marriage is that the Lord may be pleased to bless it. We commend them to the Lord. May they prove divine blessing and may they have words from Jesus that will bring in comfort, stimulation and encouragement and may we all prove that salvation will come to this house and to all our homes.