How to Bless Your Family
“… believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your
household.” Acts
By Senior Pastor Prince Guneratnam
Rahab is a wonderful example to learn from with regard to
being a blessing to your family. It is recorded in Hebrews 11:31 “By faith the
prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who
were disobedient.” As we read in Joshua 6:25, “But Joshua helped Rahab the
prostitute, with her family and all who belonged to her, because she hid the men
Joshua had sent as spies to Jericho – and she lived among the Israelites to
this day.” We see that Rahab was not only saved but her entire family was also
blessed by her faith in God.
In the New Testament, Matthew tells us in Matthew 1:1, 5 and
6 that Rahab thought a Gentile and a prostitute was included in the genealogy
of Jesus Christ. So you should not despise yourself; Satan may want you to
believe that you are unworthy for God to love you and to help you. Remember
what Paul says in Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore, there is no condemnation for those
who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of
life set me free from the law of sin and death.”
It is the will of God that you bless your family. The second
chapter of the Book of Joshua gives us the account of who and what she did. I
would like to point out six characteristics about Rahab’s faith that blessed
her whole household.
First, she heard and
believed (Joshua 2:8-11)
Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Rahab heard what
God had done through
Second, she committed
herself because she believed (Joshua 2:2-6)
Rahab had faith in God and she took the risk to hide the
spies in the roof and later let them escape by holding the rope and letting
them down from the window. Faith without works is as good as no faith. The Bible
calls it ‘dead faith’. But she committed herself to take the risk for God
because she believed.
Third, she had faith
for her own salvation and for that of her household (Joshua
She pleaded with the spies to save her and her family from
death. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death. This is not just physical
death but spiritual death too. As a believer, what are you pleading before the
Lord? Do you pray, intercede, fast and live a life so that you are a
God-fearing believer? To believe in Christ is to be a new creature. We must not
talk but live the way we believe so that our family will also believe and be
blessed.
Fourth, she believe
that those who did not accept God and obey God were lost and without hope.
The Bible says, “He who believes in Him is not condemned;
but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed
in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John
Fifth, her faith gave
her passion for the souls of her family (Joshua
Has your faith given you a passion to see your family saved
and not destroyed? Jeannie is the eldest in her family of six, and she accepted
the Lord in 1978. Since them she has been praying for her family’s salvation. One
year later one of her brother got saved. In 1989, another of her brothers also received
the Lord together with his wife. Through her persistent prayers and witness,
all her brothers and sister together with her parents have since accepted the Lord
as their personal Savior and are baptized in water. Your family can be blessed,
if you believe and put your faith into action.
Sixth, she was alone
in her faith.
Your faith will sometimes lead you on a lonely path. Just like
the Bible says in Psalms 68:6, “God sets the lonely in families, he leads forth
prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in the sun-scorched land.” Are you
the only one saved in your family? You can be a blessing to your family just
Rahab was to her family.
A scarlet cord was used as a sign of Rahab’s salvation and
that of her family (Joshua
You do not need extraordinary faith to bless your family. In
Jeremiah 38:7-11, Ebed-Melech used a rope that was padded with old rags to pull
Jeremiah out of the pit of death. Likewise, your family and friends can be
pulled out form the pit of destruction with what may be considered the weak
things of this world. Do not let anyone discourage you because of your faith. Believe
that all your family can come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and do
whatever is necessary. Your dynamic faith can bless your family!
(All the above quotes are from The New
International Version unless otherwise stated.)
Issue 41 September – October 1996