PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

God dealt with Noah's household in a different way than other households because Noah was able to assume the headship. What his wife and daughters-in-law did was an entirely different issue. Noah was able to assume the headship; he did not break down the institution of the family. I dare not say that the other seven had not sinned, but I can say that his family was not damaged. Everyone was under the authority of the head. This is why the whole household was saved even though God only called Noah. If we do not understand this, we cannot understand the meaning of Acts 16:31, which says, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household."

When we read this verse, individual faith and individual salvation come to our mind. Very often we change the unit and the numbers when our theology clashes with the Word of God. We consider something to be a heresy when it is actually God's Word. However, God's Word is very clear here. God grants salvation household by household. Of course, there must be a proper head to receive this salvation. Without a proper head, there cannot be household salvation. When a proper head is absent, the institution of the family is destroyed. If the wife, children, and daughters-in-law submit to the authority of the head of the house, the house will be saved.

…The question is whether or not a family has a proper head who is assuming the proper headship. Whether or not the children are going along is a secondary concern. As long as the children are living in the house, and as long as you are the head of the house, you have made the choice for them already when you believe in the Lord. This is because the house is yours and not theirs. You are responsible for the house; they are not responsible for it. When you take such a stand, others will follow; they will follow you to serve the Lord. This is a wonderful thing, and we can find many examples of it. When the head becomes a proper head, the whole household receives grace and is saved….

The Head Of The House Bearing The Responsibility Of All The Members Of The House

Some may ask, "Does this mean that after the head of a household has believed in the Lord, his whole household will be saved regardless of what each member does?" No. The head has to bear the responsibility of every member of his household. Many have often remarked that there is no middle ground between salvation and perdition. But actually there is some middle ground. The Gentiles are in an absolute position--the position of perdition, and Christians are also in an absolute position--the position of salvation. In a Christian family, even though strictly speaking one cannot say that there is some middle ground, there do exist some neutral positions. This is because the children of Christian parents do have a closer standing than the Gentiles as far as receiving eternal life is concerned.

I am not necessarily alluding to the family of pastors or those in the denominations, and I am not referring to those who are not assuming a genuine headship. I am referring to the children of those who are assuming genuine headship in the family. These children are standing on the ground of grace, and they are more apt to receive eternal life.

Paul said that the children can be sanctified because of the faith of the parents (1 Corinthians 7:14). Why are we saved today? We are saved because Christ has become our head. When we submit under Him, we are saved. In the same principle we must be the head to our children. The real issue is whether or not we are the head of our household. If we are the head, God will hold us responsible for our family. God has not demanded that we bear the responsibility of our brothers, but He demands that we bear the responsibility of our children. When we stand before the judgment seat, those without a family will only be judged for their own lives. Similarly, the sisters will only be judged for their own lives. But those who have a family and children will not be judged merely for their own lives, but for their household as well. Whether or not we have actually assumed the headship, God still considers us as the head of our family. This is the difference between the male and female in the family. The male bears the responsibility of his wife as well as the whole family.

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