Overview
The household of faith is the family of God, the same group the Bible also calls the body of Christ and the saints, and every believer in it has been given the same measure of faith, so no one is above and no one is below. In this third Faith 2020 webinar, Rev. Rico Magnelli works through Galatians 6:10, Ephesians 2:19, Acts 6:7, Romans 1:5 and Romans 12:3 to show that the faith of Jesus Christ emphasizes the individual while the household of faith emphasizes the family. Because God placed us there, no one can excommunicate anyone from it, and living it produces the mutual respect that came upon every soul in Acts 2:43.
Transcript
Individual Faith and the Family of God
Well, welcome back. We really appreciate your involvement and thankful for your life. Certainly this isn’t the last word on this topic of faith and the faith of Jesus Christ and what we’ll get into now, the household faith. We continue to learn and grow and develop and we’re real excited to do that. So please turn to Galatians chapter 6.
The faith of Jesus Christ emphasizes the individual. The household of faith emphasizes the family. That’s the family of God. Now, biblically speaking, faith or the household faith cannot exist without being founded upon the individual faith of Jesus Christ. But since we’ve been each given the measure of faith, God decided to put us in a family where no one’s above or below anyone else. We all have the same measure of faith.
The works of Jesus Christ when he prophetically pronounced in John 14:12, that each of us could do as sons of God is amazing. That’s where God energizes that faith of Jesus Christ within us in that capacity. The greater works Christ was referring to is what we can do collectively as sons of God. And that’s our functioning together in the body of Christ because many sons can act in harmony as one.
Jesus Christ didn’t have that potential. Now the impact of what he did is unparalleled, no question about it. But he had no peers. He had no spiritual brothers and sisters like we do while he was accomplishing his work on earth. The household of faith and the body of Christ, the children of God are all one group. Different terms are used to emphasize a different aspect of the same group. Household of faith, the saints, the body of Christ, all the same.
Galatians 6:10: The Same Measure of Faith Levels the Playing Field
God has placed us into the household of faith. In Galatians chapter six, verse 10, as we have therefore opportunity, which is the right thing at the right time, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. There it is. Especially of them who are of the household of faith.
See in the family, we each have an equal measure. So it levels the playing field. It has nothing to do with how people function in the body because in the body, everyone’s function is equal in importance, but not equal in function, meaning we’re not all doing the same thing. But in the household of faith, which is the same group of people, the household faith, we all have the same measure of faith of Christ. So there’s no one above, no one below.
And the household of faith is the common faith of Jesus Christ we all share as brothers and sisters in the family of God. And that’s got to be first and fundamental in our understanding before we really can function together in the body.
Ephesians 2:19: No More Strangers and Foreigners
Look at Ephesians chapter two, please. Ephesians chapter two, in verse 19. Now, therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God. We are part of the household of God. The household of faith emphasizes that same measure of faith that we all have in God’s family as brothers and sisters.
The word are here is interesting. See the word are, A-R-E. It’s here after the word ye, but it’s also after the word but in the Greek text. And what it’s referring to is what we are not and what we are. I’ll explain.
Now, therefore ye are no more strangers. And a stranger here means somebody who’s not part of the family. We are part of the family of God. Then it says, and foreigners. Foreigners is talking about a sojourner, someone that just has no home. They just keep traveling and keep traveling and traveling. And it’s somebody without the rights as a citizen. That’s what we are not. We are not strangers. We are not foreigners. We’ve come home. And that home is the household of God, the family of God.
But are, the Greek text adds are here, but are, this is what we are, fellow citizens. That means we have a shared citizenship in heaven. That’s really cool. So I’m not without citizens rights. I’m not a sojourner. I’ve got a shared citizenship in heaven with you and of the household of God. We are part of his family. So this verse handles what we are not and what we are. Fantastic.
The household of faith is the common faith of Titus 1:4. It’s the common faith, meaning we all share it. We all have it. We share as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Acts 6:7: What It Means to Be Obedient to the Faith
Look at Acts chapter six, please. Acts chapter six. Now this is quite a thing because when the early Christians really began to understand that what Jesus Christ accomplished gave them salvation and they began to learn that it was also their potential, this was fantastic and that they were part of a family. They were part of God’s household.
Here in Acts chapter six, verse seven, God’s word reads, and the word of God increased and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly and a great company of the priests. Now some refer to this as not being priests actually. It’s the Judeans and that makes more sense. The company of Judeans were obedient to the faith. That’s the household faith.
They became obedient to it and obedience means to embrace the faith of Jesus Christ, which is the basis of the household faith. In other words, to be obedient to it is, I believe that you have the faith of Jesus Christ for salvation and potential. You believe that I have the faith of Jesus Christ for salvation and potential. To embrace the work of another man, that of Christ, through grace, this is how we are to treat one another.
In other words, each of us has the same measure of faith and I didn’t get it because I’m such a nice guy or a good guy and you didn’t either. You and I got it by grace, unmerited favor, and that’s how we treat each other and from this basis develops a very unique and significant respect.
So to obey here is to resist judging ourselves and others when God has already judged in Christ Jesus. He’s ruled us justified through the faith of Jesus Christ. No more judgment. Wow. Could you imagine what a day would be like where you don’t allow yourself to be judged, condemn yourself? Can you imagine what your relationships would be like where there’s no judgment of others? Again, that doesn’t mean that we agree with what everybody does. I’m not saying that, but we just don’t judge them. That’s bring a lot of freedom.
Acts 2:43: Respect Came Upon Every Soul
Look at Acts chapter 2. What was the practical step that God notes in his word that led them to the obedience to the truth of the accomplished work of Christ? What was the practical step that got them moving in this right direction? It’s here in Acts chapter 2. The whole face of Christianity would change if this was done.
In Acts chapter 2 verse 43, fear. Now here the word fear means respect. Respect came upon every soul. Respect came upon every soul. Based on receiving the gift of Holy Spirit and the teaching regarding Jesus Christ, respect came upon every soul. And this came upon means to begin to be. It came into existence and it was continuing on and on. It didn’t stop. They continued to have respect for every soul, every individual. No one was excluded. That is fantastic.
You see the perspective of the way Christians should really think? It doesn’t mean that you respect what people do with what God gives them, but you do respect what God did in them. I respect what God did for each of his children. I may not respect necessarily what they do with it, but I start with respecting what God did in them. And that’s what these early Christians did. That’s why their lives were so dynamic and significant.
The opposite of respect would be a respect of persons where we judge the value or worth of somebody based on some earthly or worldly standards. And it could even have biblical reasoning behind it. But see nothing can overshadow the crucifixion and the resurrection. Nothing. There’s nothing on this earth. There’s nothing that man can do. There’s nothing that anybody can say. There is nothing that can overshadow those two key events, the crucifixion of Christ and the resurrection of Christ. Nothing.
Romans 1:5 and Romans 16:26: Live the Obedience to the Faith, Then Share It
Let me ask you, does God want the truth in the household of faith? No. So his children can live and share it. Does he want that? Yes.
Romans chapter one. Romans is the foundational treatise of the seven church epistles that really lays the foundation for the Christian believer. And here in Romans chapter one, we’re going to find another reference to the obedience of faith. Romans chapter one, in verse five, by whom, meaning God, we have received grace and apostleship. Why? The word for tells you. So it would reach this obedience to the faith among all nations for his name. That’s why you received the grace and apostleship. Wow. So what was the aim here? The obedience to faith.
And this word among is key because it starts with living it. It’s the word among. It’s within the sphere of the nations. This Romans 1:5 is that obedience to the faith, the household faith can be lived anywhere on earth. We have international countries on this webinar and obedience to the household faith can be lived anywhere on earth. And that’s the first thing we live in ourselves.
We endeavor to promote an environment. We don’t try to duplicate some sort of organizational structure every 10 years. We’re after an environment and that environment is beautifully expressed in Ephesians 4:16. Ephesians 4:16 says, from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.
That verse captures so beautifully the environment we want to duplicate in homes, in meetings, in encounters, in relationships all around the world. We live obedience to the faith. The opposite of living obedience to the faith is we start going the world’s route and that’s not going to work.
Now once we’re living the obedience to the faith, can we share it with people? Absolutely. Look at the last chapter of Romans. It’s got to start with living it as noted in Romans 1:5. Then it’s something we share, we teach about. First we should be living it ourselves. That’s right.
Romans chapter 16 verse 26. But now is made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets according to the commandment of the everlasting God made known to all nations for the obedience of faith. This is sharing it anywhere on earth. It’s not necessarily just living it among the nations. This is now take, after 16 chapters of explaining what it is. Paul is saying now this is God’s will. Take it to people. Teach it upon living it. That’s the result. Not just to live it but for it to reach all the way unto in all nations the obedience of faith.
1 Timothy 5:8: Denying the Faith by Applying It Selectively
Well let me ask you a question. Can we deny the faith? Yes. Look at 1 Timothy please. You know what happens when we deny the faith? It doesn’t mean you move from one location to another or from one group to another. No, because the household of faith isn’t physical. It has no address. No. When we deny the faith what we do is we selectively apply it.
That means I’ll apply no judgment for this Christian but I will apply judgment to them. Again, it doesn’t mean that you have to agree with what everybody does. I am not saying that. What I am saying is is that we should respect what God did in them. That’s a good place to start. But when we deny the faith we become selective. We apply it to certain people.
Here in 1 Timothy chapter five we’re talking about blood relatives who are born again. And sometimes that can be a challenging situation. I get that. Well 1 Timothy 5:8 handles this. But if any provide not for his own and especially for those of his house, talking about blood relatives, he denieth the faith and is worse than an infidel. To deny means to refuse or decline.
We become selective in how we apply it. We apply faith. We apply it to this group. Not necessarily those people over there. Well if they’re born again they have the faith of Jesus Christ. Here again it’s talking about blood relatives that are born again. We respect what God did in them. We may not necessarily agree with what they do with it. And that’s okay. Because God doesn’t necessarily agree with everything we do either. But he still loves us.
1 Timothy 4:1: Departing From the Faith Is a Personal Choice
Let me ask you. Can we depart from the faith? Yes. Look at the previous chapter. Chapter four. We can depart from the faith. To depart from the faith doesn’t mean you leave a location or an organization. Or you go to this group or that group. Has nothing to do with it. Nothing. It has everything to do with it: excusing ourselves from the accomplished work of Christ and going to our own works. That’s what it has to do with.
1 Timothy chapter four verse one. Now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith. Shall depart means to place oneself away from. Again it’s not physical. They do it themselves. They are the ones that do it. Giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils. Speaking lies in hypocrisy. Having their conscience seared with a hot iron.
No one can excommunicate anybody from the household of faith. That’s an impossibility. Because no one put him in there. God put us in there. John chapter 10 verse 29 says, My Father, which gave them me, Jesus speaking, is greater than all. And no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Well either that’s true or it’s a lie. No one can excommunicate anybody from the household of faith. It’s impossible. Because no one put him in there. God did.
Individuals depart by their own choice and character. That’s how they depart. They get allured by the world. They get deceived. They start believing other things. And that’s how it happens. So it has nothing to do with names and places and all that kind of stuff. Not at all. See the household of faith is spiritual. And it’s only accessible through grace. Not by works. It’s framed by truth regarding Christ.
And when individuals decide to depart by their own choice or character that’s their decision. And usually it’s a series of decision. God has placed each of his children in his family. That’s his decision. That was his action. No one can undo that. To depart from the faith is to depart from its basic practical component of mutual respect. Wow. Remember respect came upon every soul. Why did they have respect? Because they realized that they had all received the gift of Holy Spirit and that it was through the accomplished work of Christ that they had salvation. The mutual respect is rooted in the accomplished work of Christ applied to all of us.
Hymenaeus and Philetus: Teaching That Overthrows the Faith of Some
Can we practically overturn or undermine the faith of some brothers and sisters by teaching error? Yes. 2 Timothy chapter 2 in verse 17 it talks about Hymenaeus and Philetus. These are two individuals. Verse 18. Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already, and overthrow, or overturn, the faith of some.
Their teaching undermine the teaching of the household faith that we all have the faith of Jesus Christ. Saying that the resurrection or really the rising up which is referring to the gathering together of the church had already happened. Boy that would really send people into a mental challenge. That would open the doors for endless doomsday scenarios. Christ hasn’t returned yet. We’re still here. But see the teaching was undermining the faith. The accomplished work of Christ.
Paul Gives Thanks for the Faith in Romans, Ephesians and Thessalonians
Look at Romans chapter 1. Now each of the doctrinal epistles Paul gives thanks for the believers in light of faith. In each one. In Romans, Ephesians, and Thessalonians. We’re just going to look at that briefly. So in each one of these Paul gives thanks for the believers in light of faith. In Romans, setting the justification through the faith of Christ.
In Romans chapter 1 verse 8. First, Paul writes, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith, because they have made it their own, is spoken of throughout the whole world. Wow. He is thankful for that. That their faith that they had made their own. What had they made their own? That I have been born again. I’ve received salvation through the faith of Christ. And that I’m now in a family or in the household of faith. That’s what they had made their own. And everybody was talking about how this really was significant to them. To the Romans.
Look at verse 11. For I long to see you, Paul writes, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established. That is, that I may be comforted together with you by the mutual faith. Both of you and me. We all have it. We all have the faith of Jesus Christ. And that faith of Jesus Christ when it’s mutually, or the word here is actually reciprocally, back and forth is shared among us.
You know what happens? We develop an environment of no judgment. We develop an environment of encouraging one another. That’s why it’s comforting. We get comforted with that environment of love and encouragement. Wow. That encouragement filled environment is where we are seated in the heavenlies. Judgment free. Where we can all grow.
Look at Ephesians chapter 1. That was Romans. Look at Ephesians. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul is very thankful for the faith of Jesus Christ and the household faith. And he notes it in every one of these doctrinal epistles. Ephesians chapter 1 verse 15. Wherefore I also after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, that’s his accomplished work, and love unto all the saints, cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers.
The reason why we can love all the saints it’s because it’s faith based. This love, this unconditional love is faith based love. And when I say faith based I mean the faith of Jesus Christ. His accomplished work is at the very foundation of our love one for another. And our love for God. Our love for ourselves.
Paul is celebrating. Paul is thankful. And he’s noting that their faith that they had made their own led to their love unto all of the saints. Not just a few. All the saints. Mutual faith. That reciprocal faith develops that environment in Ephesians 4:16 and is the basis for our love. Wow. So the Ephesians had made the faith of Jesus Christ and what he accomplished in his earthly ministry their own. They also understood that faith is commonly shared among them all as part of the household. What did that do to them that caused them to love all the saints? Wow. So they were certainly developing an environment where everyone is seated in the heavenlies, judgment-free, encouragement-filled environment where everyone could grow.
Look at 1 Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 2. We give thanks to God always for you all and making mention of you in our prayers. So he’s giving thanks again. Remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and patience of hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of God our Father. Remembering. What’s he giving thanks for? He’s remembering without ceasing. The word your. See that? Your work.
The word your is a Greek word and it’s better understood as concerning you, not your, because the implication here it was the work of the Thessalonians of faith. It was the labor of the Thessalonians of love. It was the endurance or the patience of the hope of the Thessalonians. It’s not. It’s referring to Jesus Christ. That’s right.
The Thessalonians were what some consider a model church and they embraced the work of faith that Jesus Christ did. They embraced the labor of love that Jesus Christ did. They embraced the endurance of hope that Jesus Christ did and so sufficiently that they became a sounding out to the whole world. Everybody man was hearing about them and their lives changed significantly because at the basis of it was the faith which is Romans, the labor of love Ephesians, and the endurance of hope Thessalonians, and that is the work of faith explained further in the book of Romans. It was carried out by Christ.
It’s explained in Romans. The labor of love was carried out by Christ but its impact to us and its explanation is in Ephesians, and the patience or the endurance of hope, the impact and the explanation to us is here in Thessalonians. There we have the complete package. How fantastic this truly is. See the Thessalonians changed their lives from idols to the living God because the faith-based hope set before them and the faith-based love they saw in Paul and Silas and Timothy changed them. They understood the word and they decided to change. How impactful is this?
Acts 14: Continue in the Faith and the Open Door to the Gentiles
Look at Acts 14. Acts 14 please. In Acts 14 Paul is sent out on itinerary with Barnabas and he returns. In Acts 14 verse 22 it says, confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith. That’s the household faith. Don’t stop having the respect one for another. Don’t stop developing an environment of encouragement and love without judgment.
And that we must needs through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God, meaning that in this world there’s going to be a lot of mental pressure that conflicts with God being sovereign and his care for all like we read in Matthew 6. It’s going to be, there’s going to be mental pressure there and a pushback, but Paul says continue in the faith because the pressure comes from the world which is contrary to the truth regarding the household faith and the care and sovereignty of God.
Look at verse 27. And when they were come, they came back to Antioch where they started, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, because that’s what God does, he does it with us, and how he opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles. Wow, he opened the door of faith, the household faith. And that is exactly what the adversary does not want.
Acts 13: Elymas Seeks to Turn the Deputy From the Faith
Look at Acts 13. Within their itinerary this comes up. The adversary does not want people to have access to this understanding in living it and then sharing it with others. In Acts chapter 13 we see the adversary working in his man against the Apostle Paul.
Acts 13 verse 6. And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, or Judean, whose name was Bar-jesus, who was with the deputy of the country, he’s with the governor there, the leader, Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. But Elymas the sorcerer, for so is his name by interpretation, withstood them, seeking to turn away the deputy from the faith. He didn’t want the deputy to understand the household faith, that you can be part of the family of God based on the accomplished work of Christ.
Then Saul, who’s also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, set his eyes on him, and said, O full of all subtlety and all mischief, thou child of the devil. It shows you where this guy was coming from. Thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness, and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord.
The child of the devil expresses the heart of the adversary, that he does not want this information communicated, certainly not lived, let alone communicated, because then God’s people live with great power and resolve and as more than conquerors.
Philippians 1:27: Striving Together for the Faith of the Gospel
Let’s look at Philippians please. In Philippians chapter one the knowledge of the household faith is worth fighting for in our lives personally and then with others. In Philippians chapter one in verse 27 we read, only let your conversation, and that means to be a citizen, we know we’re citizens of heaven, be as it becometh the gospel of Christ, that pertains to Christ, that whether I come, Paul says, and see you, or else be absent, whether I’m there or not, I may hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel. That’s the household faith.
We put our energy, we put our effort working together. That’s the greater works of John 14:12. We work together to live and share the household faith. And then verse 28 is the result. And in nothing terrified by your adversaries, which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that of God.
When we strive together for the household faith it’s an evident token, or literally it points a finger to the adversary’s destruction. That’s how impactful it is. But it takes a lot of humility, you know it does, to respect what God did in each other and build our relationships around that as Christian believers. And then it also points a finger to our salvation at the same time. How magnificent this truly is.
Romans 12:3: Family First, Function Second
Look at Romans 12 please. See the household of faith is that basis for us functioning together in the body. Without the household faith the potential is there to compare functions in the body, but with the household faith at the basis of our functioning in the body we start with equality. We all have the same measure of faith, and then from that foundation we move into functioning within the body of Christ where each of us has a different function, all equal in importance but different in function. And there’s not an equality there. There’s an equal in importance but not in function. But in the household of faith there’s equality, and that’s why it’s a basis for our mutual respect.
Romans chapter 12 verse 3. For I say through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, that’s the world’s route, that’s to be conformed to this world, but to think soberly, that’s to be conformed to grace, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. That’s where it begins. Every man has the same measure of faith. This is in reference to each of us having the faith of Jesus Christ, which is the household of faith.
And then look what it says. For as we have many members in one body, and not all members have the same office or function. Family first, function second is a way of putting it. Family first, gain the respect one for another based on the work of Christ, then we move to function, because the household faith emphasizes the common faith of Christ we all share as brothers and sisters in the family of God.
Verse 5. So we being many are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. If we really want the body of Christ to function dynamically we must be solidly rooted in the household faith, which means we are solidly rooted in the accomplished work of Christ, which is the faith of Jesus Christ, because the body of Christ emphasizes the interdependent functioning and spiritual unity of the Christian believer.
2 Timothy 4:7: I Have Kept the Faith
And let’s close in 2 Timothy. The Apostle Paul thought that the faith of Jesus Christ and the household faith were so significant that it lived within him deeply. And at the end of his life, 2 Timothy is the last recorded epistle from the Apostle Paul, best we understand, and he doesn’t talk about keeping the body of Christ. He talks about keeping the faith, because that’s at the foundation.
And at the point where 2 Timothy is written the church was going through great challenges and many people had walked away from what Paul had taught. That’s why these verses are so significant. In 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 7 Paul is teaching his protege Timothy that you got to hang in there with the truth that’s been taught.
And verse 7 says, I have fought a good fight. And it is a spiritual fight, like we saw in Acts 13, against those that would do the will and the bidding of the devil. I have finished my course. Paul had a specific course that he was to run before God, like each and every one of us have. I have kept the faith. He kept the faith. He kept the faith of Jesus Christ, the accomplished work of Christ, as a finished reality in his heart. He didn’t allow himself to be judged by others. He didn’t accept that. And he didn’t judge anybody else, because he truly believed that those words that Christ uttered on the cross, it is finished, are true.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day, and that’s at the return of Christ, and not to me only, but unto all them that love his appearing. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the household faith.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the abundance of the grace and the mercy that you continue to pour forth on your people, and how we have come closer, perhaps in a step closer even, in our hearts to the accomplished work of Christ. Not to fall into condemnation or judgment of others, but to continue to elevate, amplify and underscore those words, it is finished, that we can walk forth confidently as your sons and daughters.
Thank you Heavenly Father for this truth continuing to live in our hearts and minds, and that we have open doors to share it. We pray for our world and specifically our countries, and that you continue to have your hand of blessing and protection and guidance and wisdom in all situations, and by your power and your hand you touch us all and bring deliverance and wholeness in whatever category is needed. It doesn’t matter, but you bring that wholeness and deliverance to each and every one of us, that you can be magnified, that you can be glorified, that you can be exalted above all, as you are, our God, our Heavenly Father. In the name of Jesus Christ we pray, amen.
Thank you for being part of things. God bless you.
Key Takeaways
- The faith of Jesus Christ emphasizes the individual; the household of faith emphasizes the family, and the household of faith, the saints and the body of Christ are all one and the same group.
- Every believer has been given the same measure of faith, so the household of faith levels the playing field: no one above, no one below, whatever their function in the body.
- Ephesians 2:19 tells us both what we are not and what we are: not strangers, not foreigners without a citizen’s rights, but fellow citizens with a shared citizenship in heaven.
- Obedience to the faith in Acts 6:7 means embracing the work of another man, that of Christ, in each other, and resisting the urge to judge ourselves or others when God has already judged in Christ Jesus.
- Romans 1:5 says among all nations, which means living it first, anywhere on earth; Romans 16:26 comes after sixteen chapters and says take it to people.
- No one can excommunicate anybody from the household of faith, because no one put them in there, God did (John 10:29). People depart only by their own choice and character.
- Romans 12:3 puts family first and function second: the same measure of faith is the foundation for functioning together in the body of Christ.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the household of faith in the Bible?
It is the family of God. Rico Magnelli explains that the household of faith, the saints and the body of Christ are all one group, with different terms emphasizing a different aspect of the same people. The faith of Jesus Christ emphasizes the individual, while the household of faith emphasizes the family. Because every believer has been given the same measure of faith, it levels the playing field: there is no one above and no one below. It is spiritual, has no address, and is only accessible through grace.
What does it mean to be obedient to the faith?
In Acts 6:7 obedience means to embrace the faith of Jesus Christ, which is the basis of the household faith. I believe that you have the faith of Jesus Christ for salvation and potential, and you believe that I have it. To obey here is to resist judging ourselves and others when God has already judged in Christ Jesus. Romans 1:5 says among all nations, which starts with living it, and Romans 16:26 is where it is then shared and taught.
Can a Christian be put out of the household of faith?
No. Rico Magnelli says no one can excommunicate anybody from the household of faith, because no one put him in there; God did. John 10:29 reads that no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. Individuals depart by their own choice and character, as 1 Timothy 4:1 describes, and shall depart means to place oneself away from. To depart from the faith is to depart from its basic practical component of mutual respect.
Scripture References
Galatians 6; John 14:12; Galatians 6:10; Ephesians 2:19; Titus 1:4; Acts 6:7; Acts 2:43; Romans 1:5; Ephesians 4:16; Romans 16:26; 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Timothy 4:1; John 10:29; 2 Timothy 2:17; 2 Timothy 2:18; Romans 1:8; Romans 1:11; Romans 1:12; Ephesians 1:15; Ephesians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 1:3; Acts 14:22; Matthew 6; Acts 14:27; Acts 13:6-12; Philippians 1:27; Philippians 1:28; Romans 12:3; Romans 12:4; Romans 12:5; 2 Timothy 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:8
This text was prepared from the teaching audio. Please verify scripture references against your own Bible.
