Question:
What does “and thy house” mean in Acts 16:31?

Answer:
They were saying that the same faith that saved the jailor, could save everyone in his house. The jailer’s family was baptized because he wanted to bring his household unto the same ground that he was on himself. But this doesn’t mean that it is a guarantee that his children would be saved.

Some people think that being children of Christian parents is the reason why they were saved, but that’s not always true. Each person is responsible individually before the Lord, no matter what our environment is like. The Lord can save anyone in either a good or bad environment.

Question:
How can we work out our salvation? Read Philippians 2:12: “Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.”

Answer:

The answer is in the next verse, Philippians 2:13: “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.”

There has to be a work done in us by God, before we can work out our salvation. This doesn’t mean we have to work for our salvation. It actually has to do with working out in a practical way with God being in us. He gives us the power to work it out. He uses His power to manifest Himself in our practical lives. I cannot do it, but He can. Fear in this verse means reverence for God, and we show this by depending on Him.

Question:
What does God’s first question to man: “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:8, 9) mean?

Answer:
The first question that God asked man was: “Where art thou?” (Genesis 3:8, 9). God asked this after man had first sinned. What does this question mean? God is asking: “Where are you Adam in relation to Me?” Get this question settled first: Where are you in relation to God, and then you can learn about God.

Question:
Read Mark 16:17. Should each individual believer today do these things?

Answer:
These signs were used before Christianity was established to show that there was a super-natural power in the Lord and His disciples, so that those who were unsaved would be convinced.

Physical healing is not necessarily the best for us. Chastening, or trials are a part of God’s purposes for us and they are of greater benefit to us than any physical healing might be. God is concerned with our spiritual needs which are far more important than our physical needs (Hebrews 12:6). If someone is being tried by the Lord and he goes to a healer, he may short-circuit what God has in mind of using the trial to bring good to him and glory to Himself.
The “signs” mentioned in Mark 16 were used to show God’s power to the lost. In Acts 28 Paul was shipwrecked and he spoke to those who had not heard the Word. God used him as a vehicle to heal them so they could see God’s power and believe the word Paul spoke to be of God. The rich man in Luke 16:27 thought that if Lazarus were raised from the dead, his friends would be saved because of such a miraculous act. But the Lord tells us in that story that a person has to see the truth in the Word before he can be blessed spiritually. The real test of a faith healer would be if he would raise someone from the dead. All healing comes from God, and He heals according to His will.
James 5:14 says that the prayer of faith (not the elders) can heal the sick. We are told to confess our faults one to another and pray one for another to be healed. Some sicknesses are a chastening of the Lord which can be used to heal the spiritual need. All healing comes from God, and He heals according to His will.
Matthew 8:17, “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses,” refers to Christ’s life ministry, not His death on the cross. This does not mean that He took our infirmities away, but that He bore them for us in His life and healed many who were sick. This is in contrast to 1 Peter 2:24, where Christ bore away our sins on the tree. Matthew does not refer to the cross, but 1 Peter does. 1 Peter refers to a spiritual healing, “For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls” (1 Peter 2:25). Eventually in the glory all believers will have a total healing, but our infirmities are used of the Lord now to humble us, cause us to trust Him for strength, and thus cause us to serve Him more.Just because prayer may lead to healing does not mean that we should not see a doctor. Luke was a doctor (Colossians 4:14), and the Lord makes reference to physicians when He said, “They that be whole need not a physician; but they that are sick” (Luke 5:31). If we pray about it and seek the Lord’s mind, we will know if He wants us to go to a doctor or not. He will also lead us to the proper physician. Maybe our work is done here and He wants us to come home to be with Himself. We should never demand for the Lord to heal us. We should ask Him to make the decision for us, so that all works out for His glory.

Question:
Read John 14:12. Some people say that when we are saved we should be able to do these great miracles, and if we can’t then it’s our fault.

Answer:
These great works mentioned in this verse are referring to eternal works, not works we do here on earth. Once Christianity was established, these gifts of miracles were not needed (2 Timothy 4:20, Philippians 2:24-30). Tongues were only used for those who were unsaved (1 Corinthians 14:22). Speaking in tongues does not prove that we are moved by the Spirit, but speaking in tongues or speaking in other languages were used to get God’s message to those who cannot understand the language normally spoken (Acts 2:1-14).

Question:
Why doesn’t God desire people to be healed?

Answer:
Read 2 Corinthians 12:2-10. This could be one reason why God does not take sickness away. The Lord told Paul, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” Paul accepted his infirmity because through weakness he was made strong. When we realize how weak we are, then, and only then, can we be very strong or powerful for God. God used the weakness to show Himself through Paul. Paul relied on the grace of God to see him through.