Acts 16:31

"And they said, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household'" (Acts 16:31). 

 

Question:

I would like reassurance that my two children will go to heaven when they die; my son is not a strong believer, and my daughter says she does not believe at all (and she is struggling with depression and an eating disorder). I have faith for myself, but I worry about my children.

Comment:

I think it must be deeply concerning to the spiritual Being we knew as Jesus to find that his teachings of love and self-empowerment could ever become a source of anxiety and fear, especially between parents and children. Jesus taught that we are each the Christ—a spiritual Being completely One with our infinite Source. We have the power to create a life of infinite love, and we have the power to create a life of varying degrees of fear. Ultimately, we will return to our full spiritual nature. Nothing of spirit will ever be lost or wasted. None of us is ever less than unconditionally loved as we move through this human experience, learning from mistakes and discovering the Power we are to bring a new dimension of consciousness into expression. Not all of Jesus' early followers fully 'got' his message. Some tried to siphon his message of love into a traditional religious structure of obedience. It's convenient for any church for people to believe that it holds the power to judge who deserves spiritual redemption and who does not, but it has nothing to do with Jesus' message and ministry.

Certainly this passage—Paul and Silas teaching from the jail in Philippi—can be interpreted as demanding obedience to a preconceived doctrine. Metaphysically, however, all these apparently outer attributes are actually aspects of our inmost consciousness. To  "believe in the Lord Jesus" does not necessarily mean to join a specific church. It means to follow his teachings, and to follow his path to a full expression of our Christ selves. We will be 'saved' from our previous, fear-based consciousness; and all our household—all the thoughts we have been hanging on to throughout this life experience—will be enfolded in the infinite Love we truly are. No one can change another person's spiritual understanding or spiritual path. And no one needs to! Each path is unique—we support each other in this creative process, but we don't impose on each other's progress.

Blessings!

Rev. Ed