Building Up Our Home
Messages for the Perfecting of Parents — "Home" Series
Message Four
Foreword
The home is not a place to develop the lusts of the flesh, nor merely a venue for one kind of life — the home is a unit of building up. God created the family that husband and wife might be coordinated and brought together; and God further hopes that, through the outward coordination of husband and wife, the coordination in the divine life may be brought in. In God's sight the home is a unit of utmost importance. Paul, speaking of the relation between husband and wife, calls it a great mystery. Yet this great mystery does not refer only to the relation between husband and wife — it refers to Christ and the church. Husband and wife being joined together, becoming one, exists for this purpose — to signify Christ and the church; and this signifying is, in fact, a manifesting.
A real husband is one who is filled with the loving life of Christ — only such a one is fit to be a husband; a real wife is one filled with the obedient virtue of Christ — only such a one is fit to be a wife. Even when Abraham was about to sell off his wife, Sarah said, "Amen." I dare say there is hardly a wife today willing to amen; but as the wife you may set your heart at rest — for above the husband's head there is yet another Head, and this Husband will not allow your husband simply to sell you off, because Christ is the true Head. What we must learn is how to let our home become the symbol of Christ and the church. The opposite of submission is ruling and commanding; therefore, when we say that the wife is to submit to her husband, we should say in the same breath that the husband is to manage well his wife. Yet Scripture tells us there is one mark on the husband — to love his wife. To love the wife is to consider her, to draw near her, to enter into her heart's situation, even to lay down one's life for the wife. There is also one mark on the wife — submission. Submitting to death — death on the cross — this is the secret of being blessed.
How can we possibly have such love and such submission? Our natural man cannot. So all of us who are husbands, let us encourage one another — we need to pray-read the love of Christ. We have it not, but our Lord has it. Our Lord — His action is love, His content is love. His love is manifested in His power, manifested in His forgiveness, manifested in His laying down of His life. Thanks be to the Lord — the Lord loves us thus. Today, this love that lays down its life, this life of love, is also in each of us who is a husband; what we need is to enjoy this very life of Christ.
To all of us who are wives — within us there is no submission; but if we are willing to be filled with the submission of Christ, we shall be a proper wife. So, sisters, we need to pray-read the submission of Christ. Philippians 2:6–8 says:
Phil. 2:6 — Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider being equal with God a treasure to be grasped, Phil. 2:7 — But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming in the likeness of men; Phil. 2:8 — And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient even unto death, and that the death of a cross.
The Lord Jesus, through the sufferings He suffered, learned obedience; and from then on He became the eternal salvation to all who obey Him. If we see that husband and wife are the symbol of Christ and the church, we shall realize how much we need the Lord. May the Lord fill you, may the love of the Lord fill you — else you cannot be a right husband. May the submission of the Lord fill you — else you cannot be a right wife.
I. Building Up Between Husband and Wife
1. Maxims for Husband and Wife
The opening of this section is a thirteen-line poem — pithy lines that depict the sweet scene of being built up between husband and wife.
That husband and wife become one — this is the symbol of Christ and the church. That Christ has the first place in everything — this is the glory of husband and wife. That we pray with one accord and read the Lord's word together — this is the daily necessity. That the wife submits and the husband loves — this is the principle of all of life. That we honor and tenderly bear with one another — this is the expression of love. That we love and honor one another's kin — this is the duty of the blessed. "Thank you" and "I'm sorry" — these are words that should constantly be spoken. Familiarity that loses courtesy — this is the start of disharmony. The first disharmony — this is Satan's doorway. To speak the other's faults to outsiders — this gives Satan the chance to work. To count up the other's faults and recall one's own strengths — this is to receive Satan's suggestion. Not to let oneself become the other's cross, Not to forget that the other is one's own cross — this is the secret of victory.
There are thirteen distilled lines here, all speaking of the sweet scene of being built up between husband and wife.
Line 1 — "Husband and wife becoming one is the symbol of Christ and the church."
Line 2 — "Christ having the first place in all things is the glory of husband and wife."
These two lines both speak of manifestation. As to husband and wife becoming one, Scripture tells us: when our other half and we are joined and become one, this is the symbol of Christ and the church. We must have a deep seeing — that when we and our other half are joined and become one, this is the symbol of Christ and the church; this is not a matter of building ourselves a little love-nest. We have a share in God's economy: here the brother is the type of Christ, the sister is the type of the church. Husband and wife becoming one is the type of Christ and the church. Therefore we need to let Christ have the first place in all things — this is the glory of husband and wife.
In our family life, we are most truly seen. We may, in the church life, be sweetly and harmoniously coordinated; but the moment we return to family life, immediately it is tested — how much building up have we, how much coordination? So the first reminder here is: we must let Christ have the first place — this is the glory of husband and wife. When you and your other half walk along the road, do you sense that the two of you are the symbol of Christ and the church? Do you sense that the manifestation of your living is the manifestation of Christ and the church? Such a seeing is most key. If we both have this seeing, then when we come to build up our home, in everything we shall give Christ the first place — and this is the glory we give one another.
Line 3 — "Praying with one accord and reading the Lord's word together is the daily necessity."
Husband and wife are built up in praying with one accord and in reading the Lord's word together. The beginning of every day must come through the Lord's word, through prayer, so that there is mutual blending and mutual coordination in the spirit between husband and wife — this is most key. If every day begins this way, we can stand on our proper ground and live in the principle of life — the wife submits, the husband loves.
Line 4 — "The wife submits, the husband loves — the principle of all of life."
Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, transferring everything He has, all His fullness, toward the church. In the same way, brothers must see this — as the type of Christ, we are to love our wife; so in love we shall always feel still short, still falling short. And sisters must see that the church is submissive to Christ; the church takes Christ as Head, as center, as the One who heads everything; therefore, as a wife, one stands on the right ground — the wife's position — and submits to her own husband. When "the wife submits, the husband loves" is rightly established, the home becomes a most sweet home. "The wife submits, the husband loves" is also the principle of marital life. Our manifestation must come down into our actual living; therefore we need together to exercise to build up our home.
Line 5 — "Mutual honoring and mutual tender care — the expression of love."
This speaks of how between husband and wife there must be mutual supply and mutual transmission in the Lord. We need to honor one another; we cannot — just because "this is my husband, this is my wife" — be careless in speech, in attitude, in conduct. Especially when the husband has many meetings outside, the wife at home, caring for the children, is very weary — the brother needs to show tender care. And the sister, in turn, needs to show tender care to her husband, because he toils much outside. When both stand on the suitable ground and position, and pour out love over one another, our home becomes a sweet home. To build up our home under the vision of Christ and the church is the safeguard of our home, and it is the secret of building up our home.
Line 6 — "To love and honor one another's kin — the duty of the blessed."
Because we are joined to the other, whether his parents, his friends and dear ones, or his brothers and sisters, we likewise must in love honor them. When we care for the other's kin, we can well imagine — how thankful, how grateful in love, our other half feels for our support and care. So this is the duty of the blessed. If husband and wife can together have this seeing — not finding the other's family bothersome or repelling, but instead, in love, covering all and giving full support — then your other half will, from the heart, treasure you and be thankful, and the home will be filled with harmony. This truly is a secret — and it requires of us this kind of seeing and this kind of exercise.
Line 7 — "'Thank you' and 'I'm sorry' — words that should constantly be spoken."
"Thank you" is a matter directly in the spirit; constantly saying these two words gives the spirit occasion to be exercised. When in family life we constantly sense in spirit that the service of the other is something we did not deserve, then we truly treasure that one's portion. So whether it is a simple cup of tea or a small service rendered, when from the spirit you can sincerely give thanks, you will say to the other a real "Thank you." This must not be neglected — this should be the life between us as husband and wife, and the exercise we ought to have in spirit.
"I'm sorry" is a matter of conscience. We cannot avoid going too far or falling short in our words and our conduct; but because of praying with one accord, reading the Lord's word together, and being filled in the spirit, the conscience is sharpened more and more. So in the small details of life we can truly, from the spirit, often say, "I'm sorry." I myself have practised this exercise — sometimes it is genuinely hard to open my mouth and say thank you or I'm sorry to the other. But how marvellous: the moment you are willing to lay down the matter of face, or the awkwardness, or the over-familiarity, the moment you are willing to lay it down and exercise — you discover that the blending and building up between you and your other half grow more intimate. Two or three short words let you find that the relation between you and your other half has come closer, and many barriers in the building up have been removed. So thank you and I'm sorry should be words constantly spoken.
Line 8 — "Familiarity that loses courtesy is the start of disharmony."
If, by carelessness — not living in the mercy of the spirit — we grow too familiar, it becomes very easy to lose harmony. So we need the Lord's mercy, that we may live carefully in the spirit; and we need the Lord to keep us, that we may not lightly give occasion to disharmony.
Line 9 — "The first disharmony is Satan's doorway."
If we are not careful, casually offending each other, very possibly Satan, by means of this disharmony, will stir up disturbance in your home. And if, by mischance, your child overhears it, or your child sees it, all this gets expressed in them — so be most careful. When we have disharmony in family life, we need the Lord's blood to cover it. In the building up of our home we cannot give the enemy a doorway, cannot let the enemy have a chance to come in — this is the active prevention we ought to keep.
Line 10 — "To speak the other's faults to outsiders is to give Satan the chance to work."
Line 11 — "To count up the other's faults and to recall one's own strengths is to receive Satan's suggestion."
This is a reminder: in the life between husband and wife, take great care never to speak the other's faults to others — that gives Satan the chance to work. Be exceedingly careful — never criticize your other half before others. This greatly disrupts the blending and the building. Beyond merely speaking, counting must also be guarded against. Be most careful — do not count up the other's faults; this disrupts the blending and the building all the more.
Line 12 — "Do not let yourself become the other's cross."
Line 13 — "Do not forget that the other is your own cross — the secret of victory."
Speaking of the life between husband and wife — because of differences in temperament and in upbringing, we live by our own natural ways. We may feel this is as it should be; but the moment we return to the spirit and pray well and seek, we discover — our natural speech and our natural conduct have actually become the other's cross. So we need to remind ourselves: "Do not place on the other a burden too heavy to bear." In the same way, "Do not forget that the other is your own cross" — this is the secret of victory.
2. Implementation Details
The first point in the implementation details speaks of the reality of loving one another: caring for her (him), entering into her (his) heart's situation, and rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep.
(1) The reality of loving one another is caring for her (him), entering her (his) heart's situation, sharing joy and sorrow — Rom. 12:15
Rom. 12:15 — Rejoice with those who rejoice; weep with those who weep.
The other-half whom the Lord has given us is a yoke-fellow on the way to the heavenly kingdom, one running together with us toward that kingdom. To walk together, to bear the same yoke, we need to love one another. Real love is learning to care for her (him). Sometimes I exhort newly married couples: "The most important thing to learn in marriage is to practise remembering that there is now one more person beside you." In the past, when you went out alone — that was the household going out; when you came back alone — that was the household coming back; when you alone had eaten your fill — the whole house had eaten. But now, when you have eaten, you must remember whether the one beside you has eaten; when you go out, remember whether the one beside you is staying at home; when you come home, remember where the one beside you is. This is our exercise. From the day of marriage you must exercise — to remember that in your little universe there is now one more person, with whom you must coordinate, blend, and step forward and back together.
I have a very good wife who has supported me through many years; her heart's aspiration is even stronger than mine. When I had just been married, I was very joyful; one after another the babies came. There were days when I served happily and would come home very late; my wife grew increasingly unhappy. At first I did not notice, until one day I saw it — and oh, what a serious matter this was! We are not blocks of wood, so we too had contention; and that round of contention was no small one. A few days after that incident, we confessed to one another. But that contention also enlightened me: I saw that I was outside enjoying many riches, while seldom caring whether my wife had enjoyed any. My wife at home, day by day, holding the child, fretting over this and that — could hardly help being out of sorts.
A husband easily flies out and forgets there is still someone at home; once everything outside is done and he comes home, he just rests. After that incident, I received light within. Without that, I would never have noticed; so I slowly learned how to care for my wife. Even to this day I still do not care for her well, but I keep exercising to care for her, learning to listen for her heart's condition. Every day, when I phone home from outside, my first sentence is: "How are you living today?" I do not know whether my wife is used to such a question — but it is genuine, because she is the one I have on my heart: how is she living today? Many times when I come home, the people outside really have left me weary; but I always ask the Lord for one last drop of strength — that I may listen to my wife's speaking, for she has been through a whole day. Many of the saints fellowship with her, so she has matters to bring to me; the situations of some saints need to be prayed over together; some matters of the home need discussion, need to be heard — all these I must attend to. As a husband, avoid yawning while your wife pours out her heart to you.
There is one further point. Have you ever considered — to take your other half as one of the little lambs of your whole life and service? Through these years, by the revelation of God's economy and by my own exercise, I have discovered: the real building up of husband and wife lies in mutual shepherding. Toward our other half it is easy to make demands. From the day of the wedding we reckon the other as strong, as our yoke-fellow, as one who must not be weak — so we very easily make demands. But in the house of God there are no demands — only how to shepherd. How can we have the best building up with our wife? — Shepherd her: take the Christ you have gained outside, and bring Him back to supply her; take the testimony you have heard, and bring it back to share with her; take the Christ you have experienced, and bring it back to testify of Him to her.
Toward those of our household — not only our wife, but also our sons and daughters — we ought to encourage one another; and so far as we can, we ought to avoid offering them the teachings of Confucius. With our children, for example, we rarely sit down and supply them, in love, with the rich Christ. Instead, we very easily say to the child: "Time for the meeting — let's go!" Or else: "Come — pray-read." The child says, "I don't want to go today," and you say, "What kind of Christian doesn't go to meetings?" — We rarely sit down to supply him with the beauty of Christ as the Body, with the Christ we have experienced in the meetings. Toward those who are nearest us, we rarely have the burden to shepherd; and so it is not easy to have real building up.
There are times I hear of unhappy things between husband and wife. The side with more life keeps on enduring, willing to die to himself. This is good — but I encourage you: not only to endure, not only to crucify yourself; you must also turn around and shepherd your other half. In my own past experience, to bring our other half to love the Lord is not difficult, so long as you are willing to receive the burden to shepherd him. Not by forcing him to come to meetings, not by demanding he come, not by condemning him for not living the church life — but by distributing to him the Christ you have gained, learning to be a steward of the supply of life to your other half — and you will find that your other half also loves the Lord, just as you do.
(2) No demanding, no provoking, no condemning — only mutual supply of life and mutual teaching of truth — 1 Pet. 4:10
1 Pet. 4:10 — Each one, as he has received a gift, ministering it among yourselves as good stewards of the varied grace of God.
(3) Maintain the bond of peace through mutual confession and mutual forgiveness — Col. 3:13, 15
Col. 3:13 — Bearing one another and forgiving one another, if anyone should have a complaint against anyone; even as the Lord forgave you, so also should you forgive. Col. 3:15 — And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful.
(4) Honor one another, treasure one another, live together as husband and wife according to knowledge, since you are fellow heirs of the grace of life — 1 Pet. 3:7 (with footnote 1)
1 Pet. 3:7 — Husbands, in like manner dwell together with them according to knowledge, as with the weaker, female vessel, assigning honor to them as also to fellow heirs of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.
1 Pet. 3:7, footnote 1 (RcV, on "according") — I.e., in an intelligent and reasonable way, governed by human and spiritual knowledge that recognizes the nature of the marriage relationship and the weakness of the female, and not governed by any passion or emotion.
(5) Believe in, and seek out, the new-creation traits in which you complement one another.
(6) Look to the spiritual blessing of the other; supply, encourage, and stir up the organic function in him (her).
(7) Learn to use the inner life that adapts to all things to adjust yourself and accommodate the other.
(8) Have lasting faith — he (she) will be saved! the more time goes by, the more like a brother (sister) he (she) will become; he (she) will surely come to love the Lord! — "As for me and my house, we will serve Jehovah" (cf. Josh. 24:15).
(9) Never criticize my partner before others, much less compare my own wife or husband with someone else's.
(10) By every means, bring Christ and the Body life into the home, that the household may have opportunities to touch Christ and to see the enlarged Christ.
II. Building Up Between Parents and Children
The building up between parents and children lies in the whole family having a life of enjoying the Lord's word together. For there is no other secret in the building up of the home: we must bring our children with us into the enjoyment of the Lord's word. Every morning we ought to accompany them in pray-reading the Lord's word, and only then send them off to school; and when they come home for supper, we again pray-read the Lord's word — and so the home is built up.
1. The home is like a miniature of the church; parents are as elders and deacons, with one accord governing the saints (children) of the household, and stirring up, teaching, and perfecting them — 1 Tim. 3:5
1 Tim. 3:5 — (But if one does not know how to manage his own house, how will he care for the church of God?);
2. Parents are responsible to let Christ be passed on through the home, faith be passed on through the home, the promise be passed on through the home — Exo. 13:14; 2 Tim. 1:3–5; Acts 2:38–39
Exo. 13:14 — And when your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is this? you shall say to him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the slave house.
2 Tim. 1:3 — I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers in a pure conscience, while unceasingly I have remembrance concerning you in my petitions night and day, 2 Tim. 1:4 — Longing to see you, remembering your tears, that I may be filled with joy; 2 Tim. 1:5 — Having been reminded of the unfeigned faith in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded dwells also in you.
Acts 2:38 — And Peter said to them, Repent and each one of you be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. Acts 2:39 — For to you is the promise and to your children, and to all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God calls to Himself.
3. In the home, the children should honor their father and mother, and obey their parents in the Lord — 1 Tim. 5:4; Eph. 6:1–3
1 Tim. 5:4 — But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show respect toward their own household and to render a return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God.
Eph. 6:1 — Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Eph. 6:2 — "Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with a promise, Eph. 6:3 — "That it may be well with you and that you may live long on the earth."
4. Parents must not provoke their children to anger; do not sow unto the flesh — Eph. 6:4; Gal. 6:8
Eph. 6:4 — And fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but nurture them in the discipline and admonition of the Lord.
Gal. 6:8 — For he who sows unto his own flesh will reap corruption of the flesh, but he who sows unto the Spirit will of the Spirit reap eternal life.
III. The Building Up of the Whole Family — Deut. 6:6–9; Acts 18:24–26
Deut. 6:6 — And these words, which I command you today, shall be upon your heart; Deut. 6:7 — And you shall repeat them to your children, and speak about them when you sit in your house and when you journey on the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up; Deut. 6:8 — And you shall bind them on your hand as a sign, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes; Deut. 6:9 — And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Acts 18:24 — And a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, arrived at Ephesus, and he was powerful in the Scriptures. Acts 18:25 — This man was instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. Acts 18:26 — And this man began to speak boldly in the synagogue. And when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him to themselves and expounded the way of God to him more accurately.
On the earth, the men of the world all know — the Christian household is the healthiest, the most joyful household. Even after we have believed in the Lord, there are still many, many difficulties; for which we truly need to find the way of practice from the Scripture, that our home may be filled with joy, filled with testimony.
In Deuteronomy 6:6–9 we are given a way. In the Old Testament, Moses commanded the children of Israel to lay His commanded words on the heart. These are not merely Moses' words but God's words. In the Old Testament the central thing was the law; in the New, it is the apostles' teaching. The building up of our whole household is not by outward methods; it requires that the apostles' teaching first enter our home.
How does the apostles' teaching enter our home? — First, we need a Bible. But to have only the bare text — what does that profit? We need an opened Bible — that is, the Recovery Version with footnotes. Add to this the complete set of the Life-Study, and even the Crystallization-Study. Beyond this, we also need a base subscription to the spiritual publications. Without a base subscription, we shall not keep step with the Lord's recovery action today.
In Acts 18:24–26 we see that there was a Jew named Apollos — eloquent and able, instructed in the way of the Lord, fervent in spirit, who spoke of Jesus in great detail; only he knew but the baptism of John. When he spoke boldly in the synagogue, Priscilla and Aquila listened with care; and afterwards, they took him into their home, and expounded to him the way of God more accurately. For Apollos, though instructed in the way of the Lord, did not yet have a complete revelation of the New Testament economy of God. This says also that our home must be constituted with the apostles' teaching; only then, when we listen, shall we not hear merely the eloquence of men.
If our home is to be filled with the words of truth, first the written word must come in. But if these words simply sit on a shelf, that is not enough; Moses charged Israel to "lay them on your heart" — and the heart includes our conscience and every part of our soul. The best way to lay them on the heart is for husband and wife together to do Pray · Research · Memorize · Speak (禱、研、背、講). Beyond that, teach them diligently to your sons; whether you sit at home, walk by the way, lie down, or rise up — talk of them. Bind them as a sign on your hand, as frontlets between your eyes; write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
"When you sit at home" — this is the home meeting. Husband and wife coordinate together to teach the apostles' teaching, telling Bible stories to the sons and daughters. "When you walk by the way" — when our whole household goes out to be blended, on the road, in the car, we talk of the apostles' teaching. "As a sign on your hand" — to bind Christ to all our doings, that in everything we do there be Christ, that in everything we manifest Christ. "As frontlets between your eyes" — wherever we are, anywhere, anytime, we are to be possessed by Christ; and even our personal expression of Christ is to be expanded out to fill your dwelling. "On the doorposts of your house" — magnify the apostles' teaching, hanging it in the parlor, the kitchen, the bedroom, even at the entrance. "On your gates" — not only in the home, but at your workplace, in the realm you administrate — even on the gate there must be the apostles' teaching.
IV. Paving the Way for the Family's Salvation and Love for the Lord — and how to bring the family to salvation
1. According to God's promise in the Scripture, believe and declare that the family will surely be saved and will love the Lord — Acts 16:31; 1 Cor. 7:14, 16
Acts 16:31 — And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved, you and your household.
1 Cor. 7:14 — For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the brother; otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 1 Cor. 7:16 — For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?
2. For our past acts of the flesh and any way we have offended the other, confess our faults to him (her) — this is the manifestation of God's mighty salvation — Luke 19:8–9
Luke 19:8 — And Zaccheus stood and said to the Lord, Behold, the half of my possessions, Lord, I give to the poor, and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore four times as much. Luke 19:9 — And Jesus said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
3. In the love of the Lord, toward the other have no demanding, no condemning — only loving care, cherishing, and supply.
4. Do not forget — for the spiritual blessing of those of your household, pray earnestly, firmly, and continually.
5. Do not believe the outward reactions of those of your household; believe that their spirit is responding.
6. Look for fitting occasions to invite the saints into your home — to come and see your household, and to let your household see this people of the kingdom of the heavens.
7. Seize the chances of being together — listen to their inner voice, and give them the Lord's word and testimony.
What brothers and sisters care most about is the salvation of the whole family. For our whole household to be built up, the very minimum is that our whole household be saved. To pave the way for the family's salvation and for their love for the Lord — how shall we pave the way? — Only by testimony. From the day I was saved, I longed for the salvation of all our family. My father and mother were loyal Kuomintang members; they had no other religious belief. Once I was saved, I brought brothers and sisters home; on that very first time, my mother was saved — because of the earnestness of the brothers and sisters: when they saw my mother's frail health, they knelt down and prayed for her. That very day my mother was baptized. But my father's heart was harder; yet after four years of warfare, my father's heart at last yielded — and one of the chief points was my confession. By birth we are sinners — and we especially offend our parents. In the Lord's word I received light, and I wrote my father a letter. When he read it, he sensed that I had a hope; and so he was overcome and believed in the Lord. The key to the whole family's salvation lies still in us ourselves — our every word and every deed should bear in mind the family's salvation; this is the work of paving the way — giving the Holy Spirit the chance and the means to work upon them.
— End of Message Four —