Acts 2:38,39 – Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
The powerful preaching of Peter, empowered by the Holy Spirit, launched a new season on this world. Before this, only the nation of Israel had a covenant with the Living God and only His special messengers had the access to the anointing. When Peter preached that day the power of the Word and the Spirit working in tandem was plainly seen. Peter preached God’s Word and the Spirit came to confirm the message with His mighty presence. He told the people that this anointing was available to everyone. But if you paid close attention to Peter’s words and the prophetic promise they included then you see this promise was not just for those present but to their children and their children’s children. Embracing God’s Word and His presence will change you and your family for generations. Here is how Stanley Horton describes this message.
“Peter goes on to emphasize that this promise of the baptism in the Spirit was not limited to the 120. It would continue to be available, not only to them but also to their children (including all their descendants), and to all who are far away, “for all whom the Lord our God will call.” Thus, the only condition for receiving the promise of the Father is repentance and faith. It is therefore still available to all who respond to the Father’s call to salvation today.
The “call” may refer to Joel 2:32 but cannot be limited to the Jews. In Isaiah 57:19 God speaks peace “ ‘to those far and near.’ ” Ephesians 2:17 applies those “far away” to the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles. Acts 1:8 also speaks of witnessing “ ‘to the ends of the earth.’ ” Though Peter may not have understood this fully until his experience at the house of Cornelius, it is clear that the Gentiles are included. It is also clear that as long as God is calling people to himself, the promised baptism in the Spirit is available to all who come.”
As you go through the book of Acts you see the evidence of this generational blessing to those who receive Christ. I think of examples like Phillip the Evangelist that had four daughters who prophesied, I also remember the jailer in Philippi who was born again and baptized along with everyone else in his house. Then of course there was Timothy whose mother and grandmother were believers and had great impact on Timothy who became a major part of the leadership in the early Gentile churches. It’s the same way today, the Lord moves on households and this prophetic word spoken by Peter 2000 years ago continues to be fulfilled. I’ll say it again today; repent, be baptized, receive the Holy Spirit; the blessing of the Spirit will fall on you and your house.