Friday April 22, 2022

Scripture James 2: ²⁵ In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction? ²⁶ As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

Life Lesson: Righteous acts devoid of faith cannot save us, however righteous acts motivated because of faith demonstrate the spark of God at work within us. 

– Romans 3 tells us, ¹⁰ As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one; ¹¹ there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God.” and again, in Isa. 64: ⁶ All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags”.  So then how can James speak of Rahab as righteous for what she did? 

– Such texts as those I have drawn upon here are an indictment against all those who have been given the truth, yet who deny the truth by how they live, as well as an indictment against all who might try to lay claim to a righteousness apart from faith.

– Rahab, though a foreigner and Canaanite exercised tremendous faith in the God of Israel when the spies came to her lodging when she hid them from the leaders of Jericho.  Rahab was risking her life as well the lives of all of her family by doing this.  Why then did she do it?  It was because of her faith in God, a faith she openly confessed to the Israelite spies, Joshua 2: ⁸ Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof ⁹ and said to them, “I know that the Lord has given you this land and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. ¹⁰ We have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. ¹¹ When we heard of it, our hearts melted in fear and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.”

– Rahab not only confessed her faith with her mouth, she proved that she also believed it in her heart, Rom. 10:9 by what she did for the spies!  Such is the substance of genuine faith!  Rahab’s faith overcame the very real fear she might have had of being put to death because her actions. 

– Rahab chose to trust in God rather than in the impotent power of man!  Rahab, though a foreigner, exercised more faith than most of the people of Israel dared to!  She believed what Israel had failed to believe due to their own cowardliness, Number 13:31 – 14: 4. 

– Consider, who would you rather fashion your life after?  The sinner Rahab, who through faith overcame her fear, trusted God, saved her entire household and received the promises of God?  Or the fearful Israelites who refused to believe what God had told them and lost out on inheriting the promises of God?!  The choice is ours to make.  As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!