In the book of Hebrews chapter 11, the names of some HEROES of FAITH were listed! Hmm…. People who did great things for God! The likes of Abraham, Abel, Enoch, Noah, etc. But I was surprised to see one particular name mentioned in Hebrews chapter 11! Hmm….
‘By FAITH….THE HARLOT RAHAB….perished not…when she received the spies with peace! (vs 31)
Wow!!! ‘By faith…the HARLOT Rahab….’! Hmm….I’m wondering how a harlot’s name had the opportunity to enter a list of ‘FAITH HEROES’!!!In fact, I’m wondering why the Bible didn’t just say: ‘By Faith…Rahab…perished not….’
Why didn’t the Bible just remove the word ‘HARLOT’ from her name….and simply call her RAHAB?
‘By FAITH….THE HARLOT RAHAB….perished not…when she received the spies with peace! (vs 31)
A harlot’s faith could be recorded in Hebrews 11? Hmm…. Let us also see why she was considered a woman of Faith? The Bible said ….by faith, she perished not… WHEN SHE RECEIVED THE SPIES WITH PEACE!!!
Wow! What a way of ‘summarizing’ what Rahab did! Let me show you ‘how’ she received the spies with peace! When the spies came into her house, the king of Jericho sent ‘soldiers’ to Rahab’s house to capture the spies! Rahab PRACTICALLY denied that the spies were not in her house!!! But the Bible says:
‘…she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof’! (Joshua 2:6)
What was that? A LIE!!!
By faith…the HARLOT Rahab….perished not….when she received the spies with peace…(BY LYING)..’!!!
Why would such a name appear on the list of the HEROES of faith?
Now listen carefully: THE MOMENT GOD DECLARES YOU RIGHTEOUS…IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE JUDGED AS A SINNER!!!
Was that too hard for you to swallow? When GRACE is at work in your life…your ‘works’ don’t count any longer! If you can understand what I just wrote, then you will understand what Paul meant when he said:
‘For by GRACE are ye saved through FAITH and that not of yourselves…it is the GIFT of God….NOT OF WORKS….lest any man should boast’ (Eph 2:8-9)
What the Bible actually said was this:
‘By FAITH…the harlot Rahab…perished not…..with them that BELIEVED NOT….when she received the spies with peace’! (vs 31)
That’s it! She was a ‘BELIEVER’! Under the covenant of Grace….God DECLARES you righteous at the very moment you BELIEVE in the finished work of His Son on the cross for you! But did the GRACE of God leave Rahab as a harlot? Hmm…
Not too long from then, Rahab got married to a Jew called SALMON…became a good wife (Matt 1:5)…no more an harlot…and became one of the great grandmothers of JESUS CHRIST!!! (Matt 1:5, 16). Wow!
Grace does not only Justify you in your weakness…Grace also transforms you to begin to LIVE holy and acceptable before God!
Rahab was not justified because she stopped being a harlot! No! Rahab was justified…WHILE…she was a harlot! Hmm…. But Grace does not leave you the way you are! Grace substitutes your thirst for sin…with the Loving thirst for Jesus! This makes it IMPOSSIBLE for sin to have DOMINION over you! (Romans 6:14).
Stop condemning yourself! Jesus has received your condemnation! Rather, Receive His FREE GIFT of ETERNAL LIFE….and you will be empowered to Go and sin no more! (John 8:11) Hallelujah!
Remain in the realms of GRACE where God’s STRENGTH is made PERFECT in your WEAKNESS! (2cor 12:9)
Amen.
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