Salvation By Faith

 

 

 

 

"By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace."

Hebrews 11:31

 

 

Good Morning My Beloved,

Welcome to worship this Lord's Day!

We are so glad your hear. 

 

We often hear someone say, "Just have faith!" That admonition is most often heard from those who are not going through the things we are going through. "Have faith in God, " "faith is only as good as its object." "Our faith must be in God, in His Word, in His promises." "For without faith it is impossible to please God." "Faith has substance because it is founded upon God’s Word." We've all heard them, and chances are, we've even said to others in hopes of encouraging them to "have faith." 

 

Many people today, including many Christians live in fear. Some fear death, or the process of dying. For others, its the fear of tomorrow. Or the fear of the unknown future. Many live in fear of being robed, of the future. Faith in God helps us face our fears. Faith knows that God was working even in the dark and difficult moments of life.

Someone once said, "Fear knocked, faith answered, and no one was there."

 Let us pray. 

 Heavenly Father,

Father,  thank You for Your Word, for this reminder, that even many of us who are Christians, living our lives with so little faith, who haven't really believed You. Lord, help us to realize, that You can be trusted, even in the impossible situations of life. May we find a new faith, see new courage today.

Father, if there’s someone with us, who has never come to Jesus Christ and put his faith in Christ, we pray that You would touch their hearts, that today would be that day. O God, speak to our hearts and make us all people of true faith.

In Christ's precious name we pray

Amen

 

Today's Message:  Salvation By Faith

I love what the late Adrian Rogers, a Baptist preacher, once said "Nature forms us, sin deforms us, the world conforms us, education informs us, but faith transforms us."

 

Open your Bibles with me, if you would please. As you know, we have been studying the wonderful book of Hebrews chapter 11, commonly known as the Chapter of Faith. Here, we have another illustration of faith, the faith that conquers. I'm sure that you've noticed, that our text today is again just one verse. It is often, the temptation for many preachers, to combines verses 30 and 31, into one message. However, I believe that each has for us an valuable lesson and therefore, should be preached separately, in order for us to get the full impact of what God has revealed to us in His Word. i hope that you will be blessed by it. I believe that right now, the Holy Spirit is working, somewhere, He is preparing a heart and here, with this message,  He is preparing a messenger.

I invite you to follow along with me as I read to set the text in our minds, as we prepare our hearts, for what the Holy Spirit has to say to us today. Hebrews 11:31.

"By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace."

Our text today, shows us about the grace of God, and how a prostitute found her way into the heroes of faith. I can assure you of one thing for sure, she wasn't saved by her works. Verse 31 introduces us to Rahab. Rahab was out for a lot of reasons. First, because of her profession. She was engaged in rebellious activities, and lied about her actions. She was a Gentile. Worse than that, she was a Canaanite. And, if that wasn't bad enough, she was an Amorite, and she was a member of a race that God had devoted to destruction.

 

The funny thing is, that's exactly how God’s grace works, isn't it? His mercy is open to all of us who will receive Him. God’s grace has always been greater than Israel, even as far back as the Old Testament. Rahab is an marvelous example of the grace of God at work. Joshua selected two men, who were God’s representatives, they went into the city of Jericho, it was there they met Rahab. And through their witness, she acted upon faith, she was converted, and was spared the judgment of God.

 

Notice, it says that Rahab did not perish along with those who were disobedient. He's talking about the whole city of Jericho. They didn't believe the Word of the Lord. They knew that God had given the land to the children of Israel. And they disobeyed. The word in the Greek is "apeitheō," it means literally to be disobedient. I believe that God had given them the word that the land was for Israel, and that God was going to destroy. However, who turned to Him in mercy would be set free. But they did not believe Him, and so they were wiped out. But Rahab, she believed it. It says she "did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace." Which in the Greek is "dechoma," which means to welcome with hospitality.She gave them a welcome.

 

 I am sure you’ll remember the story, Joshua chapter 2 and chapter 6, when the spies went in to check out the land, they got into Jericho and they got into a little bit of trouble, and they had to be hidden. The spies entered into Rahab's house, she welcomed them with hospitality, and she hid them in straw up on the roof. And when the authorities came, and they asked, "Have you seen the spies,"and she lied. Now, we certainly do not justify her lie, we only say that she believed God. She had the right idea; she just went about it the wrong way. She hid the spies, then she let them out, and she told them why she did it. She did it because she knew God had given the land to them, and she believed in their God. She accepted the truth that she had heard. Scripture tells us, that the rest of them didn't, so God wiped out the city. 

 

Can you imagine a sinful woman, an idol worshiper, making such a wonderful statement of faith?

 

It has been said, that the destruction of the Canaanites was as great a gain to the welfare of humanity from purely a social view as much as it was from a spiritual one. They were an extremely debauched people, in fact, its been said that they were the worst kind imaginable.

From a historical view, history tells us that when they built buildings, they took live babies, dropped them in jars, and built them into the walls. They were involved in all kinds of orgies and atrocities that are actually too perverted for even mention from a public position. And God punished that city, but he spared one dear woman who believed. 

And I want to read you Joshua 2, verse 9, "and said to the men, “I know that the Lord has given you the land, and that the terror of you has fallen on us, and that all the inhabitants of the land have melted away before you. For we have heard how the Lord dried up the water of the Red Sea before you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to the two kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan, to Sihon and Og, whom you utterly destroyed."

Everybody knew God had given the land to Israel. They were all worried about it. Though we're unaware of the details, we know that God had given them the message somehow. 

Verse 12, "When we heard it, our hearts melted and no courage remained in any man any longer because of you; for the Lord your God, He is God in heaven above and on earth beneath." She put her faith in God, she believed in God, and she believed in God's Word. As far as we know, there wasn't one other believer that believed that God was in control. She could have lost her life, it took courage to do what she did. It took faith to believe the spies. They were more than spies they were messengers of God. They were speaking God’s Word. And she believed!

Joshua 2:17-21 tells us, "The men said to her, "We shall be free from this oath to you which you have made us swear, unless, when we come into the land, you tie this cord of scarlet thread in the window through which you let us down, and gather to yourself into the house your father and your mother and your brothers and all your father’s household. It shall come about that anyone who goes out of the doors of your house into the street, his blood shall be on his own head, and we shall be free; but anyone who is with you in the house, his blood shall be on our head if a hand is laid on him. But if you tell this business of ours, then we shall be free from the oath which you have made us swear." She said, "According to your words, so be it.” So she sent them away, and they departed; and she tied the scarlet cord in the window."

James 2:25 says "In the same way, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?"

Rahab acknowledged faith in the true and living God. And one of the staggering realities about Rahab, is that she ended up in the messianic line.

Matthew 1:5, sort of ties in the book of Ruth, Joshua, Judges, Ruth. She’s the mother of Boaz. She’s the mother of Boaz, the husband of Ruth. She is the great-great grandmother of King David. Rahab shows the faith that has the courage to stand in the midst of grave danger. Because that’s what true faith does. It doesn’t crumble because the in the face of threatening circumstances. True saving faith obeys God no matter  the cost.  

The city of Jericho was destroyed. Rahab and her family were spared because she had faith. Faith is our response to the Word of God.

Romans 10:17 teaches us that "So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

In Closing..

Rahab sinned. You and I have sinned. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Nothing but the blood of Jesus can wash away our sin.There is no other way!

Because Rahab had faith and believed, she is not known as a harlot who sinned, she is known as the great-great grandmother of King David; in the bloodline of Jesus; listed in the genealogy of our Lord and Savior. That beloved, is true salvation by faith!

In His Word, God has made an eternal promise that he who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. He will faithfully keep that promise! Only faith in the Cross of Jesus Christ can save us from death and reconcile us to God.

One day soon, the trumpets of judgment will sound, for those who have placed their faith an trust in Jesus Christ, there is safety and refuge. For those who have not, there is eternal judgement and punishment. I believe that it is important that you listen to the voice of God  now, as He is calling out to you.

If you have not yet confessed to Jesus that you need for a Savior, turned away from your sin, making Him Lord over your life, I pray that you will take this opportunity to do so today. 

May it be so..

And now may the Lord bless you and keep you;

the Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.

Now and forever, in Jesus' name
Amen

 

 

 

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