Title Rahab Saved by Faith (Hebrews 11:31)
Description One day, a man got on a ferry and crossed a large river. He is an educated person, but while crossing the river on a ferry, he felt a bit bored because he was so idle. So I asked the sailor who was rowing hard. “Do you know anything about philosophy?” Then the sailor humbly replied, “What would an ignorant person like me know?” Then he clicked his tongue, as if it was a bit off-putting, and said: “You have lost a quarter of your life.” Then I asked again. “Then do you know anything about science?” The sailor answered with a puzzled look. “He also doesn’t know.” Then, in a tone of ignoring the sailor, he said: "I'm sorry, but you've spent half your life in vain," he said.
At that very moment, a sudden gust of wind overturned the ferry. The two fell into a deep river. This time the sailor asked him. “You have learned a lot, so you must know how to swim, right?” He grumbled and answered urgently. "no. I don't know how to swim.” Then the sailor bit his tongue and said, “Then you have lost your whole life.”
In this way, no matter how much we discuss philosophy and science, what is the meaning if we do not know what we need to know? So is belief. No matter how much we know, enjoy, and live in this world, what is the meaning if we do not receive eternal life? In the end, after enjoying much, you will have no choice but to be thrown into eternal destruction. Eternal life can only be obtained through faith in Jesus Christ. Eternal life cannot be attained by human knowledge and human good deeds. Rahab, the main character of the text, clearly testifies of this fact.
So who is Rahab?
1. From a human point of view, Rahab is not worthy of entering the kingdom of heaven.
Rahab is a Gentile from Jericho, who is about to be destroyed because of her sins. He was the subject of great judgment and death. Moreover, she was a prostitute who sold alcohol and sold her body. Nevertheless, what is the reason for Rahab to share her place among the heroes of the miracle of faith? There are four Bibles that mention Rahab's name in the Bible (Joshua 2, Jos 6, Matthew 1:5, Hebrews 11:31, James 2:25). How could he be saved, but with eternal glory?
Today's word reveals that secret. Verse 31 says, “By faith Rahab the prostitute”. It is the way to go by faith. There are many heroes of faith in Hebrews 11, but Rahab has the job of a prostitute in front of her name to tell that even a prostitute like this can only be saved by God's grace if she believes in Jesus. Examples of this are seen not only in Rahab, but also in the titles “Matthew the tax collector” and “Simon the Selotite.” In other words, even if you are a tax collector who is pointed at you, even if you are a zealous member of the radical movement who carried a sword, if you believe in Jesus, you can be saved and become a disciple of Jesus.
Therefore, the believer can not only be saved from destruction like Rahab, but can also enter among the great men of faith confidently. That's why Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith, and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one can boast." .
Last week I suffered the loss of my beloved execution. He is a new believer who has just come out of the church, and even though he was unconscious, he worked hard and prayed for the assurance of his salvation. The prayers of our members and the love of prayer comrades all over the country who prayed for him were great. Just before the execution was called, God showed me a beautiful paradise and clearly showed me the image of a soul enjoying freedom and happiness there. On the other hand, even the thief who was crucified believes that he saved his soul as he promised paradise when he repented. In this way, we are saved through faith in Jesus Christ, who has saved us from our sins by the grace of only one God.
2. Rahab believed, but she had clear evidence of faith.
Even though we believers believe in Jesus, we must also have the evidence of faith. Rahab had about two major evidences of faith. The first is his confession of faith. Joshua 2:11 says, “As soon as we heard it, our hearts melted, and people lost their minds because of you; for the LORD your God is God above and above.” and professed his faith. At that time, it was a confession of faith that he did his best in his own way. We must also be able to confess with certainty that God is our Father and that Jesus is our King and our Savior.
Also, Rahab had other evidence of faith. Rahab said, “I received the spies in peace.” He hid the Israeli spies who were in danger of being captured by the Jericho army and made them escape. This is a betrayal of the nation, and it cannot but be as dangerous as gambling with one's own life. But faith is true when you can risk even your life or anything for the Lord. What is your belief? James said that he would be shown through the works of faith. What evidence would you show that you have faith?
But I asked one more thing. What is the question? This is a question. “Then, saints, will you keep your Sundays and tithe well from now on?” Then, it is said that there are a lot of people who answer with a dying voice, whether they will do it or not, the people who had been shouting out a while ago. If he fails to fulfill his basic duties as a member of the church, can he really say that he has faith? However, Rahab was a true believer who even took her own life.
So James said, “Was not Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For just as the body without the soul is dead, so faith without works is dead” (James 2:25-26). Rahab had the true evidence of her faith, which she showed through works. In other words, the reason Rahab was able to risk her life to do such a thing was because she believed in God. In this way, I hope that you will become saints who have the confession of true faith and the evidence that both God and humans can't help but acknowledge.
3. As a result of Rahab's faith, she and her family were all saved.
The text reads, “It did not perish with those who disobeyed.” This verse refers to the results of faith. The Bible speaks of the Canaanites as disobedient. Genesis 15:16 says, "Your descendants will return to this land in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites has not yet reached full scale." It is meant to come. However, by faith, Rahab gathered not only herself but her whole family under the red line of the covenant, so that they could all be saved. God made such Rahab a noble ancestor who was honorably listed in the genealogy of Jesus Christ.
How good are we today? There was nothing that could help Rahab believe in God. Except for the occasional rumors about God, there was nothing that could strengthen our faith. However, we have many people who exhort, encourage, and pray for salvation in churches with perfect Bibles and well-equipped facilities. Even under conditions that are 100 times better than Rahab, if you do not have good faith, there will be no excuses before the judgment seat of God.
At that time, the judgment was so severe that not only the people in the city, but also all living things, including livestock, could not escape death. However, Rahab and her family gathered under the red line of the covenant were saved. What is the red line of this covenant? It is the shed blood of Jesus Christ. I am not saved by my good deeds. We turn our hearts and accept Jesus Christ, who shed His blood for our sins, as our Lord, and He gives salvation to those who believe in His merits.
Dear saints,
Who would be the Rahab of this age? We ourselves were forced to die because of our sins. No matter how sinful we are, those who believe in Jesus Christ who has forgiven and saved us are given the promise of salvation with eternal glory. I hope that all of us, like Rahab, will continue to fear God well to the end, so that not only myself, but also my house and my neighbors will be exempted from eternal judgment and become saints who evangelize to the kingdom of heaven.