The Evidence of True Faith - Rahab
James 2:20-26
James 2:20-26
James finishes the chapter and our section on Testing Your Faith with one last example. The Jews had a problem in their heritage thinking that just because they were Jewish, and because they were descendants of Abraham, they would automatically go to heaven. There are many people today who follow the same line of thinking. Kids of Christian parents who grow up in the church can believe they are saved automatically. I remember a Catholic friend growing up who boldly told me he was going to heaven just because he was born Catholic and attended mass a few times out of the year. This is a dangerous deception because we know scripture teaches every person is responsible for their own sins and cannot enter heaven unless they are “born again” (John 3:3).
Since the Jews had this attachment to Abraham as one of his descendants and since James is dealing with people who think their head knowledge belief was enough to get them to heaven, he uses another example to shake them up. He goes from Abraham, the greatest man in Jewish history, the founder and father of the Jews, the friend of God, and the man all Jews could brag about… to a prostitute.
James turns to a woman known as “Rahab the harlot” as his next example of great faith. Now you must understand how shocking this must have been to the people in James’ church. Abraham was a hero while Rahab was a prostitute who ran a brothel...a house of prostitution while living in Jericho (Joshua 2). Abraham was the father of the Jewish nation...a hero to the Jews while Rahab was a foreigner and a Gentile. Abraham was a man in a man’s world while Rahab was a woman who the Jews would never consider speaking to. This is the person James chooses as his next example…and remember James is being guided by the Holy Spirit as he writes so Rahab is God’s choice as one of great faith.
The story of Rahab unfolds in the book of Judges where we find her living in the great fortified city of Jericho. Joshua has been told by God to cross the Jordan river where the Israelites will finally step into the promised land. It has been over 400 years since their forefathers Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had first lived there. Joshua wisely sends out spies to see what kind of opposition they will face since many people and cultures have taken over the land by this time. “Go, look over the land, he said, especially Jericho” (Joshua 2:1). Two spies secretly enter the city of Jericho and are taken in by Rahab, but the King of Jericho learns of their presence and sends his soldiers to Rahab’s house to arrest them. Rahab helps the spies escape by hiding them on the roof of her house and telling the King the men had left. “I don’t know which way the went. Go after them quickly. You may catch up with them,” said Rahab.
Why would Rahab betray her own people? Most would consider her a terrible person and a traitor, but Rahab saw something that no one else in the city saw….she saw God at work and knew no one could stand up to Him. This is the testimony of Rahab: “...I know that the Lord as given this land to you 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. 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. When we heard of it, our hearts melted and everyone’s courage failed because of you, for the Lord your God is god in heaven above and on the earth below. Now then, please swear to me by the Lord that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you...” Joshua 2:8-12
Do you see Rahab’s testimony of salvation in the text? Remember a salvation decision isn’t always the traditional walking down the isle of the church service and praying at the altar. James’ point a person will demonstrate their faith after salvation so let’s break down the salvation and then Rahab’s faith in action. First Rahab acknowledges God and testifies what God has done for His people. She confesses the existence of God, the power of God, and how God is sovereign over heaven and earth. This is her statement of salvation...her belief in God, but how do we know it is a genuine belief? How do we know she isn’t just trying to save her skin by saying she knows God? The answer is revealed by how she reacts to her belief.
Now let’s look at her faith in action. First she took the spies into her home with full knowledge of who they were...enemies of her own people. Second she hid them from her own people at great personal cost. If the King of Jericho found out what she had done, Rahab and her whole family would have been executed as traitors. Rahab had made a firm decision to choose God and risked her entire family’s lives by rejecting her old life, her old ways, and the people she lived with. Rahab risked everything and asked to become part of God’s people. This is her faith at work.
Did you know that Rahab is mentioned in Hebrews 11 among some of the greatest heroes of faith in the Old Testament? She is mentioned with the names of Noah, Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph. As a matter of fact Rahab is the only woman mentioned in what has been called the “Hall of Faith”. Just like Abraham, Rahab was found righteous and her faith and actions were working together...and her faith was made complete (matured) by what she did.
James presents a flawless case of how, once saved, a person will demonstrate their faith in the Lord. The evidence is overwhelming and challenges the person who is only giving lip service to examine their life and see if they are really saved. The text also challenges those of us who are believers. Sometimes we get stagnant and stall out in our faith. James reminds us to get moving forward again and let our faith once again shine as a light before all men.
James final statement is very powerful. He says, “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead” James 1:26. This is one last comparison to consider. A human body without a human spirit is nothing more than a corpse in a coffin. A corpse doesn’t do anything, cannot move, because there is no life. James says a person who claims to have faith but doesn’t do anything is nothing more than a corpse… their faith is dead.
So how is your faith? How do you measure up to the “Test of Faith” as James presents his evidence? Remember the goal of this section is to remind you how God will send trials to test your faith...opportunities to demonstrate faith in action. You may never be asked to put your life on the line, but you will be asked to demonstrate your faith in God.
