Randall Caselman
8-16-97
Type: Sermon

Saving Faith Of A Harlot

Reading — Joshua 2.1-18

Sometimes we tend to withhold our love from those of whom we disapprove. The amazing thing about God is that He loves those of who nobody approves... Even prostitutes. You have never encountered another human being that God did not love, who does not matter to Him. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. You see, God loves a prostitute just as much as He does a prophet. I believe we can see this fact from our text in Joshua chapter two.

In fact only Mary the mother of Jesus and Sarah the wife of Abraham get more praise in the Bible than this lady named Rahab.

• She was a hero of faith mentioned in Hebrews chapter eleven.

• She was a woman who wound up in the genealogy of Jesus the Son of God in Matthew chapter one.

• She was an inspiration to James the brother of Jesus in his letter to the churches.

In spite of this, I have never heard of a mother naming her daughter Rahab... Have you? Which tells me that God is much better at forgetting and forgiving who we used to be than we are.

Rahab is an important woman of the Bible, and she is a great example of how to be saved. If your here this morning and you’re not sure about your relationship with God, you can be sure before we leave this service. There is not one reason why everybody here this morning cannot know that he or she is saved and heaven bound as we exit those doors this morning. I am going to show you how to be saved from the life of a harlot named Rahab.

Jericho represents a rebellious world over which judgement is impending. Lets let Jericho represent our world, our culture today. And lets allow Rahab represent all those who our God of grace wants to be saved when His judgment comes.

Now, we must know that God has promised, judgment will come upon our sinful world... Right? Paul writes his second letter to the church at Thessalonica saying judgment will come. In chapter one verse 7 he says, This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of his power. Yet because God is filled with love, mercy and grace, He has promised that if there are any who will be righteous in Sodom, He will deliver them out before that judgment. And there was a woman in Jericho whom God wanted to bring out. And He wants to bring you and your preacher out of this world into His world. So then, when judgment does come we will be saved.

No, I don’t believe it was coincidence that these two spies showed up at Rahab’s door, it was God’s divine providence. Scripture tells us that it is God’s will that all men everywhere be saved. And He will provincially work, giving us an opportunity to respond to His saving grace. Peter says, God wants all men everywhere to be saved, The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but that all should to come to repentance.

So here they are... Standing, knocking on the door of Rahab the harlot. Know this morning, that Jesus is standing at the door of your heart knocking... Knocking.

Now there are some things that bother us about Rahab... Right?

First, Scripture tells us she is a prostitute.

Some Bible teachers try to clean up the Bible. They say, well the Hebrew word translated prostitute could be translated inn keeper. So, they contend that Rahab ran a hotel. NO, NO. The problem with this is that when we come to the New Testament, the Greek word used to speak of Rahab always means prostitute. Lets not try to clean up God’s truth to fit our fancy... Let’s not try to rewrite the Bible. Let’s let God be God. Rahab was a harlot.

The spies went to her house, not because they were of questionable character, but because the city of Jericho was in the state of emergency. Just like it would be today, if an army of over two million strong was camped across the river from Bella Vista, Bentonville. The King of Jericho is scared... He has his own spies out... Looking. So, if you are a spy, looking for a place of refuge, where would be a good place to go to keep from being detected? They went to a harlot’s house.

There is another point that needs to be made here. That is that God does not just want to save the respectable people. You see, most of us would look at Rahab and say, that woman is a street walker... She couldn’t have any interest in God. But guess what?... She did. No wonder Scripture tells us not to judge.

Church, not only did Rahab have an interest in God... The more amazing thing is that God had an interest in her. I don’t know about you, but this makes me feel a little better in light of the ugly things that I have done. I mean, if God is interested in a common street walker, then perhaps I have a chance of Him having an interest in me.

Wasn’t that Paul’s point in 1 Timothy 1.15-16 when he says, Jesus came into the world to save sinners--of whom I am the worst... I am the chief. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Folk, I don’t know what your sin is, but I do know that regardless of how ugly it may be, God is still interested in you and stands ready to forgive you... Save you... Use you, just as He did Paul and this prostitute.

A couple of years ago the U.S. government mint in Philadelphia made a mistake on some pennies. On these pennies the word GOD and IN LIBERTY were fuzzy. Now a penny is not worth much, and a flawed penny is worth even less. Well, guess what?... To coin collectors, these pennies are now worth over $200. I think, somehow, God looks at you and me that way. I mean,

• We are covered with flaws.

• We are covered with mistakes.

• We are all sinners.

RIGHT? Yet God still values us. Values us enough to send His only begotten Son to save us in spite of our flaws. We must know this morning that, if God didn’t value flawed things, not one of us, here this morning, could possibly be saved. Now, I think I have met some people who think they are good enough to be saved, but they are not, and I certainly hope you are not one of them. Yes, Rahab was a prostitute. And Yes, in spite of her sin, God loved her and wanted to save her.

The other thing about Rahab that some object to is her lie.

What about her lie? Well, I don’t know the answer for sure, because the Bible doesn’t say. But I’ll give you some things to think about. This was a time of war. This was a time when Rahab had to choose between the lessor of two evils. For instance, were Betsy and Corrie Tennboom wrong whey they hid Jews from the Germans and lied about it to save lives? I don’t know, but I think they did the right thing.

Now, don’t put words in my mouth, I am not saying it is right to lie. But, I also know that in all the Bible, Rahab is nowhere condemned for this untruth. In fact, Scripture says that she demonstrated her faith.

Listen to these two New Testament scriptures:

• Hebrews 11.31, By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient.

• James 2.25-26, 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.

You see, here is the answer to this plaguing question, Rahab had changed her allegiance from this world to God before the spies ever show up.

• In verse nine of our text she says, I know that the Lord has given you this land.

• In verse 11 she says, For the LORD your God is God in heaven above and on the earth below.

• In verse 12 she says, Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.

Rahab had placed her faith in Jehovah God, before Israel had ever crossed the Jordan. And because of her faith, God took her from a house of shame and placed her in His hall of fame in Hebrews chapter eleven. Rahab was saved by her faith.

Rahab was saved by faith. And Scripture tells us we to are saved by faith. Listen to these scriptures which tell us we are saved by faith:

• In John 8.24 Jesus says, If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins.

• Mark 16.16 has Jesus saying, He that believes and is baptized will be saved, but he that believes not will be condemned.

• In Ephesians 2.8, Paul says, We are saved by grace through faith.

• Galatians 3.26 tells us, we are children of God by Faith.

• The Hebrews writer maintains in 6.11, Without faith it is impossible to please God.

Now let’s use this lady to make some applications about what it takes for one to have saving, delivering, forgiving FAITH.

What does it mean to have saving faith?... Three things:

First, Rahab took to heart the truth about God.

Notice the first thing she said to the spies in verse 9... What was it?... I know.... Church, Rahab’s faith was based upon propositional truth.

• She had heard of what had happened at the Red Sea.

• She knew about the victories over Sihon and Og.

• She had concluded in her heart that the Lord, your God is GOD in heaven and earth.

Her faith was grounded in the truthfulness of God’s intervention into history on behalf of His people. Saving faith is always this way. The Hebrew’s writer says goes on to say, We must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Audience, the Christian faith is not just a collection of principles to live by. Our faith is based on the belief that God entered into time and space and did some things to save people, like us here this morning. You see,

• God did enter into time and space and created the world and everything in it.

• He intervened again and caused the flood.

• He intervened in world history to make possible an exodus from Egypt.

• There really was a virgin who gave birth to a child in Bethelhem.

• God did come to this earth in the flesh and dwell among us.

• Jesus really did die on a Roman cross.

• There really is an empty tomb outside old Jerusalem.

These things are true. God intervened in time and space and we base our faith on these historical truths. And because they are true, we believe that He really is coming again to do business with this world. In John 20.29 Jesus says to His disciples, Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.

Church, Rahab’s faith was stronger than many in Israel who had actually witnessed some of these events. Rahab spoke of the take over of the land of Caanan as if it had already had happened. As if it were an already accomplished fact. When will we have this kind of faith? The kind of saving faith that says, if God says something is true, if something is going to happen, we could talk about it as an already accomplished fact. God give me this kind of faith.

Notice now that everybody in Jericho had the same light, the same truth, the same opportunity that she had, but they did not respond... They did not believe. Here it is audience, saving faith always responds, always acts upon what it knows. Rahab’s faith acted on what she knew to be truth. We’ve already noticed what James has to say about Rahab’s faith, 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? As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works, faith without obedience is dead.,

Secondly, saving faith always takes a stand against the world and its culture.

In protecting God’s messengers, Rahab committed an act of treason against her culture. By this act of faith:

• She renounced everything in her past.

• She burned her bridges behind her.

• She no longer considered herself a part of Jericho.

Because of her faith, she saw Jericho as history... Jericho’s future was over. And she didn’t want to be a part of it any more. Rahab wanted to be a part of God’s kingdom, so she took a considerable risk. But that’s what saving faith does.

• Saving faith sees that this world will end, it will be burned up and everything that is in it.

• Saving faith doesn’t want to be a part of its promises anymore.

• Saving faith wants to be a part of the unseen world that is real and eternal.

Let me ask you something! Has God ever asked you to stand up and go it alone against this culture... This world? I hope you are saying yes. Because we cannot follow Jesus Christ and not have times that we must say, regardless of what this world says, I belong to God and so this is where I stand and this is the way I will behave.

This is a true story. In 1977 this young man was a junior in the University of Texas. He was taking an organic chemistry class in preparation for his degree in premed. This class was tough. Over a thousand students start the class and about two hundred ever take the final. The man who taught this class for years was an avowed atheist. And he wanted nothing to do with the subject of God and creationism. So, at the beginning of each semester, he would do the same thing the first day of class. He would hold a glass beaker over his head and say, some of you in this class have been diluted by this farce called Christianity. And we’re going to settle this issue right now. How many of you so called Christians have enough faith to pray to your God, that if I drop this 25 oz. beaker it will not shatter to pieces on the floor. Every year there would be total silence. The professor would then set the beaker down and say, then let’s not talk about God anymore in this class.

Well, in 1977 he said the same things and a young man waited for someone to speak up and nobody did. Finally he stood up and said, I’ll pray. Rick Atchly, the preacher at Richland Hills in Dallas, asked him why did you do that? The you man said, I don’t really know, except that I was not going to let anybody bully me out of my faith.

The professor was shocked, but said, OK young man go ahead... Pray! The young man said, I prayed. He said, I was already in up to my neck, so I didn’t have any more to lose.

He said, I prayed, Lord, I know you are God whether that beaker breaks or not. And he said, I’ll continue to have faith in you and worship you, but God it would be a great testimony to these students if you would see to it that that beaker would not break. The professor held that beaker over his head, and with a smirk on his face dropped it. It landed on his shoe, rolled off and across the floor without as much as a crack. One thousand students stood up and started to clap. Needless to say that teacher has never done that again.

Until Jericho fell, Rahab had to live everyday in a hostile culture, in a hostile world. She had to live in a world where the one who used to be her king was not her king anymore. You know what, we must do the same thing.

• John tells us, Love not the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world--the craving of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does-- comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives for ever.

• James says, Friendship with the world is hatred towards God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.

Here it is church, because of our faith in the living God and we must be prepared to take a stand for Him against this world and its culture.

Frances Schaeffer, in his work on Joshua chapter two, says, it is silly for a Christian not to expect spiritual warfare while he lives in enemy territory. Do you know how we can do it?... By believing, like Rahab, that the destruction of this world and its culture is already an accomplished fact... Because it is... God has promised!

• Saving faith takes God’s word as truth.

• Saving faith takes a stand against the world and its culture.

And thirdly, saving faith will take the necessary action to save self and others.

Rehab took action to save herself and others. She obeyed the spies when they told here to display the scarlet cord. No doubt it took courage to obey and share her faith with her family. Anyone of them could have spoken to the king and Rahab could have been killed. But it was worth it to her to take the risk of evangelism. To let the people she loved know that the judgement of God was coming and what to do to save themselves.

God’s kindness, in this narrative, is demonstrated by a scarlet cord. Church, we must know this morning that that scarlet cord is a symbol of the crimson thread, that cord of blood, which runs all the way through the Bible.

• It began in the Garden, when God killed some animals to cover the nakedness and shame of Adam and Eve’s sin.

• It runs through the sands of Egypt, when the Passover Lamb was slain to protect the first born from the angel of death.

• It runs through every blood sacrifice offered in the tabernacle and temple.

• And it flows from a hill outside of Jerusalem from the cross of the one who died in our stead.

Our medical world is excited about umbilical blood therapy. It holds the potential of healing without matching blood types. Wouldn’t it be great if they have discovered a blood that would heal all peoples of the world? But I want to tell you something, there is a blood that can match an person’s spiritual sickness... And deliver them from their sins. Ephesians 1.7 tells us, In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace.

Let me ask you this...

• Do you believe a final judgement is coming?

• Can you speak of it as an accomplished fact?

• How do you plan to be spared?

Do you know what most people are going to do? Most people are going to trust in their own goodness. Most people believe that they are pretty good folks:

• They try to be a good spouse.

• Good parents.

• They try to treat their neighbor right.

• They don’t murder, lie, or commit adultery.

So, they conclude that, if there is going to be a judgment, that they are in pretty good shape.

Audience, this is one of the greatest lies Satan ever told. Listen to me closely, when the judgment of God comes, anybody not covered by that crimson cover is going to be destroyed. And anybody covered with the blood of Jesus is going to be saved... Its just that simple. I would rather be a street walker covered with the blood of Jesus, than to be the best person in Bella Vista, Bentonville without it.

You see, the very worst form of human badness is human goodness substituted for the blood of Jesus. Jesus is our Joshua. The Bible tells us, He is coming in flaming fire... In Judgment... Taking vengeance on those who know not God and obey not the Gospel. He will come as our Judge or as our Savior... Which will it be?

Question!... What do you need to do this morning to be saved by FAITH?

Do you need to become a child of God... A Christian? You can, by Faith... A belief in God and what He has done through His Son Jesus to save you. Repentance... Repentance is a change of heart that is so strong that it results in a change of life. Turning your back on this world and its culture and coming to God. New Testament baptism, immersion in water for the forgiveness of all your sins.

Listen to these verses from Galatians 3, We are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ, have been clothed with Christ. Let your faith prompt you into total obedience... Will you come to Jesus?