CCC Gainesville | Blog
By RC Sproul
By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies”
Hebrews 11:31
As Christians we are well-informed about the necessity of faith. We are justified by faith alone. We persevere in salvation through faith alone. Our glorification comes only after living a life of faith.
Even though we know that faith is absolutely necessary if we are to please God (Heb. 11:6), sometimes we have trouble understanding exactly what true faith looks like. Happily, God, in His providence, has provided examples of true persevering faith for us in redemptive history. Hebrews 11 lists many of these examples for us.
Today’s passage discusses the faith of Rahab, the woman who hid Israelites spying on the city of Jericho shortly before the conquest of Canaan (Josh. 2). It took great faith for her to risk her own safety and hide the spies. This faith was rewarded when she and her family were spared the destruction that came to the city (6:22–25).
Rahab is a remarkable character for several reasons. First, she is the only other woman besides Sarah mentioned specifically in the catalog of faith found in Hebrews 11. Thus we can see that she occupies a place of prominence among the other great heroes of the faith such as Abraham and Moses. Her inclusion demonstrates that both women and men are required to exercise persevering faith and are both honored citizens in the kingdom of God. Rahab’s prominence is also markedly displayed in Matthew 1 where she is only one of two women mentioned in the genealogy of Christ.
Rahab was also a Gentile. She was not one of Abraham’s physical descendants and yet was accepted into Israel, God’s people. She foreshadows the great ingrafting of Gentiles into the church now happening under Christ. Like her, those who are outside the people of God today can join His kingdom if they place their faith in Christ alone.
Finally, knowing that Rahab was a prostitute is a reminder of God’s mercy. John Owen says that Rahab is “a blessed example both of the sovereignty of God’s grace and of its power; of its freedom and sovereignty, in the calling and conversion of a person given up through her choice to the vilest of sins. Nobody, no sin, should lead to despair when the cure of God’s sovereign, almighty grace is engaged.” There is no sinner, no matter their sin, that cannot be forgiven if they would but turn to Jesus for salvation.
Q: What does God require in the first, second and third commandments?
A: First, that we know and trust God as the only true and living God. Second, that we avoid all idolatry and do not worship God improperly. Third, that we treat God’s name with fear and reverence, honoring also his Word and works.
As John Lin says in the video this week, the first three commandments show how we can point to the only true and living God. The first one requires that He is to be the exclusive object of our worship, love, and desire. The second one asks that we worship who God really is, not what we want Him to be for us. The third commands that whenever we speak of God, whether through words or lifestyle, we fully respect who He is. These commandments are in place to check our motives for worshiping God. If we look to our goals in life to provide us with deeper comfort than God, we violate the first commandment. If we only worship Him because he will provide us with comfort, we violate the second commandment. John Lin describes such violations as creating a “designer” God. The first two commandments ask that we look to Him as the only true and worthy candidate of our worship. As we recently reviewed in Foundations, our chief purpose for living is to glorify God. He deserves to be worshiped for who He is, not who we think He should be. He created us to desire Him. If we constantly try to replace God or change who He is, we will never be at peace. True comfort, true significance, true joy, and true love can never be grasped without the only true God. If God is at the center of our lives, and as we seek to honor these three commandments, we can begin to know true satisfaction.
This is week 9 of 52 catechism readings from New City Catechism. Christ Community is reciting an entry from the catechism each Sunday in 2013.
From Daniel Turner:
My experience with David Platt’s Secret Church is that it makes me more excited about the Bible, gives me a bigger view of God and a higher value for how he’s revealed himself to us, and sends me away wanting to know Him more. I’ve watched a number of David Platt’s Secret Church sessions and this has been the case each time, no matter the particular topic. Because of watching these teaching sessions, I have a more comprehensive understanding of how God is the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament and the God of today. I highly recommend taking advantage of the opportunity to participate in this experience on Good Friday, March 29, at Christ Community!
Registration is now open for this summer’s art camp for girls. For those who remember “Brave” from last year, “Project 2911” will be full of great surprises! Here’s info from Rebecca Schackow and Ashley Means.
We are in week 6 out of 8 of our Foundations series on the foundations of our faith. You can access the full audio of previous sessions on our website. Also, the women’s fellowship team will be preparing dinner for Foundations participants this Sunday, served at 5:30 pm in the foyer and on the patio.
See you Sunday!
