Posted on 04/15/2009 4:13:27 AM PDT by tenger
By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies, was not killed with those who were disobedient. Hebrews 11:31
With the exception of possibly Sarah (Hebrews 11:11), Rahab is the only woman listed by name in this long list of Faith Warriors. Rahab was not Jewish, yet she is named in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. She was a known prostitute. She lied to the King's men when they came looking for the two spies. Then she asked the spies to have mercy on her and her family because of what she did for them (Joshua 2:12)
And God spared her life. Rahab acted on the faith she knew, and she sought mercy. God delivered on that mercy.
A man once told me, "There will be three surprises in Heaven: you'll be surprised that some people are there that you didn't think would be. You'll be surprised that some people aren't there that you thought would be, and lastly, you'll be surprised that you're there." I think Rahab clearly fits into the first category.
Rahab. A prostitute, a protector of spies, and a Hall of Faith listing. Who could have guessed that?
Praise God for His mercy.
Well..., the reason why this sort of thing may seem to be a “surprise” to us, is that most people think there is a “wide gap” between a prostitute and the best and most moral man on earth.
From God’s standpoint, they both look the same...
Good point S.T.
I heard someone once say that not only would we one day be surprised by WHO is in Heaven, but we would also be surprised by who was NOT in Heaven.
You said — I heard someone once say that not only would we one day be surprised by WHO is in Heaven, but we would also be surprised by who was NOT in Heaven.
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And with that point, it may be good to let *some people* know what it takes to be a Christian...
How to Become a Christian
The central theme of the Bible is God’s love for you and for all people. This love was revealed when Jesus Christ, the Son of God, came into the world as a human being, lived a sinless life, died on the cross, and rose from the dead. Because Christ died, your sins can be forgiven, and because He conquered death you can have eternal life. You can know for sure what will become of you after you die.
You have probably heard the story of God’s love referred to as the “Gospel.” The word Gospel simply means “Good News.” The Gospel is the Good News that, because of what Christ has done, we can be forgiven and can live forever.
But this gift of forgiveness and eternal life cannot be yours unless you willingly accept it. God requires an individual response from you. The following verses from the Bible show God’s part and yours in this process:
God’s Love Is Revealed in the Bible
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” —John 3:16 (NIV)
God loves you. He wants to bless your life and make it full and complete. And He wants to give you a life which will last forever, even after you experience physical death.
We Are Sinful
“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” —Romans 3:23 (NIV)
You may have heard someone say, “I’m only human—nobody’s perfect.” This Bible verse says the same thing: We are all sinners. We all do things that we know are wrong. And that’s why we feel estranged from God—because God is holy and good, and we are not.
Sin Has a Penalty
“For the wages of sin is death.” —Romans 6:23 (NIV)
Just as criminals must pay the penalty for their crimes, sinners must pay the penalty for their sins. If you continue to sin, you will pay the penalty of spiritual death: You will not only die physically; you will also be separated from our holy God for all eternity. The Bible teaches that those who choose to remain separated from God will spend eternity in a place called hell.
Christ Has Paid Our Penalty!
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” —Romans 5:8 (NIV)
The Bible teaches that Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, has paid the penalty for all your sins. You may think you have to lead a good life and do good deeds before God will love you. But the Bible says that Christ loved you enough to die for you, even when you were rebelling against Him.
Salvation Is a Free Gift
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” —Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
The word grace means “undeserved favor.” It means God is offering you something you could never provide for yourself: forgiveness of sins and eternal life, God’s gift to you is free. You do not have to work for a gift. All you have to do is joyfully receive it, Believe with all your heart that Jesus Christ died for you!
Christ Is at Your Heart’s Door
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.” —Revelation 3:20 (NIV)
Jesus Christ wants to have a personal relationship with you. Picture, if you will, Jesus Christ standing at the door of your heart (the door of your emotions, intellect and will). Invite Him in; He is waiting for you to receive Him into your heart and life.
You Must Receive Him
“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” —John 1:12 (NIV)
When you receive Christ into your heart you become a child of God, and have the privilege of talking to Him in prayer at any time about anything. The Christian life is a personal relationship to God through Jesus Christ. And best of all, it is a relationship that will last for all eternity.
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From Billy Graham’s website...
http://www.billygraham.org/SH_HowtobecomeaChristian.asp
To that I’ll add one Scripture that I always include...
Romans 10:9-13 says...
9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.
13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
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