A Faith Like Rahab’s Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: A Faith Like Rahab’s -------------------------- Date: 12/10/2000 Keywords: "faith" "Rahab" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Hebrews 11:31* By faith Rahab the harlot did not perish along with those who were disobedient, after she had welcomed the spies in peace. Questions 1. Notice Rahab’s occupation in the verse cited above. Do you usually expect that someone holding this "job" would be praised in the Bible?   2. What is it about Rahab that the author of Hebrews commends?   Practical help If we ever needed to be assured that we are saved by faith and not by our works, we need only read the story of Rahab. The story is found in the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. A prostitute in a doomed city (Jericho), Rahab is approached by two panicked Israelites spies. She hides them and then lies to the soldiers who came to her house looking for the spies. God looks at that episode and stamps "saved" on Rahab’s spiritual passport. Why? Because her actions were prompted by her faith. We could get all kinds of illegitimate "lessons" out of this story. We could say that God is in favor of deceit (He isn’t!). We could suggest that God tolerates prostitution (He doesn't!). The point of Rahab’s inclusion in Hebrews 11 is that she believed God when He said that Israel was going to destroy Jericho. All of her actions beforehand (her life of prostitution) became inconsequential. All of her actions afterwards were framed by her trust in God’s promise. But, the important thing in the story is her trust. What about you? At eXXit, we are passionate about helping men and women cease their involvement with pornography. But we don’t ever want to get the cart before the horse. It is possible that you are reading the eXXit Bible studies and hoping that you can get rid of your porn habit so that you can be good enough to come to God. That is not the way it worked for Rahab, and it isn’t the way it will work for you. God doesn’t want your morality (it will surely come eventually!). He wants you to trust Him. The morality — getting rid of porn — will come, but first things first: Entrust yourself to God! (To learn more about trusting God for salvation and how to please God by your faith, click here.) eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2000 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."