Title: “Faith and Works” Part 3

Text: James 2:25-26

FCF: We often struggle demonstrating a saving faith.

Prop: Because Rahab fulfilled her faith by her works, we must have a faith that works.

Scripture Intro: ESV

[Slide 1] Turn in your bible to James chapter 2.

There are different philosophies on crafting sermons. Those philosophies have changed throughout the church age.

For example, the Puritans would take a verse or phrase and use it as a spring board to talk about a topic at length.

But you have the other extreme in today’s evangelical church where a pastor will read about 35 verses, talk for 15 minutes basically rehashing what was read, make a few points on living better lives or encouraging the congregation, and then dismiss with prayer.

Since I have been your pastor, I have adopted the thought-by-thought philosophy in crafting sermons. I try to capture a complete thought or paragraph that conveys either one truth or one application and relay that in a meaningful way to you. I endeavor to solve the riddle of what is said, what is meant, and how we should then live. Admittedly I don’t always hit my mark – but that is always my goal.

This message along with the previous two represent one thought of James. And I really regret not doing the whole text of verses 14-26 as one sermon. But to have done all of it in one sermon that only lasted an hour or less – is also equally regrettable.

All that to say that I will do my best to tie up in a neat bow this whole section by the end of this sermon – but if you did not hear last week or the week prior’s message from James – I’d encourage you to go back and listen. Go back and hear all that has been said. James’ argument is without flaw. He dismantles completely any notion of a faith that can confess Christ as Lord and live as if they were unchanged by God.

But today, we will attempt to finish up what James is saying.

I am in James 2, I’ll once again begin reading in verse 14 from the ESV but you can follow along in the pew bible on page 1361 or in whatever version you prefer.

Transition:

Even though it is only a 1 point sermon – there is still much we need to get to today, including a rather hard hitting application at the end. So let’s get to it.

I.) Rahab’s faith was fulfilled by her works, so we must have a faith that works.

a. [Slide 2] 25 – And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way?

i. The story of Rahab the prostitute is perhaps one of the most well-known stories in scripture.

ii. The record is found in Joshua 2 -But the bible actually mentions a few more details about Rahab.

1. [Slide 3] Joshua 6 records that she escaped the destruction of Jericho and the promise the spies made to her was honored. That she became a proselyte, which means she and all her family, after surviving the fall of Jericho, joined the covenant community of Israel.

2. Hebrews 11 records that by faith she did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

3. But perhaps the most significant reference to Rahab the prostitute is that after she joined the assembly of Israel, she married a man named Salmon and birthed Boaz. Boaz, the great grand-father of David. Rahab, a former Canaanite prostitute, is mentioned specifically in the book of Matthew in the lineage of Jesus the Messiah.

iii. [Slide 4] So, what is her story? How was she, like Abraham, justified by her works? When we compare what scripture has revealed about both their stories – do any patterns emerge?

1. In Joshua 2, the story is not arranged for us chronologically – much to our western mind’s chagrin