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“Nobody Told Me There’d Be Days Like These!

Every one of us is familiar with trials and hardships of one sort or another. The Apostle James has all of them in mind in James 1:2:

“My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”

Trials are the storms we go through in life. It’s often noted that every one of us has either gone through a storm, is presently in a storm, or getting ready to go through another storm.

Storms and trials are part of living in a sin-cursed and fallen world. Ever since our first parents (Adam and Eve) sinned in the third chapter of Genesis, we have experienced trials of one kind or another. We see evidence of the fall all around us. So, while we are often shocked and saddened by tragic events, at the same time, we are not surprised when they happen. We understand that this world is not as it was meant to be.

But trials hit home when we become personally involved in them. How encouraging that we have passages such as this to encourage us as we go through them. Let’s consider some practical truths that surface from these verses. First, note this:

Trials are Inevitable 

That may sound rather obvious and perhaps even unhelpful at first. But it is important to remember this fact so we do not immediately fall into doubt or despair when trials come our way.

Too often, when trials and hardships come, we immediately cry: “God, why are You doing this to me?” And the implication is: “Surely, I don’t deserve this misfortune!”

Rarely do we ever ask the same question when something favorable comes our way, or we receive some unforeseen good fortune: “God, why are You doing this to me? I don’t deserve this success—give it to someone else!”

The truth is, we sinful human beings deserve nothing. The very air we breathe at this moment is an undeserved gift that comes graciously from our Creator. He can withhold the air if He wishes. He is God, and we are not. But He is a good God who always does what is right. So we trust Him, believing that He knows what He is doing, and we take Him at His word when He teaches that trials and hardships actually serve not to harm us but to help us. 

More about that in a moment.  

For now, let us consider that trials can come to anyone. Being a Christian does not keep one from trials. If you are a human being, you will go through trials. James does not say, “Count it all joy if you fall into various trials,” but “when you fall into various trials.”

For example, Jesus said, “In the world, you will have tribulation (John 16:33).” The Apostle Paul warned: “All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).” And Peter wrote: “Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you (1 Peter 4:12).”

Trials are inevitable. And while the previous verses suggest more the idea of trials of persecution for one’s faith, James has in view trials of any kind. 

Trials can come to anyone. Being a Christian does not preclude one from facing danger, enduring suffering, or encountering hardships. If you are a human being, you will go through trials. And they may come suddenly and unexpectedly.

In fact, the word “fall” in verse 2 is the same word used in Luke 10, where Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus says, “A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among thieves (Luke 10:30).” This man was minding his own business, and suddenly and unexpectedly, he encountered thieves.  

That is often how suddenly trials arrive. We’re minding our own business; the day starts uneventfully, and then we encounter a “variety” of trials, hardships, or difficulties.

Now James says that when this happens, we’re to “count it all joy (verse 2),” or “consider it joy.” What exactly does this mean?

It does not mean that we are to consider the trial itself to be joyous. James does not say that! He is not calling us to think, “Oh, trials, how wonderful! I love trials, and I am so joyful when they come!” That’s a silly notion at best and a psychological disorder at worst.

He doesn’t say, “Count the trials joy,” but rather, “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.” This may initially sound like a distinction without a difference, but it is very different. In verse 3, James continues: “knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience (or perseverance).”

Put another way: “Consider that you are undergoing trials—painful as they may be—as an opportunity to grow in faith and become strong, and, for that reason, you may have joy in the midst of your trials.”

More about that next time. For now, remember this:

You can’t really say, “Nobody told me there’d be days like these!”

The Bible tells you as much. And the “days like these” are days for your good and God’s glory.

Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 1-4, available on Amazon.

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The Holy Spirit In The Old Testament

Today’s Theology Thursdays post continues our study of the Holy Spirit and focuses primarily on the nature and role of the Holy Spirit in the Old Testament.

Interestingly, while the New Testament contains 261 references to “the Spirit of God” or “the Holy Spirit,” the Old Testament contains fewer than 100 similar references.

The specific phrase “the Holy Spirit,” occurring some 90 times in the New Testament, occurs just three times in the Old Testament (Psalm 51:11, Isaiah 63:10-11).

Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit is very much present and active throughout the Old Testament! And while He is the same Holy Spirit in both Testaments, there is some difference in function.

So, without further ado, here is today’s Theology Thursdays SlideShare presentation:

Holy Spirit in Old Testament from Todd Linn, PhD

Leading Corporate Prayer

Most ministers understand the importance of prayer. Along with the apostles, they recognize the need to give the greater balance of their time to “prayer and the ministry of the Word” (Acts 6:4). And these two disciplines of prayer and Word are especially visible as the preacher stands weekly in the pulpit.

While there are many occasions for corporate prayer, I’d like to focus on the prayer we offer immediately after reading the biblical passage we intend to preach. Assuming we do read the passage, the prayer that follows should help listeners reflect upon what they have just heard and prepare them for the sermon.

Too often, it seems, this prayer can appear as little more than a formality, rushed, or even ignored to move on to the sermon. On the other hand, a lengthy or unfocused prayer may equally impede worship.

Here then, are five reminders when leading a public prayer for the sermon:

Keep It Brief

As we will soon be delivering a thorough exposition of a biblical passage, a brief two to three-sentence prayer will generally suffice to prepare our listeners for the study—for example: “Our Father, we ask Your Holy Spirit to be our teacher this morning as we bow to the authority of Your Word. In Jesus’ name, we pray, amen.” On the other hand, a lengthier prayer risks the possibility of “losing” some of our hearers before we have begun.

Charles Spurgeon offers similar advice in a famous lecture on public prayer: “Only one in a thousand would complain of you for being too short, while scores will murmur at your being wearisome in length.” 1

Keep It Simple

The brief prayer preceding our sermon is not a time to introduce new theological words or other ideas that may detract from the text. Instead, this is an opportunity simply to ask God to impart His grace upon the sermon.

Keep It Corporate

When praying, we must remember we are not speaking for ourselves only but actually “leading” all present to talk to God. Using plural, first-person pronouns “we,” “our,” and “ourselves” reminds our listeners that we all stand on equal footing as we together look to Him for grace.

Keep It Purposeful

Avoid preaching in the prayer. If we’ve prepared well, the sermon will do the preaching. However, we must allow the prayer to be that purposeful moment we take our people to God Himself, addressing Him only and asking for His aid.

Keep It Fresh

Because we preach so often, our pulpit prayers, unfortunately, can become dry or repetitive.

One way to avoid staleness or predictability is to incorporate language into our prayer from the very text we are preaching. Consider, for example, this prayer after reading James 1:22-25: “Lord, give us grace this morning that we would be both hearers and doers of the Word. And may our obedience in both listening and living bring glory to You.” 

Alternatively, many of the Psalms contain helpful intercessions that are useful in our prayers. From Psalm 46:1, for example, we might pray: “God, You are our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble. We ask for Your help this morning as we study Your Word.” 

However you choose to pray this weekend, may these reminders help you lead your congregation to the throne of grace! (Hebrews 4:16)

Previous Comments:

directorfsmExcellent advice. Far too often folks try and sound overtly pious and that comes across wrong.Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhDSo true. Thank you, brother.

Preach The Word–s!

Most ministers are intimately familiar with Paul’s imperative to his young protégé Timothy: “Preach the Word!” (2 Timothy 4:2). It’s an excellent text, frequently cited in pastoral ordination sermons and preaching lectures.

Yet many evangelicals committed to “preaching the Word” do not seem as committed to using it much in their sermons. The preacher dutifully reads the text at the beginning of the sermon, but as his sermon unfolds, listeners hear less and less of the biblical text.

While the threefold pattern of explanation, illustration, and application comprise the essential elements of sound, expository preaching, consider how frequently–or infrequently–the actual words of the text occur throughout the message.

While there are many ways to preach a passage, consider why preachers are wise to speak (and repeat) as many of the actual words of the biblical text as possible during the sermon:

Authority

If we believe the authority of our preaching is located in the text of scripture, then we will speak the actual words of the text as much as possible.

To be clear, I am not arguing that each word of a text contains its own power apart from its relationship to other words in the passage. We are not prepared to preach until we have discovered the context and meaning through careful exegesis and sound hermeneutics.

However, once we have discovered the meaning, we will speak the actual words as much as possible because we believe authority and power are localized in the text.

Frequency

The “law of frequency” asserts that learning increases as content is repeated or emphasized. Applied to preaching, the more we speak the actual words of a text, the more likely our hearers will learn it.

Because preachers can only say so much in thirty or forty minutes, expositors committed to speaking as much of the text as possible will craft their sermons accordingly.

Unlike sermons heavily weighted in lengthy illustrations or first-person narratives, preachers committed to making much of the text will give as much time as possible to the Word itself.

Memory

Like most ministers, I have faced the challenge of being my family’s pastor. When my two sons were small, they were constantly hearing Dad preach.

Often, after Sunday morning worship, I would ask them a question. Perhaps during lunch or later, I’d ask, “What did the preacher preach about?”

This was a slightly humorous way to remind them that they were expected to listen to the preacher (even if he was their dad!) and a means to measure the sermon’s effectiveness.

It was a humbling exercise, to be sure, but it reminded me that the more I spoke the actual words of the text, the more likely they were to remember it.

So, as you “preach the Word” this Sunday, preach as much of the “words” of your text as possible!

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Why Pastors Should Memorize Scripture

Before I entered the ministry, I worked for many years as a parole officer for the state of Georgia. I have frequently joked that being a parole officer prepared me for pastoral ministry (haha). People nearly always chuckle at that remark, but the more I’ve reflected on those earlier years, the more I’ve come to believe my tongue-in-cheek statement has proven true. Being immersed in what I would later understand as “the doctrine of depravity” on full display prepared me for future ministry challenges.

But there is another way those earlier years were helpful: I had begun memorizing scripture during my lunch hour. God used a conference speaker to awaken my desire for the Word, and over the next couple of years, the Lord enabled me to commit to memory over 300 verses of scripture. That season blessed my soul as I grew in my Christian faith. And I would later discover how God would use those scriptures as a foundation for future ministry and seminary studies. While I no longer follow as strict a plan as in those earlier years, I still believe in the value of scripture memorization and recommend the discipline for all Christians, especially pastors. Here are three reasons why:

1) Memorizing Scripture Can Strengthen Your Preaching

While preaching styles and convictions vary, any preacher may improve by ongoing scripture memorization and meditation. For example, I prefer expositional verse-by-verse teaching through passages of scripture. Thus, I’ll have one primary text I’m preaching, the “preaching passage,” but I will usually include parallel or relevant scriptures that supplement the text. Often, in the very act of preaching, the Holy Spirit will bring to my mind a memorized Scripture that complements the thoughts and ideas of the sermon.

2) Memorizing Scripture Can Supplement Your Pastoring

Just as in preaching, when pastors have been regularly memorizing and meditating upon scripture, they find the Spirit frequently bringing particular verses to mind helpful to pastoral care and counseling. For example, verses recently recited in one’s quiet time become useful later while praying during a hospital visit. While counseling church members, memorized scriptures addressing the very issues at hand often leap from the pastor’s heart, bringing further clarity to the counseling session.

3) Memorizing Scripture Can Safeguard Your Purity

In that wonderfully poetic psalm on the Word, the Psalmist joyfully declares to God, “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). Memorizing scripture is no guarantee we will never stumble in the faith, but it certainly will help us stay on the right path. Perhaps greater than any other temptation, pastors seem especially vulnerable to the pitfalls of personal purity. Regularly memorizing and meditating upon scripture fosters healthy thinking (Philippians 4:8) and arms us with crucial weaponry to withstand the Enemy’s attacks (Ephesians 6:11-17).

“How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through Your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.”
(Psalm 119:103-104)

Battling Worldliness

In our previous posts on the Book Of James, we examined the cause of worldliness. We turn now to the cure for worldliness. Before we do, reviewing what we have learned may be helpful. To be “worldly” is to allow ourselves to love the things of this fallen world more than we love the things of the Lord. According to James, worldliness is friendship with the non-Christian world such that it makes one an “enemy of God” (James 4:4).”

In James 4:7-10, there are no fewer than ten commands, all imperatives in the original text. We have noted that James is fond of using the imperative mood, likely because it fits his style. His letter is an alarming call to action, and we are wise to heed its teachings.

We may summarize the cure for worldly living by observing three necessary actions. We’ll examine the first one in today’s post:

Allegiance to the Right Person (Faithfulness) 

Allegiance to the right person means allegiance to God. It means we are faithful to Him, separating ourselves from the encroachments of the world. In James 4:7-8a, James writes:

“Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you…”

To “submit” means “to arrange under,” as in “to arrange ourselves under the authority of another,” and the idea is that of enlistment. We enlist in God’s service. We do not enlist in the enemy’s service, namely the devil. Nor do we enlist in a half-committed way, giving some allegiance to God and some to the devil. We are to choose sides and remain faithful.  

If we love the Lord, we will want to be faithful to Him.  Love moves us to “arrange ourselves under” His authority.  

The Apostle John teaches a similar idea in his first letter:

Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever

1 JOhn 2:15-17

Paul also states in a familiar verse: “Do not be conformed to this world…(Romans 12:2).” JB Phillips paraphrases the verse memorably: “Don’t let the world around you squeeze you into its mold…”

It is easy to become increasingly comfortable with the world’s ways, allowing it to change us rather than our changing the world.

What are some signs we may be allowing the world to squeeze us into its mold?

We may show that we love the world more than the Lord by how we think, speak, and live. Our idle thoughts may lead us into sinful thinking, lustful thoughts, thoughts of anger, resentment, and bitterness. Remember: what is inside the heart comes out. We’ve noted this truth in the last few posts. If we have issues on the inside, they’ll show up on the outside. Wrong thinking leads to wrong living.  

You may love the world more than the Lord if you are too busy for Bible reading. 

You may love the world more than the Lord if you don’t tithe or give generously.  

You may love the world more than the Lord if you are too tired for corporate worship when the church gathers together. Frequently, Christians miss corporate worship because of love for the world, because they have allowed the things of the world to choke out their first love.   

You may love the world more than you love the Lord if it’s easier to gossip than it is to witness. You find it easier to talk to others about others than to talk to others about Jesus.

You love the world more than you love the Lord if it’s easier to look at pornography than it is to look at the Bible.

Allegiance to the right person means to be faithful to the Lord and “resisting the devil.”

Interestingly, James’ call to “resist the devil” is sandwiched between two positive commands: “Submit to God” and “Draw near to God.” And right between those two commands is the negative command: “Resist the devil.”

The key to resisting Satan is not merely to rebuke him, though rebuking the devil is a wise practice. When Jesus sensed the tempter’s work in his life, He said, “Get thee behind me, Satan (Matthew 16:23).”

But consider why the instruction of resisting the devil is sandwiched between the two great commands of submitting to God and drawing near to God. It’s as though James is showing us the best way to resist the devil and ensure that he flees from us is by remaining especially close to God, submitting to Him, and drawing near to Him. I love that promise in the first part of verse 8: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”

Do you want to feel the power of God’s presence in your life? How much time did you spend last week drawing near to Him? Be honest. How much time did you spend last week just “hanging out” with friends, watching movies, or surfing the internet? How much time did you spend last week drawing near to God through prayer and the reading of His Word? How faithful have you been in worship?  

If you want to feel the power of God’s presence every day in your life, the answer is right here in this verse: “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” And take care not to reverse the order. The promise of God’s drawing near to you does not come before your drawing near to Him. 

So…draw near to God and enjoy His empowering and encouraging presence!

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 134-137, available in all formats here.

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Hermeneutics (Part 1)

The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:15: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

This statement suggests it is possible to “wrongly divide” the word of truth. We don’t want to do that! So what exactly does “rightly dividing the word of truth” mean, and how do we do it?

Enter today’s Theology Thursdays Slideshare presentation:

Bible 3, Hermeneutics Pt.1 from Todd Linn, PhD

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Previous Comments:

directorfsm I cannot count the number of times I have heard “that is just your opinion.” No, if we right divide (in-depth study) of God’s Holy inerrant Word then we should be relaying His Directions, Law, Precepts, etc. It is when man adds to the Word when he adds his opinion that the errors beginComment by post authorTodd Linn, PhD Amen, brother!

The Bible: Inspiration And Inerrancy

Today’s “Theology Thursdays” post addresses the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture. In a well-known verse, the Apostle Paul writes:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).

But what exactly does that mean? Is the Bible “inspired” in the same way people talk of being “inspired” by Shakespeare? Or does it mean more?

Also, what was the Lord Jesus Christ’s view of the Bible? Should Christians not have the same view as He?

So, without further ado, here is today’s Theology Thursdays SlideShare presentation:

Bible 2, Inspiration and Inerrancy from Todd Linn, PhD

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Prior Comments

Add Comment →

sophialorenabenjaminthis was such a well written post….keep pushing them out… there’s so many looking forward to such inspiration….JULY 25, 2020EDITREPLYComment by post authorTodd Linn, PhD Thank you, Sophia! I appreciate your encouragementsooner8728I enjoyed this. Looking forward to reading more of your blog.Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhDThank you, my friend

The Trinity

“Try to understand the Trinity, and you may lose your mind—fail to understand the Trinity, and you may lose your soul!”

It IS Possible to Understand the Trinity. We may not have exhaustive knowledge of this doctrine, but we can know it enough to state it clearly and understand it deeply.

With a proper understanding of this doctrine, we have the intellectual basis to defend the faith and worship our Triune God!

So without further ado, Theology Thursday’s SlideShare Presentation:

The Trinity from Todd Linn, PhD

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Prior Comments…

Gersom ClarkThank you, Todd for the explanation on the Trinity, it is easy to grasp supported by verses. I also like your practical illustrations of water and egg. And I appreciate the verses, especially the OT ones that I will post someday. I like the “don’t fight it” pull instead of push message of slide 17. MAY 14, 2020

Comment by post authorTodd Linn, PhD Thanks, Gersom! Also glad you share my sense of humor!MAY 14, 2020

Gersom ClarkYou’re welcome, Todd! It was placed strategically, funny, effective message, and easy to recall.MAY 15, 2020 

God’s Love For Both Patriarch And Prostitue

It’s a sobering fact that there is a kind of faith that may seem genuine but is a faith that is useless, powerless, and dead.  It is a faith that does not save from hell. 

When we speak of “saving faith,” we are talking about a kind of faith that puts us in right standing with God.  Saving faith is faith in Jesus Christ, the One who lived a perfect life for us and died a substitutionary death in our place, so that we could be forgiven of our sin.

Apart from God’s grace through saving faith in Christ, every one of us deserves death, hell, and eternal separation from God.  To be “saved” is to be rescued from that awful predicament, rescued and made right with God so that one may enjoy abundant and eternal life.

James teaches that true faith, saving faith, is shown to be genuine by the “living out” of one’s faith.  A true Christian will do good works—not in order to earn God’s favor; this is impossible—but a true Christian will do good works as a demonstration of the fact that his or her heart has been truly converted.  Good deeds, or good works, necessarily flow from authentic faith.  This is why James can say, “Faith without works is a dead faith.”  

James gives two examples from the Old Testament to make the point that real faith is proved genuine by the doing of good deeds, works that naturally follow and flow from a truly converted heart.  These two Old Testament examples are the examples of Abraham and Rahab, a patriarch and a prostitute. Here’s the text, James 2:20-26:

20 But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead? 
21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 
22 Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? 
23 And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. 
24 You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. 
25 Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? 
26 For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.

Consider a Patriarch’s Faith 

Abraham is the patriarch of believing Jews and Christians alike.  He is the primary “Father figure” of the faith.  So James uses this patriarch to illustrate that one’s faith is proved genuine by the doing of good works.

Specifically, James asks, “Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?” And he adds, “Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?”

The background of James’ illustration is found in Genesis 15 and Genesis 22.  In short, Genesis 15 is where we read of Abraham’s faith and Genesis 22 is where we read that Abraham’s faith was proved genuine by the doing of good works.

Genesis 15 describes that memorable occasion where God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  And the Bible says, “And Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness (Genesis 15:6).”  

This is the same text James cites now in verse 23 where he writes: “And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, ‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God.”

The Apostle Paul also cites this text in Romans 4, teaching that one is declared righteous solely by faith.  He writes: “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness (Romans 4:3).” When a person genuinely believes, surrendering to God, he is credited “righteous.” Abraham took God at His word.  He was saved by grace through faith.  

This is a good place for us to review that men and women throughout biblical history are saved the same way.  In our day we are saved by grace through faith in Christ, looking back in time to the event of the cross, looking back to the Christ who has come.  In Abraham’s day, believers also were saved by grace through faith, as they looked forward in time to the Christ who would come.  Whether on one side of the cross or the other, all persons are saved by trusting God, looking to Him in faith.

Abraham believed God (Genesis 15) and his faith was proved genuine by what he did (Genesis 22).  And what was it that Abraham did in Genesis 22?  This is that marvelous accounting of Abraham’s giving visible evidence of his faith in God by obeying God’s command to offer up his son Isaac upon the altar.

To summarize, God says, “Abraham, take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and…offer him as a burnt offering…” And the Bible says that Abraham obeyed God and proceeded to do precisely what God had asked.  You can read the full account in Genesis 22, but for our purposes know that God stopped Abraham before he sacrificed his son because He was merely testing Abraham’s faith, testing to see whether Abraham would obey.  And Abraham passed the test.  This is why James can say that Abraham was called “the friend of God.”

God was looking for evidence that Abraham’s faith was genuine.  He tested Abraham and Abraham passed the test by demonstrating that his faith was not merely confessional, nor merely intellectual, nor merely emotional, but that his faith was real and genuine. That’s why James can say that Abraham’s faith “was working together with his works, and by works his faith was made perfect, or complete.”

So James concludes: “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” That is, one way we can be reasonably certain that a person is saved, is by seeing the evidence of his or her genuine faith.  If a person is born again, he or she will live a different life than before conversion. 

It is important to note that no one can know for certain about the salvation of another.  None of us can see into the heart the way God can see.  But we can be reasonably certain that a person is saved if his confession of faith is demonstrated by the way he lives out his faith.  There will be a growing pattern of godliness, an evidence of saving faith.  The once barren tree now bears fruit.  There is life.  

How sad are those occasions when we attend a funeral and listen to a preacher trying his best to put a positive “spin” on the deceased person’s life.  We are told this man was a Christian.  Perhaps even years earlier this person himself—like the person described by James in James 2:14ff—had “said” that he had faith.  But there is no evidence, no overall pattern of spiritual growth.  There is no real evidence of his love for God, nor love for His Word, the Bible.  Here is a man who had faith, but apparently it was a faith James describes as useless, powerless, and dead.  It was a faith that does not save from hell.

Abraham’s faith saved from hell.  His faith led to demonstrable works.  We have learned from this patriarch’s faith.

Consider a Prostitute’s Faith

James could not have provided a greater contrast with Abraham than Rahab.  He takes us from a patriarch to a prostitute, from a Jew to a Gentile, from a man to a woman, from one who was privileged to one who was poor, from one who had a good reputation to one who had a bad reputation.

He asks, “Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?”

The second chapter of Joshua relays the story of Rahab the prostitute.  Rahab is the one who hid the spies, or messengers, that Joshua sent to do reconnaissance work in Jericho, the ones who viewed the land that they would soon be claiming as their own.  

The Bible indicates that Rahab had come to know the One True God.  She had heard how God had divided the Red Sea so that His people could cross over as they escaped the Egyptians.  Rahab trusted in the One True God.   So when God in His providence guided the spies to Rahab, she hid them so they would not be discovered by the unbelieving rulers of Jericho.  Rahab risked her life by covering for the spies and helping them to escape later.  

So Rahab, along with Abraham, serves as an example of one whose faith in God was proved genuine by the doing of good deeds.  Her works, namely her saving of the spies, proved her faith to be genuine.

I think it is a mark of grace on the part of James to place Rahab alongside Abraham.  It is as if he wished to stress that whether one is “really good” or “really bad,” both are saved the same way—by grace through faith, a faith that is proved genuine by the doing of good works.  And a “really good” person like Abraham is no more saved than a “really bad” person like Rahab.  And a “really bad” person like Rahab is no less saved than a “really good” person like Abraham.

Whether you identify more with Abraham the patriarch or Rahab the prostitute, every person is saved the same way and, because of the gospel, every Christian is on equal footing in the eyes of God.  Every Christian—whether patriarch or prostitute—is loved equally by God because every believer is equally “in Christ.”  

If we are saved, God loves us perfectly in Christ.  No one is more loved or less loved due to background, giftedness, education, or experience.  Furthermore, no Christian will be loved more by God when he does well, and no Christian will be loved less by God when he stumbles.  God loves each Christian perfectly because He loves each one in His perfect Son Jesus Christ.

**Excerpt from You’re Either Walking The Walk Or Just Running Your Mouth (Preaching Truth: 2020), pages 91-95, available on Amazon.

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