Faith Life 66 (Faith that transforms 2)

 By Ayoola Fakeye

“By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe, when she had received the spies with peace.”Hebrews 11:31‬ 

“Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way?” James 2:25‬ 

Apostle James introduced the above sentence with “Likewise,” that is, in the same way. And preceding this statement was an account of Abraham’s faith (James 2:24). Rahab, the harlot, was justified the same way Abraham was is what Apostle James meant. That is beautiful! She also received the same reward Abraham and his children received. She became part of Abraham's family because of her simple faith in the God of Israel and what He has done.

In the Christian faith, there is no first-class or second-class citizen before God! Your Faith will produce great transformation when it looks up to Calvary, just as it did to Rahab. But when our faith is not bringing a change in our lives, then we have only assented in faith. We only assent to the truth of God's word, and we do not consent to take Christ and what is ours in him. To assent to the truth, I mean you only have it in your head and not in your heart to believe that this divine reality is for you.

Looking at Joshua 2:9, all the people of the city of Jericho assented to the power of God; they knew there was a force behind the people of Israel. But they didn't consent to the truth that this same force would help them possess the land. If they had consented, they would have surrendered instead of setting up an obstacle against the move of God. For the Rahab, she consented to the power of God. She knew that this same power had given the Israelites the land already, so she surrendered her heart to the belief, and it wrought great transformation and deliverance for her. 

As a believer, if you only have a mental assent to God’s power and His grace, you will not enjoy life in the Spirit. Beloved, we need to consent to His power and believe that whatever happens to Christ now will certainly show up in our life. If our sickness was superimposed with Christ on the cross, then after the third day, he didn't rise with any of them; you need to see yourselves in the same state. That sickness is gone because it is no longer in Jesus. If Jesus on the cross died like a poor man, the Roman soldiers stripped Him of His expensive clothes, and everyone forsook Him as though He didn't have influence and affluence while on the earth. But after he rose, all eternal riches were at his disposal, and innumerable souls is drawn to him. If this is true about Him, then it is true about you; if He suffered like a poor man just for me to be rich, then I will not be less of what he has made me to be.

Don't just read the scripture and isolate yourself from it. Key yourself into the scripture and include yourself with the scripture. When Jesus was in the grave, it seems all hope was lost; there was no light in the grave but darkness. However, after the resurrection, he lives in the immortality of light, and Himself is the immortal light. That is your story, not just the bible story. Therefore, make this truly personal! If Christ died for our sins, then you are dead to sin; if He rose for our justification, then you are justified. 

Rahab said to spies in Joshua 2:9, “I know that the Lord has given you the land…” She consented to the power of God that is active to take the land of Jericho then she was transformed

What transformation took place in her life?

Apostle James said, “faith that doesn't produce transformational experience is a dead faith.” (James 2:26).

1. It made her renounce her way of belief and align herself with God’s viewpoint.

This woman was a pagan, an idol worshiper before encountering God. But her consent to God's power made her declare God as the only true God (Joshua 2:11). She rejected her religion and teamed up with God’s people. That is the transformation that only an active faith in Christ will produce in your life. You will not be part of those to argue with God's pattern of living. Some believer question God’s way of living, even though they see God’s order. If this is the situation, this is a pointer that your faith is not active in God. When a man starts arguing with God's inspiration, then his faith life needs to be checked. For Rahab, she was ready to follow God.

2. Faith produces a transformation in her character.

Apostle James said, “Rahab faith aided her to receive the spies” (James 2:25). She did the right thing. He could accommodate the people of God and play her role in ensuring they are well received and sent back well. Faith in Christ must produce the character of God in us. To place your faith in God is to see only Christ as the beginning and the end of your Faith. When you focus on Christ and sees yourselves in Him, it will change your character to become more and more like the man we look up to.

Finally, how is your character? Do you allow Christ’s love to constrain us?