And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way?
James 2:25 NET
The second chapter of Joshua records the story of Rahab. Rahab is described as a prostitute in the city of Jericho. She owned a home on the walls of Jericho and likely was the headmistress of a brothel. She was not what we would call a virtuous woman.
But when Joshua sent spies to Jericho, Rahab invited them into her home and protected them from the authorities who wanted to capture them. And in turn, she asked them to protect her and her family when Israel conquered Jericho.
Why did she do that? Rahab expressed to the spies that the whole city was in fear of Israel and had heard all God had done for them (Josh. 2:8-11). And she expressed to the spies that the Lord, their God, was God in heaven and earth. She recognized that the Lord God of Israel was the true God.
Rahab expressed faith in God. She knew he was the true God. And she knew that destruction was coming to her city. This was a belief shared by many in the city of Jericho. So why was Rahab saved and the others who shared her belief were not?
Because their faith did not result in action–it was dead and did them no good. Rahab’s faith, on the other hand, was alive. It led to action–protecting the spies and getting them safely out of town. And that action led to her deliverance from the destruction of Jericho. Her actions saved her.
But what prompted those actions? It was her faith. On the surface, her faith was no different than others in Jericho. Except for one important distinction. Her faith was alive, producing works, while theirs was dead and did them no good. So Rahab became an example of faith in action.
We are saved by faith, not by works (Eph. 2:8-9). But faith that does not produce works is not saving faith. It is, according to James, dead and useless.
