How can Rahab's example encourage you to welcome and support others in faith? Rahab’s Faith-Fueled Welcome • Hebrews 11:31: “By faith the prostitute Rahab, because she welcomed the spies in peace, did not perish with those who were disobedient.” • Rahab trusted God’s word over Jericho’s walls. Her welcome sprang from conviction, not convenience. • She received outsiders—men from a nation poised to conquer her own—because she recognized the Lord’s sovereignty (Joshua 2:9-11). • God honored that faith; she and her family were spared, and she entered Israel’s lineage (Matthew 1:5). Seeing People the Way God Does • Matthew 9:13: “I desire mercy, not sacrifice.” God delights when we extend mercy to those He is drawing. • Romans 15:7: “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.” • James 2:25: “Was not even Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another route?” – Faith that sees beyond labels. – Action that proves genuine belief. Why Rahab’s Example Matters for Welcoming Others 1. God values faith over background. • If He can graft Rahab into Israel, He can graft anyone into His family (Ephesians 2:19). 2. Hospitality is a faith statement. • Opening your home or schedule declares confidence that God protects and provides (1 Peter 4:9-10). 3. Your welcome can rescue lives. • Rahab’s hospitality became the means of salvation for her household (Joshua 6:22-25). 4. Legacy follows loving action. • Her name stands among the heroes of faith; your simple welcomes echo in eternity (Hebrews 6:10). Practical Ways to Imitate Rahab Today • Notice newcomers at church; initiate conversation and seating. • Invite a new believer for a meal, sharing your testimony as Rahab shared Israel’s story. • Volunteer for outreach that hosts refugees, students, or the homeless—people “outside the camp.” • Mentor someone wrestling with a difficult past, affirming God’s power to redeem. • Keep emergency resources—extra groceries, a spare room, transportation funds—ready for those God sends. Assurance of God’s Reward • Proverbs 19:17: “Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay in full.” • Hebrews 6:10: “God is not unjust; He will not forget your work and the love you have shown Him as you have helped His people.” • Matthew 25:40: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.” Welcoming others in faith is never wasted; like Rahab, you align yourself with the advancing kingdom and receive a share in its victory. |
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