Category: Bulletin Articles

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? [18] Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works. (James 2:14, 18)

As good students of the word of God, we must be amazed at the perfect congruity of biblical doctrine. We understand there is nothing written in God’s word that is inconsistent with any other part, and this is true because the Holy Spirit is the author of divine scripture. Though men were used as God’s instruments of recording the Word, yet their words were inspired by God. Therefore, when we arrive at a scripture in which one author seems to be in conflict with another, we must recognize the conflict is because of our lack of understanding.

It is because of misunderstanding that some have imagined that Paul and James were on opposite tracks when they expounded on the doctrine of justification. Paul says that we are justified by faith without the deeds of the law (Rom. 3:28) while James asks the question, “Can faith without works save us?” Which of these writers is correct? Are works necessary for salvation or are they not? If this is indeed a conflict between Paul and James, the problem is actually much greater because it also becomes a conflict between Paul and John and Paul and Jesus. Both John and Jesus demand faith that also includes righteous works.

The reality of the matter is that conflict does not exist. John and James wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit as well as Paul, and it goes without saying that Jesus could not be incorrect because He is God. Paul looks at the matter of justification in the sense of the initial act. Is there any specific work or a number of works that we can do that will add up to make us righteous in God’s eyes? The answer is “no” because all of our good works fall short of God’s standard. They are all imperfect and all done with selfish motives. James is not speaking of this initial act; he is speaking of the evidentiary proof of justification. Faith alone saves, but as both Calvin and Luther said, a faith that is alone does not save. Faith always produces good works in the Christian.

We can rephrase James’ question in James 2:14 this way: “What is the profit if a man says he has faith and not works? Can that kind of faith save him?” A faith that does not produce works is not the kind of faith that God gives. And this point is critical to our understanding—faith is a gift from God and the faith that God gives could never be a deficient faith that fails to produce what God intends for it to produce. Here we can interject Paul’s teaching on the grace of God in salvation by quoting Ephesians 2:10. Immediately after saying that we are saved by God’s grace through faith and not by works, he says: ”For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” James stated this exact point only with different wording. True saving faith is one that produces works of righteousness. These works are ordained by God and will not fail to be present. If anyone says he has true saving faith but his faith is not a productive faith, his faith is self-generated not God given.

In their epistles, both James and John include helpful information to differentiate false faith from true faith. The type of faith a person has will determine whether he is truly a child of God. Paul does no less in his epistles as he consistently outlines the kind of conduct that is evident in the lives of true believers. The agreement of these writers is apparent because each conveys the perfect mind of God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: (James 2:8)

One of most notable features of the epistle of James is the directness of the author’s approach to practical Christian living. In the first chapter, James said, “If you lack wisdom, ask God and He will give it to you.” He said “When you are tempted, don’t blame God because God never tempts anyone.” He said, “Don’t just listen to the word, go and do what the word says.” Those are very straightforward statements without a great deal of exposition to go along with them.

The same is true in the second chapter as James gives practical advice about how Christians should be impartial to others. This chapter begins with an example of how we are often prone to judge the worthiness of people by their prosperity. We show this in the difference we make in the way we treat those that are wealthy as opposed to the poor. These kinds of judgments are purely acts of the flesh and do not reflect the way that God treats us. Imagine if our salvation was dependent upon how much money we have in the bank!

It is the duty of God’s people to imitate the attitudes that Jesus showed in His life. Jesus never dismissed the rich as unworthy candidates for His love but neither did He court them to receive their approval. He spent most of His ministry among poor people and those that were social outcasts. If the rich thought they would receive His attention because they deserved it, He was quick to point out that all are spiritually bankrupt, all stand on level ground at the foot of the cross, and all must come to Him in the same brokenness to receive life from Him.

This is the attitude that is to be reflected in the church. Some believe they should receive more attention because they are able to drop large amounts into the offering plate, and there are many churches that accommodate such people because they trust men to supply the church’s needs rather than God. However, if we are going to imitate Christ, we will accommodate the poor in an equal manner with the rich. This treatment is summed up in James’ characteristically succinct way. The principle is “Love your neighbor as yourself.” It seems kind of odd to say it this way, but do you treat yourself better depending on the worth of your investments? We love and take care of ourselves no matter where we stand economically, so to fulfill the command of scripture towards others, neither will we treat them differently depending upon their material worth.

James goes on to show that mistreatment of our fellows because of economic status is a transgression of God’s law (vv.10-11). This is as much sin as if we were to kill someone or to commit adultery. Sadly, we rarely see it this way. If we recognize it as sin at all, we do not weight it in the same way as we do other sins. James’ point is that all sin transgresses the law and all sin must be dealt with accordingly if we are to be Christ like. We can never pat ourselves on the back and say what fine Christians we are especially if we have disobeyed such a crucial law as find in James 2:8. James calls this a “royal law.” Jesus described it as one of the two foundations of God’s entire law (Matt. 22:37-40).

The next time you see a homeless person enter the church; the next time you see someone dressed a little differently and their Sunday best is not equal to yours, check your attitude towards that person. Are you judging their worth by what they wear? Your greeting of them, your fellowship with them, your care for them, your love for them—all of this speaks to whether you are really doing well. “If you fulfill the royal law…ye do well.”

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. (James 1:27)

Welcome to the first worship service of Berean Baptist Church in the year 2012. We begin the first day of this New Year in a church service, which should be indicative of our intentions to serve God more faithfully in 2012. Although we enjoy coming together for corporate worship, our service to God must not be confined to the few hours of worship we gather together each week. Worship is an ongoing process each day as we live out the faith of Christ in our daily lives.

The epistle of James enjoins us to have an active faith. James writes in 1:22: “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.” Those that claim Christianity because they attend church and listen to preaching have not yet gone far enough to substantiate their claim. If all they do is hear and they believe this enough, they are deceived about the depth of their faith. Real faith causes a Christian to be active in pursuing the good works that God demands from His people.

The example we have from Christ is that of a faithful servant. A servant is not idle; he is always busy about his master’s work; and certainly Jesus was not idle as every day was filled with tasks given by the Heavenly Father. He did not teach simply by His words; He taught by the activity of His life. His disciples listened to His words, but they learned as much from His example as they did from His profound grasp of scripture.

The epistle of James is a great place to study the composition of real faith. James does not teach that we are saved by our works, but he emphatically makes the point that a person without good works cannot be a Christian. If Christ truly lives in the heart of the believer, the evidence of His presence cannot be suppressed. It will make itself known because the desire of every believer is to serve as Christ served. An example of this is given in the 27th verse of the first chapter. ”Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this…” and from there follows the examples of a living faith. Visiting orphans and widows and trying to stay out of sin is not the sum total of our religion, and neither does James intend this to be a full definition of pure, undefiled faith. The point is that saving faith always demonstrates itself. It will do much more than what is mentioned in verse 27, but it will not do less.

Does this mean we must seek out orphans and go find widows or else we cannot have real faith? If this were so, then eternal life would be dependent upon orphans and widows! The gist of the message is that wherever we see those in need we must show our love for them. Your orphan or your widow may be a homeless person or a struggling person in this congregation. If you ignore their need, how have you demonstrated the life of Christ in you?

These are the kinds of considerations we must have to serve the Lord in a better way in this New Year. Take your worship beyond the walls of the Berean Church. We worship God by obedience. He wants this far more than your “sacrifice of praise” if it comes from a falsely pious, cold, unconcerned heart (cp. 1 Sam. 15:22). Do your best to make 2012 a year of active obedience not only in attending church, but in being a beacon of the Saviour’s love in word and deed.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)

Today our congregational reading brings us to the book of James which is one of the most practical books of the New Testament concerning the life of a Christian. Often in the New Testament there are various tests that are given to prove the genuineness of people that profess to be Christians. These tests distinguish true believers from false professors and help us to determine if our faith meets the standard of saving faith.

One of these standards, and surely a most important one, is the test of perseverance. Is our faith capable of withstanding the many types of temptations that assail us or does it wither and die under those hardships? Unfortunately, there are many in our Baptist ranks that deny the doctrine of perseverance and say it is not scriptural to teach that a person must persevere in order to be saved. They claim that preservation is taught but that God requires nothing from the believer but faith in the sustaining grace of God.

We would certainly agree that preservation is a definite promise for believers. Once we have believed our salvation is safe and secure because the ground of our justification is not our works of righteousness but is based upon the imputed righteousness of Christ. However, we also believe that true faith in Christ is demonstrated by the perseverance of believers. It is hard to escape this doctrine when we read verses such as James 1:12. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life” is a statement of perseverance. The word endureth is translated from a word that means perseverance and some translations use this word in place of endureth to help clarify the meaning. Jesus said in Matthew 10:22, “…he that endureth to the end shall be saved.” This is the same word used by James which means “to persevere.” It is evident that enduring or persevering is connected to our salvation in both of these verses.

An underlying issue that causes certain Baptists to reject perseverance is their failure to grasp the submission of believers to the Lordship of Christ. Inherent in the belief of the gospel is this submission. However, there are those that teach submission is not a part of salvation, which may come later or may not come at all. These types of believers are labeled as true believers but are not truly disciples. Therefore it is possible to be a believer in Christ but not a disciple. This leaves room for the carnal Christian whose faith may not be demonstrated and therefore he may not persevere in the faith. He lives the life of a defeated Christian, but is a Christian nonetheless. Such misinterpretations of scripture are the basis for fantastic soul winning numbers in which professors have never given any evidence of their belief.

We maintain that lack of perseverance is the demonstration of the lack of saving faith. Though a Christian may sin and may backslide, it is impossible that he could be a true believer if his entire life is characterized by sin as his norm. This is clearly taught by John in 1 John 3:2-10. This also accords with the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 10:32-39. Those that do not meet this persevering standard are not truly born of God.

There are temptations that come upon us daily which are the works of Satan. There are trials that come as well which God allows for refining and perfecting our faith. How a person responds to these is the exposure of his faith. Which do you think is the response of true believers? Is it persevering faith or failing faith?

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you. (Hebrews 13:17)

In II Timothy 3:16, the apostle Paul wrote that all scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for the Christian’s instruction in righteousness. Everything we learn in scripture helps to outfit us for our lives of service to Christ. Because the place for Christian service has always been in and through the church, there are many scriptures that deal with the behavior of God’s people in relation to their fellowship with other Christians. One of the most important, if not the most important, is the attitude that members of the church have towards their leaders. Good order in the church requires that godly leadership should be respected and followed.

The writer of Hebrews reminds these Christians that leadership must give an account to God for the way they have conducted their ministry. The pastor especially is given the responsibility of watching out for the welfare of the souls that are under his charge. There are various ways this is done. It may be through prayer, through counseling, and even through discipline. However, the most important way the pastor labors for the membership is through the instruction of God’s Word. The Word itself is described as profitable; it is the Word that reveals what God expects, and it is through the Word that we are drawn closer to the cross of Christ.

A very important aspect of the teaching of Hebrews 13:17 is that the membership has its own responsibility towards the pastor. The membership must also labor to make the pastor’s ministry effective. It must strive to make his shepherding less strenuous by responding favorably to the Word that is preached. It is also the duty of members to pray for the pastor and to help by lifting him up with words of encouragement. The scripture says his ministry should be joyous and not one that is filled with grief.

You will notice the writer says that making the ministry hard for the pastor is unprofitable for the membership. You may wonder how this is so. The answer is in the consideration of the ownership of the church and who the work is for. We labor for the cause of Christ and He is the head of the church. If the Christian does not support the pastor, if he or she derides the pastor and complains to others about him, it is an assault upon the headship of Christ. It disrupts the ministry and stunts spiritual growth. There is no profit for the person that engages in such activity.

It is also the duty of others that encounter any kind of slander against the pastor to defend him. If he meets spiritual qualifications and is walking and teaching according the Word, he is to be followed and respected properly for the work. If this is not the case, there is a proper protocol for correcting a pastor. He is a member of the church as well as others and should be approached by the Matthew 18 principle and particularly the instruction of 1 Timothy 5:19. The pastor is not to be tried in the forum of private gossip.

When the membership of the church follows these principles outlined in scripture, the ministry of the pastor becomes a joyful one. There is nothing more satisfying than to see God’s people respond to the Word and grow thereby. Remember that your pastor is a co-laborer for Christ. A good pastor does not seek to be lord over the people. He wants to work beside them in the mutual love and respect for the ministry of Christ.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5)

For the past several weeks, we have had the blessed privilege of taking our congregational readings from the book of Hebrews. Hebrews is a deep theological work and is one of the most challenging books of the Bible. This book, along with Romans, really mines the importance of the New Covenant that has been established through the sacrificial death of Christ. We have now reached the thirteenth chapter in which the writer gives some practical exhortations that are the spiritual responses to the great truths that have been learned. These truths concern the superiority of Christ over all aspects of God’s physical and spiritual creation. It presents Christ as supreme and as the ultimate object of our praise, adoration, love, and respect. Because He is the eternal God, to possess Him as Lord and Saviour is to have all we could ever hope for and all we will ever need.

This possession of Christ as our Sovereign Lord is especially important as we come to verse five of the thirteenth chapter. We remember that the eleventh chapter dealt with great heroes of the faith, some named and others nameless, which were willing to give their lives because they had the hope of Christ within them. This hope was the promise of an eternal home in heaven: “Ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels” (12:22). Because the Christian is an heir to this heavenly city, we ought not to think there is anything that we lack which in turn would cause us to become covetous. What does anyone have that is better than what we already possess? Our possession is not only better but immeasurably better. We can live with contentment knowing that we are the present owners of the riches of God’s inheritance. This promise is surer than what we can actually see with our eyes. People are deceived by the lust of the eyes. Earthly possessions do not satisfy, and yet this is the continual pursuit of our materialistic society, which sadly also includes many Christians.

It is becoming increasingly popular in Christian churches to teach that Christians should pursue wealth because it is God’s desire that we have the best of what the world has to offer. We should expect it because God has ordained it for us. This kind of theology belies the entire book of Hebrews. It is Christ Himself that we pursue; the best this world has to offer is worse than junk in God’s kingdom. Paul said he counted all that he had gained in this world as dung in comparison to the riches that he found in Christ (Philippians 3:8).

The great hope of this passage is the concluding statement, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” This is God’s infallible promise that once we have placed our faith in Christ, our eternal home is secure. Though we go through hard times; though there are worldly things that would seem to improve our lives, we should trust God’s providence that He has given exactly what we need for this moment of time. We can be content because we see through the eyes of faith what others cannot see. Christian, trust God! You belong to Him and He belongs to you.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: (Hebrews 12:28)

Our congregational reading today is in the 12th chapter of Hebrews verses 14-29. These verses represent a remarkable dichotomy between facing God on the basis of the law only or facing God in His mercy and grace. The law is presented as physical Mount Sinai where God appeared to Moses to give Him the precepts and commandments that would govern His people. The presence of God on the mountain was demonstrated in fire and smoke and blackness which represented the wrath of God and His vengeance upon guilty sinners. God intended to speak with Moses alone and forbade anyone else to approach the mountain. Even with divine permission, Moses greatly feared knowing that God had power to take his life without provocation. The people likewise sensed the slender thread that held them from falling under God’s vengeance since even an animal accidentally crossing the forbidden zone meant a sentence of death.

The writer of Hebrews explains this scene in order that we might understand what it means to face the holiness of God with nothing to fall back on but our record of keeping God’s commandments. This record is worse than dismal, and since the law is rigid and unforgiving it affords no basis for avoidance of God’s wrath. The law condemns; it does not commend us for obedience. Jesus said, “When ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do” (Luke 17:10). This leaves us in a hopeless condition unless the sovereign God should grant us mercy.

This is where the next part of the narrative gives great hope. The old covenant was not sufficient to make us righteous. Therefore God gave a new covenant which is based on the sacrificial offering of Christ for our sins. The offering of Christ makes us just with God, and because of this new covenant, we need not fear to come into His presence. There is no prohibition to approach God. Rather, we are invited to come for fellowship which we are able to do at any time because we have divine acceptance and permission. We do not approach Mount Sinai which is the forbidden zone; rather we come to the spiritual heavenly Jerusalem where God’s people gather to enjoy His presence.

The chapter closes by encouraging us to hold on to the doctrine of God’s grace. The only way we can serve God acceptably is by receiving the gospel of grace. Grace changes the believer from the fear of God’s wrath to a different fear—to godly fear. With gratefulness we serve Him, while being reverently cautious lest we should offend Him.

God shook the earth when He appeared at Mount Sinai, and He will come to shake the earth again. This will occur at the Second Coming of Christ. Those that survive the judgment of this world are those that have realized their sinfulness in front of the Holy God, have given up self help, and have received Christ humbly by faith.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever. (Psalms 111:10)

Today we are happy to have the privilege of celebrating Thanksgiving. This is one of my favorite Sundays of the year as we have the opportunity to think on God’s bountiful blessings and to enjoy the fellowship of God’s people as we gather around a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner.

I have chosen Psalm 111 for our scripture reading which reminds us of God’s great works. Verse 2 says, “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.” Verse 4 says that God has made His wonderful works to be remembered. This is what we do when we set aside a day like today. It is the recognition that everything we have comes from God. He deserves our praise and adoration for His salvation and daily provision.

Charles Spurgeon, the great English pastor of the late 19th century wrote a commentary on Psalms entitled, The Treasury of David. He makes the following comment on verse 1: “Holy reverence of God leads us to praise him, and this is the point which the psalm drives at, for it is a wise act on the part of a creature towards his Creator.” Thankfulness and praise is more than just prayers and singing songs and saying that we thank God. Real thankfulness is shown by responding to God’s goodness in obedience.

Spurgeon makes this clear in his comments on verse 10: “Obedience to God proves that our judgment is sound. Why should he not be obeyed? Does not reason itself claim obedience for the Lord of all? Only a man void of understanding will ever justify rebellion against the holy God. Practical godliness is the test of wisdom. Men may know and be very orthodox, they may talk and be very eloquent, they may speculate and be very profound; but the best proof of their intelligence must be found in their actually doing the will of the Lord. The former part of the psalm taught us the doctrine of God’s nature and character, by describing his works: the second part supplies the practical lesson by drawing the inference that to worship and obey him is the dictate of true wisdom. We joyfully own that it is so.”

Spurgeon’s words cause us to reflect on the rejection of God’s principles by our American society. This week the nation will pause for a holiday which we call Thanksgiving, but very few have shown any thankfulness at all by being obedient to God’s call for holiness. The scriptures tell us to trust in the Lord and not lean on our own understanding (Prov. 3:5). We think we are wise and know what is best for our country when God says, ”a good understanding have all they that do his commandments.”

As you celebrate Thanksgiving this week, take time to be thankful and to praise God for His bounty, but also remember to take account of your life. Have you shown God how thankful you are by your obedience? We often speak of how we can trust God. A good question for each of us is, “Does God trust our praise when we say we are thankful?” The proof is not what you say with your mouth. The proof is what you do with your life.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Hebrews 12:1 is a summation of the 11th chapter in which the writer speaks of the unwavering faith of many Old Testament saints. They trusted in God’s promise that He would send a Messiah with a truly remarkable ministry, but they never realized the promise in their lifetimes. They lived in a different dispensation under types and shadows that prefigured the coming Messiah, but they were not blessed as we are to live in the fullness of understanding of those same prefigurations. And yet with this limited understanding, they remained faithful to their cause fully trusting God that everything He promised would be fulfilled.

In the 12th chapter, we are encouraged to regard their example. We are in a better position than they, which should cause us to endure even more for the cause of Christ. The Old Testament saints are witnesses for us. They speak through the pages of scripture to encourage us to fight the good fight of faith and to remain steadfast and unmovable in our resolve to serve Christ. We are encouraged to cast aside any sin that hinders our service to God and to patiently endure suffering for the cross of Christ.

This admonition is followed by more encouragement to focus our eyes on Jesus the one who not only gives us faith but also brings that faith to its final fruition. We are never left alone in the trials of life. In the worst moments when it seems there are no more resources, there is a fresh outpouring of His grace to help us endure the trials. The apostle Paul said that every trial is an opportunity for God to give a new display of His power (2 Cor. 12:9).

In the last part of verse 2, we are reminded of the willingness of Christ to sacrifice Himself for us. Jesus did this because He knew the suffering of the cross would bring His greatest exaltation in glory. Jesus is not listed among the heroes of the faith in the 11th chapter because His suffering was the ultimate agony. His suffering was the equivalent of the agony we would endure in hell should we remain unconverted. Jesus endured the wrath of God for sin while dying on the cross, and yet He fully trusted that He would arise from the dead.

With these great examples of faith culminating in the greatest act of faith, that of Christ, we are encouraged not to faint. If we concentrate on our troubles instead of Christ, we are prone to weariness and despair. When we see how faith sustained these great heroes and how Jesus Christ overcame more shame and humiliation than we could ever experience, then we know our faith in Christ is well capable of overcoming our afflictions. No Christian has ever had more trials than faith was able to conquer. Remember this the next time you face a hopeless problem. Focus on Christ and believe He will bring you through.

Pastor V. Mark Smith

By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace. (Hebrews 11:30-31)

One of the compelling narratives in the Old Testament is the story of Rahab and the providential way she was brought to salvation in Jehovah God. Her story is found in the book of Joshua chapter 2, which is in the time when Israel was ready to take possession of the Promised Land. There was a formidable obstacle standing in their way which was the fortified city of Jericho. Rahab lived in Jericho. She was one of the Canaanites that was a worshipper of false gods, she was dedicated to the immoral practices of the people which included worship filled with terrible sexual perversion. The scriptures note that Rahab was a harlot, or in our terms she was a prostitute.

Rahab was one of the down and out; she lived in a city that was destined for destruction. For all intents and purposes, it would appear that Rahab would die the death that others in Jericho would experience when Israel came to take possession of the land. This was not to be, however, because she was one of God’s chosen people. One of the most marvelous aspects of this in consideration of God’s grace is this person that God chose to save. If I told you today that God was going to rain down destruction upon San Francisco and only one person in the city would be saved, who would you expect God to save? In God’s kingdom, who would be the most advantageous?

We might say, “Well, surely, God would save the richest person in town.” Or, “God would save the most prominent businessman or the savviest politician. That kind of person would surely make God’s list.” But if I told you that God was going to save a homeless person, or a heroin addicted prostitute, you would say, “That’s crazy. It doesn’t make sense. Why would God save that person?”

Most of us here today are used to singing “Amazing Grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me;” and what we are really thinking is “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like him, or like her.” We don’t think we are all that wretched and it is really not too amazing that God would choose us. The fact is, however, that all of us are undeserving of God’s grace. There is nothing in us that commends us to God, and certainly nothing that prompted God to mark us out as objects of His saving grace.

Rahab is a good case in point that God can save anyone. No matter what you have done or where you have been, God’s grace is powerful enough to save you. The scripture says “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not.” This is the key to the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth. By faith, God saves. Have you trusted Him? Jesus Christ stands ready right now with arms open wide to receive you. Rahab realized the power of Almighty God to rescue her from destruction. The same is true for you today. Destruction is your path if not for the saving grace of God. By faith Rahab was delivered, and by faith you may also receive deliverance from God.

Pastor V. Mark Smith