2.01.2007
I've been reading this excellent book by John Macarthur called "Twelve Extraordinary Women". It takes Eve, Mary, Rahab, and others and tells their defining characteristics and how us women should learn from them . . . The reason I'm bringing this up (lol!) is the chapter on Rahab I read today. Near the end of the chapter there's the following:
(the previous paragraph delt with how Bible scholars have sometimes tried to say that Rahab wasn't really a prostitute...to somehow "sanitize" her history...)
"The scandal motif in Christ's lineage was no accident . . . Rahab was redeemed not because of any meritorious works she did. ...But she is not given to us as an example of the power of human works. She is not a lesson in how to better ourselves through self-improvement. She is a reminder that God by His grace can redeem even the most horrible life. (Spurgeon: 'I am persuaded that nothing but a spirit of distaste for free grace would ever have led any commentator to deny her sin.') He was exactly right of course. Remove the stigma of sin, and you remove the need for grace. Rahab is extraordinary precisely because she received extraordinary grace. There's no need to reinvent her past to try to make her seem less of a sinner. The disturbing fact about what she once was simply magnifies the glory of divine grace, which is what made her the extraordinary woman she became."
How encouraging/convicting is that?
How many times have i sought to deny, minimize, or excuse away my sin, when what I'm really doing is doubting the cross' power and denying free grace! If I can't face my sin, it's because I'm denying that Christ's work was enough or that God has had unmerited mercy on me. That really hit me.
On the flip side, look at the work God has done!! My past shortcomings have led to God's incredible grace. God uses degraded sinners such as me to bring Himself glory.
(why???)
Be encouraged in your own battles against sin, because it's all God my friends!!!
Steph =)
Eph 2:8-10
Labels: encouragement, scripture
That's really kool. I never applied Rahab's life to mine. I like when you said "How many times have i sought to deny, minimize, or excuse away my sin, when what I'm really doing is doubting the cross' power and denying free grace." That makes a lot more sense now
There, I read it. And here's a comment for you. Happy now?
That is really cool. I'd never thought of Rahab that way.
And comments on two posts does not count as "Almost all of them."
I don't comment on your blog cuz... uh... hmmm... Well I definitely read your blog.
hahaha. You actually did it.... lol
yeah, sorry i looked back over and yup i didn't comment on most of them. Hope that fact doesn't kill you. hmmm.
Somehow I think you'll live =P
hey, you've got a birthday coming up soon don't you? when?
the 27th.
oooooh...mine's on the twelfth, we should totally like go shoot guns together (or at least have an airsoft war)
steph remind if i don't remind myself later to remind you of something i can't remember now (that actually wasn't really purposeful...)
ah, yes! I am really enjoying that book right now. still on ch. 1 (kinda got distracted by When I Don't Desire God [good book!] and Beside Still Waters), but it's sooo good. can't wait to get to that chapter! ditto to what chad said (the first [intelligent] comment).
why would we want to deny free grace? ...humans really are stupid.
congratulations, guys. y'all are almost 18. you'll be able to... uh, smoke. (yipee....) and, hm, go to jail. yep. congratulations.
What! You have to be 18 to go to jail?! That's not what they said.
uh yeah pete...they were wise then
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