The Red Thread 

James 2:21–26 (NLT)

21 Don’t you remember that our ancestor Abraham was shown to be right with God by his actions when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? 22 You see, his faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete. 23 And so it happened just as the Scriptures say: “Abraham believed God, and God counted him as righteous because of his faith.” He was even called the friend of God.

24 So you see, we are shown to be right with God by what we do, not by faith alone. 25 Rahab the prostitute is another example. She was shown to be right with God by her actions when she hid those messengers and sent them safely away by a different road. 26 Just as the body is dead without breath, so also faith is dead without good works.

BELIEF MUST MOVE INTO ACTION

Romans 10:9–13 (NLT)

9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.11 As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”12 Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Salvation begins with belief, but it moves into confession and action. Faith starts in the heart but doesn't stay hidden—it’s expressed openly. We see this modeled in Rahab's life. Her belief in Israel's God didn’t stay silent—it moved her to speak, to protect, and to act.

2 Corinthians 4:13 (NKJV)

And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak,

Faith that is alive will not stay quiet. Rahab didn’t just believe secretly—she confessed openly to the spies, acted boldly, and aligned herself with God's plan. Our faith must also find expression in our words and in our works.

RAHAB: A FAITH THAT MOVED

Joshua 2:1–18 (NLT)

1 Then Joshua secretly sent out two spies from the Israelite camp at Acacia Grove. He instructed them, “Scout out the land on the other side of the Jordan River, especially around Jericho.” So the two men set out and came to the house of a prostitute named Rahab and stayed there that night.2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.”3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from.

5 They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.”(Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.) 6 So the king’s men went looking for the spies along the road leading to the shallow crossings of the Jordan River. And as soon as the king’s men had left, the gate of Jericho was shut.

7 Before the spies went to sleep that night, Rahab went up on the roof to talk with them. 8 “I know the Lord has given you this land,” she told them. “We are all afraid of you. Everyone in the land is living in terror. 9 For we have heard how the Lord made a dry path for you through the Red Sea when you left Egypt. And we know what you did to Sihon and Og, the two Amorite kings east of the Jordan River, whose people you completely destroyed.10 No wonder our hearts have melted in fear! No one has the courage to fight after hearing such things. For the Lord your God is the supreme God of the heavens above and the earth below.

11 “Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you. Give me some guarantee 12 that when Jericho is conquered, you will let me live, along with my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all their families.” 13 “We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety,” the men agreed. “If you don’t betray us, we will keep our promise and be kind to you when the Lord gives us the land.”

14 Then, since Rahab’s house was built into the town wall, she let them down by a rope through the window. 15 “Escape to the hill country,” she told them. “Hide there for three days from the men searching for you. Then, when they have returned, you can go on your way.” 16 Before they left, the men told her, “We will be bound by the oath we have taken only if you follow these instructions.17 When we come into the land, you must leave this scarlet rope hanging from the window through which you let us down. And all your family members—your father, mother, brothers, and all your relatives—must be here inside the house.

THREE FAITH ACTIONS OF RAHAB

1. She Hid the Spies

She risked her life to protect God’s people. Her actions aligned with her belief that the God of Israel was the true God.

2. She Gathered Her Family

She didn’t just want salvation for herself, she wanted it for her whole house. Faith makes us intercessors.

3. She Hung Out the Red Thread

This scarlet rope was more than a signal, it was a symbol of her trust. A small but powerful act that marked her household for deliverance.

THE THREAD OF REDEMPTION

That scarlet rope points to something greater: the red thread of redemption that runs from Genesis to Revelation—ultimately fulfilled in Christ's blood.

Matthew 1:5 (NLT)

Salmon was the father of Boaz (whose mother was Rahab). Boaz was the father of Obed (whose mother was Ruth). Obed was the father of Jesse.

Rahab’s faith didn’t just save her—it brought her into the family line of Jesus. God rewrote her story because she believed and obeyed.

Hebrews 11:31 (NLT)

It was by faith that Rahab the prostitute was not destroyed with the people in her city who refused to obey God. For she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.