‘JOSHUA—Live!’ Actress Hope Klessig Reveals How Playing Rahab Challenged Her to Accept God’s Grace

Hope Klessig's portrayal of Rahab brought a personal question into focus: could she freely receive the grace she was helping audiences understand?

Speaking to Christian news outlet ChurchLeaders, the JOSHUA actress described how playing the biblical woman deepened her understanding of God's mercy-and exposed her own struggle with feeling deserving of it.

"We all have those moments where we feel, even as Christians, where we feel unworthy of the Lord's grace," Klessig said.

Her reflections accompany the October 30 nationwide theatrical release of JOSHUA-Live!, distributed by Roadside Attractions. Filmed before a live audience, the production reaches cinemas as Sight & Sound celebrates its 50th anniversary.

While the story of Joshua is often associated with conquest and the fall of Jericho, Klessig's account draws attention to an individual within that sweeping narrative: Rahab, whose courage exists alongside fear, vulnerability and longing.

That combination matters to her portrayal. Rahab's faith does not require an absence of fear, and her vulnerability gives audiences a way to recognise something of themselves in her story.

For Klessig, the role also challenged the assumption that acceptance before God depends on personal achievement. She told ChurchLeaders that she had been learning to receive grace as a gift rather than something secured by her actions.

Her testimony gives the production a searching point of connection with church audiences. Familiarity with the language of grace does not necessarily make it easy to accept personally. Believers can affirm God's mercy while continuing to measure their own worthiness.

The interview then moved from receiving forgiveness to extending it.

Asked whether Christians sometimes struggle to forgive others more than God does, Klessig agreed. Referencing Jesus' parable of the unforgiving servant, she emphasised that the forgiveness believers receive should shape how they treat other people.

That connection gives her reflections a practical edge. A story of redemption can comfort viewers who feel disqualified by their past, while also challenging those reluctant to allow someone else a future beyond theirs.

Klessig hopes audiences leave JOSHUA-Live! with a deeper understanding of God's mercy. Her own experience suggests that the invitation begins personally: accepting grace without trying to earn it, then allowing that same generosity to influence relationships beyond the theatre.