We often talk about the evil in the world and the sin in our lives. It is difficult for us to understand that when we are saved . . . we are saved. It is difficult for us to look at others who may be believers (drug dealers, thieves, murderers, child abusers, etc.) and think that they can REALLY be forgiven. In a lecture I just completed I read these words and it really hit home to me. I hope it resonates with you as well . . . "A person can be saved and out of fellowship with God due to practicing a sinful lifestyle." So . . . once we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior - the hope is that we will sin no more. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Jesus does not "kick us to the curb" BUT our fellowship with God is weakened. Let's ask the Holy Spirit to help us . . .
Romans 8:2-28 says: "In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."
In this Scripture the Apostle Paul explains how the Holy Spirit assists us with our prayer, because we have a weakness or infirmity in a particular area of our life. He states that the Holy Spirit helps us with our infirmities, not just weaknesses in prayer but with all of our infirmities. Now that we are saved, we must learn to submit our body to a lifestyle of holy living, no longer to living a lifestyle in bondage to (insert here . . . drugs, alcohol, etc.)
- For generations moms and dads hoped their newborn son would be "the one" to break the curse (Gen. 3:15). His name, Noah, meant "comfort and rest". But . . . eventually Noah died . . . he was NOT the Promised One.
- During this time mankind had become pervasively evil . . . continually. No goodness, no kindness, no joy - just selfishness and enough was never enough. It was during this same time that . . . "grace found Noah". Haven't we always read this Scripture literally? "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God." (Gen. 6:9). The author suggests it "does not mean that Noah never sinned but that he received his righteousness by faith and that even though he was surrounded by evil, the grace at work in his life implanted in him the desire to keep himself pure and uncontaminated. Like his great-grandfather Enoch, Noah "walked with God". This means that he stayed away from what was going on in the world and toward God.
- We are fortunate in our generation to understand the grace of God because grace has come to us in the flesh of Jesus Christ. "We have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth" (John 1:14).
- God looked at humanity - seeing only corruption and violence - He decided to destroy them . . . but He intended to keep His promise to send the offspring who would crush the head of Satan and break the curse on all creation. With Noah, God would start over. Noah would not escape the judgment but would be protected in it. Hence, the instruction to build the ark. Imagine . . . building a wooden boat . . . on dry ground . . . where you had never even seen rain falling from the sky . . . over 100 years . . . Noah took God at His word. He built the ark. Noah did not shut himself in . . . the world outside did not shut him in . . . it was the Lord who shut him in (and shut the desperate, drowning people out). Scripture tells us that the animals came to Noah - God did not require him to go out - find them - capture them and bring them - they would come to him. "Pairs of clean and unclean animals, of birds and of all creatures that move along the ground, male and female, came to Noah and entered the ark" (Gen. 6:8-9a)
- This story of wickedness and condemnation, of death and destruction, serves as a warning to all those who refused God's offer of grace. It prefigures what will happen to all who refuse to enter into the safety and protection provided in Christ. The day is coming when those who have rejected Christ will be destroyed - not by a flood, but by a fire (2 Peter 3:7).
- The story of the ark foreshadows salvation provided through Jesus
- Just as building the ark seemed foolish to all those who would perish in the storm, so "the word of the cross . . ." (see 1 Corinthians 1:18)
- Just as the ark was provided by God so that those who believed God's word would not perish in the flood, "God so loved . . ." (see John 3:16)
- Just as the ark was the only refuge for those who wanted to survive the storm, so "there is salvation . . ." (see Acts 4:12)
- Just as the ark provided absolute security for those who hid themselves inside, so is there absolute security for those whose lives are "hidden . . ." (see Colossians 3:3)
- Just as all those outside the ark perished because they refused to believe the truth and be saved, so will all those outside of Christ perish "because they refused . . . " (see 2 Thessalonians 2:10)
There is an ark of safety - the person of Christ - and the door is open to you. Have you entered in? Have you responded to the grace that has come to you in Jesus? Or . . . are you lingering on the outside somewhere - distracted by the world, disgruntled by what you will have to leave behind, delayed by doubts or questions?
Won't you enter in? Won't you hide yourself in Christ where there is safety and rest?
(The chapter continues with a wealth of information and understanding - I hope this section above entices you to read it in the book "The Promised One - Seeing Jesus in Genesis")