THE FLOOD

     Thank you once again and a very pleasant good morning to each
one who has honored us with your time this morning. It is good to
have you in our listening audience. It is good to know that we have
some regular listeners out there who tune in each Sunday morning. It
is my prayer that these efforts are beneficial to each one. Why not
tell someone else about the program. Now to our lesson for the
morning.
     In the sixth, seventh and eighth chapters of Genesis we learn
that the world was then destroyed by water. That is, the inhabitants
of the world were drowned. The apostle Peter tells us that this earth
will be destroyed and it shall be dissolved with fervent heat and the
earth and the works that are therein shall be burned up (2 Peter
3:10-12). When we inquire as to why the inhabitants of the world were
destroyed by water as described by Genesis 6 through 8, we see that
mankind had become exceedingly sinful. Man was made upright, in the
very image of God.  But man choose to rebel against God. Genesis 6:5
reads: "And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the
earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually." In other words, mankind was steeped in sin.
God observed the corruption of the race and He was grieved in His
heart.  The creature who was made in God's image had become most
perverse and ungodlike.  The creature, capable of becoming most
sublime and noble, had become God's greatest rebel.
     It repented God that he had made man. "And Jehovah said, I will
destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground" (Genesis
6:7). God is good. He is eternal Goodness. Many have assumed that the
goodness of God is so great that He would never destroy His creature.
But, it must be remembered that God is also sever. Hear the apostle
Paul, when he states by revelation, "Behold then the goodness and the
severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee,
God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness; otherwise thou also
shalt be cut off" (Romans 10:22). Divine justice demanded punishment.
Man had become so wicked that Jehovah determined to destroy mankind.
     But, it is stated that Noah found favor (grace) in the eyes of
Jehovah.  Noah was a righteous man and perfect in his generation. He
walked with God. In 2 Peter 2:5, we learn that God "spared not the
ancient world, but preserved Noah with seven others, a preacher of
righteousness, when he brought a flood upon the world of the
ungodly."
     God said to Noah, "The end of all flesh is come before me; for
the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will
destroy them with the earth." God then gave Noah specific
instructions for the construction of the ark. It was to be made of
gopher wood, pitched within and without; with lower, second and third
stories. The length of the ark was three hundred cubits. It was fifty
cubits wide and thirty cubits high. Other specifications can be
observed by reading Genesis chapter 6.
     In Hebrews 11:7, we learn, "By faith Noah, being warned of God
concernings things not seen as yet, moved with godly fear, prepared
an ark to the saving of his house; through which he condemned the
world, and became heir of the righteousness which is according to
faith."  Faith was produced in Noah's heart in the same manner that
faith is produced in any man's heart today. Paul states, "So then
faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God" (Romans
10:17)).  God spoke, Noah heard and believed. So likewise, we too,
must hear and believe. No, we are not to construct an ark; but, we
must do whatever the Lord commands of us.
     What did Noah believe? He believed that God would destroy the
world; that the destruction would be effected by a flood of waters;
and that his only salvation lay in his obedience to the command of
God. You see, as we stated in our last two lessons, God had a law for
Noah. "Build the ark according to my instructions." Noah accepted and
obeyed the commandment of God. As noted already, "Noah prepared an
ark."  He did what Jehovah asked him to do.
     Faith that does not obey is a dead faith. And a dead faith is
worthless. Listen to James 2:26, "For as the body apart from the
spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead."  Giving
mental or even verbal assent to a thing is of no practical worth
unless it is reinforced by worthy action. It takes more that just
saying, "I believe in God," it takes an obedient response to whatever
the Lord tells us to do. Sometimes we hear preachers say, "Just
believe in the Lord, and you will be saved." By that they mean that
there is nothing required of you to do in obedience. Surely, faith is
essential to one's salvation. But, faith alone, or by itself, will
never save anyone. A dead (or inactive) faith will never save anyone.
     Noah's faith would never have saved him and his house, had it
been a passive thing which characterizes so many modern day church-
goers.  Noah possessed the type of faith that takes God at his word
and lovingly and sincerely renders obedience to every command of God.
God spoke and Noah moved. Remember, we noted Hebrews 11:7, where is
it stated that Noah moved with godly fear. Noah was instructed to
build an ark. Had he built something else, God would not have been
pleased.  Noah was instructed to build the ark out of gopher wood. If
he had used pine or oak, he would not have been acting by faith.
Since faith comes by hearing God's word, Noah could not substitute
something else. Noah could have reasoned that the type of wood was
unimportant and nonessential; perhaps there being a scarcity of
gopher wood, a substitute could be used.  But, my friends in this
radio audience, God has never, NEVER, NEVER, accepted any substitutes
to any of His commands.
     Noah was not walking by human reason: he walked with God and he
acted by faith. That made him well-pleasing to God. His was an
obedience of faith. Paul in Romans 1:5, speaks of the "obedience of
faith," of the saints in Rome. We cannot please God without Faith,
but it must be an obedient faith; a faith that obeys God's
commandments.
     The faithful action of Noah served to condemn the world. When
one gives heed to the will of God, he, by his very conduct, condemns
those who refuse to give heed. Noah was a man of righteousness. He
was right with God. By being right with God, he stood on God's side.
The sinful generation in which Noah lived stood opposed to God. They
stood in wickedness, in sin. Thus righteous Noah condemned sinful
mankind. Read again Hebrews 11:7, to see the inspired writer
affirming this very thing.
     The ark is a true type of the salvation that is now offered to
each one today. The means of salvation provided by God and Noah and
the consequent damnation upon the rest of the world finds its true
antitype in Christ Jesus and the gospel.
     Listen to the apostle Peter, as he speaks to us in 1 Peter 3:20
and 21: "that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of
God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which
also after a true likeness doeth now save you, even baptism, not the
putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a
good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ."
     How is baptism a true likeness of the flood? It was the flood
that transported the family of Noah from a wicked environment into a
cleansed and purified world. Likewise, scriptural baptism is a
transportation from the Kingdom of Satan into the Kingdom of Christ.
One who has been scripturally baptized, for the correct reason and in
the correct manner, comes into Christ Jesus. Listen to the apostle
Paul, "For ye are all sons of God, through faith, in Christ Jesus.
For as many of you as were baptized into Christ did put on Christ."
Therein is the true likeness. The flood waters separated Noah from
the then evil world. The evil around him was destroyed. Destroyed by
water.
     Why did God choose this manner to deal with sin? I cannot answer
for nor explain the mind of God. All that we can do is to accept what
God has said and done. Why did God choose Baptism as the place of
forgiveness? Again, I cannot explain the mind of God. I only know
what the Lord has said. He said, "He that believeth and is baptized
shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). And if you, my friend, have faith in
Christ Jesus, you will move quickly to obey what He commands of you.
You cannot become his child unless you are born into His family. And
Jesus states that birth is to be of the spirit and of the water (John
3:5). Isn't it amazing how each scripture agrees 100% with every
other scripture. That is, if we apply them correctly.
     This is exactly why the apostle Peter commanded those who cried
out, "What shall we do?" in Acts 2:37, to "Repent ye, and be baptized
every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of
your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts
2:38).
     Have you done that? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the son
of God? If so, why not become the child of God by obedience to the
same commands given by Peter almost 2000 years ago. Repent of your
past sins. Be baptized into Christ for the remission of your sins.
The Lord will then add you to His body, the family of God. Then,
worship and serve Him to the very best of your ability.  Remember,
Heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people. May we make
preparations to meet Him, for surely one day such shall be the case.
 
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