Genesis 7:11-16 – How Salvation Works
Categories: Bible Study LessonsHOW SALVATION WORKS. Moses reports the arrival of the day of the flood. It was on a real day in the life of a real man. The lesson for Israel and for all of mankind is how salvation works. God had declared the future destruction of mankind but made a way of escape for the faithful. He designed the ark down to the smallest detail but expected man to carry out the design. And even after the ark was built and provisioned v. 13 says that Noah and his family entered the ark. This was the point of their salvation. They were not saved while hearing God’s instruction or while building the ark. THEY WERE SAVED WHEN THEY ENTERED THE ARK.
Was it a “works salvation?” For all the work Noah and his family did in building and preparing the ark it still was not a works salvation. They could not boast even though they did all they were commanded to do. The Bible’s attitude is this:
Luke 17:10 So you also, when you have done all that you were commanded, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty.'”
Neither the opportunity nor the design of the salvation was of man. God gave the facts of the future destruction, showed the way of escape, made the offer of salvation and expected man to make use of it. Reading in v. 16 we find that when Noah got on the ark, it was still the Lord that shut him in. One will find that in every dispensation, whether Patriarchal, Mosaic, or Christian this is how salvation works.
We are warned of the future destruction of mankind (John 5:28-29; 2 Thess. 1:7-9) we are told that the way of escape is in Christ (John 8:24; John 14:6) and we are given instruction on the way to salvation (Rom. 10:17; Mark 16:16; Heb. 11:6; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9-10; Acts 22:16; 1 Pet. 3:21, etc.). We are saved at the point of baptism (Gal. 3:27), just as Noah was saved at the point he got on the boat. Just as Noah was shut into the ark by God, we are placed in the church by God (Acts 2:47).