Salvation and Noah

1. Read: Genesis 6:8-10

2. About the Text:

1) We often teach the story of Noah and the Ark to our children.

2) However, the story also contains great lessons for adults as well.

3) This is the true story about how God saved man.

4) In this way, it is illustrative for us today as well.

5) The principles that we find in this story of salvation are the same principles God uses today.

6) Let’s look at this true story about man’s salvation and note how it parallels the story of our salvation today.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The situation in Noah’s day.

i. Read Genesis 6:1-7.

ii. Genesis 6:8 “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.”

iii. Noah was saved by Grace.

iv. The presentation of God’s grace to Noah was through a covenant. Genesis 6:18 “But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons’ wives with thee.”

2. The situation in our day.

i. All have sinned. Romans 3:23

ii. Our sin merits eternal punishment. Romans 6:23.

3. We are saved by grace.

i. Romans 5:8 “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

ii. Ephesians 2:4-8 “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God”

iii. Titus 3:3-7 “For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

iv. It is through the unmerited favor of God’s sending his Son Jesus that we can have salvation today.

v. Were it not for that great act of grace, we would not be saved.

vi. God has done His part in the plan for man’s salvation.

vii. This is the grace of God.

4. The presentation of God’s grace to us today is through the New Covenant of Jesus.

i. Matthew 26:28 “For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

ii. Hebrews 9:11-15 “But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the blood of bulls and of goats, and the ashes of an heifer sprinkling the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifying of the flesh: How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”

1. Noah’s faith.

i. Noah had never seen a flood.

ii. Noah had likely never seen rain.

iii. Noah had never seen every animal in the world.

iv. Noah had never seen a structure like the one God told him to build.

v. Noah had never seen a boat float.

vi. But God spoke directly to Noah and he trusted in the word of God.

vii. Hebrews 11:7 “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”

2. Our faith.

i. We have never seen our own souls.

ii. We have never seen the stain of sin on our souls.

iii. We have never seen God wipe off that stain with the blood of Christ.

iv. We have never seen heaven or hell.

v. We have never seen Satan.

vi. But just as Noah trusted in the word of God, so we do as well.

vii. God speaks to us today through Jesus, his Son. Hebrews 1:1

viii. So we put our trust in the word of the Resurrected Savior. Romans 10:17

3. Today we are saved by faith.

i. 2 Corinthians 5:7–Walk by faith.

ii. Ephesians 2:8 through faith.

iii. John 3:16

iv. Noah’s faith was not a deedless faith.

v. Our faith is not a deedless faith either.

vi. James 2:14 -26 “What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe and tremble. But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead? Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only. Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.”

1. Noah’s obedience.

i. Genesis 6:22 “Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he.”

ii. Genesis 7:5, 7:9, 7:16 says the same thing. That Noah did what God commanded.

iii. But Noah did what God commanded for the purpose that God commanded it–to be saved.

iv. This is obedience.

2. Our obedience.

i. 1 John 5:3, 4 “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous. For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”

ii. Hebrews 5:8, 9 “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him;”

3. We are saved by obedience today.

i. Mark 16:16

ii. Just as Noah obeyed for the reasons that God told him to obey, so must we. Acts 2:38; Acts 22:16.

1. Noah’s salvation from destruction.

i. Genesis 7:21-23 “And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark.”

ii. 1 Peter 3:20 “… wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.”

2. Our salvation from destruction.

i. 1 Peter 3:21–Baptism saves us from destruction today.

ii. What kind of destruction can we expect to come?

iii. Peter talks about this in 2 Peter 3:3-7 “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.”

iv. John writes in Revelation 21:6 “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

1) The first resurrection was that of Christ.

2) We have part in that resurrection through baptism.

3. We can be saved from destruction today as well.

i. 2 Thess.1:7-9 “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;”

ii. We must know God.

iii. We must obey the gospel.

1. Noah has many lessons to teach us, but perhaps the lessons in salvation and the relationship between the different aspects of salvation is the greatest. Let us remember…

i. Noah was saved by Grace.

ii. Noah was saved by Faith

iii. Noah was saved by Obedience

iv. Noah was saved from Destruction

2. Invitation

i. If you are a Christian but have fallen away

1) God’s grace is still available.

2) To avoid destruction, one must be faithful and obedient.

ii. If you are not a Christian this morning . . .

1) God’s plan for your salvation is the same as Noah in principle.

2) But God has a different method today.

3) Heed the plan that it has for man’s salvation today!

i) Hear the word; Romans 10:17 “Faith comes by hearing . . .”

ii) Believe with all your heart; Hebrews 11:6 “For without faith it is impossible . . . .”

iii) Repent of your sins (Acts 17:30).

iv) Confess Jesus as the Son of God (Matt.16:16).

v) Be baptized for the remission of your sins (Mark 16:15,16).