Let's take our Bibles and turn
back to Genesis chapter 6. Genesis 6. Last time we considered that
men began to multiply on the earth. And the scripture says
that the sons of God, now these were from the lineage of Seth. Seth was Adam and Eve's boy,
and they were from that line, and at least in name, at least
in the name of Seth, from that lineage, being the sons of God,
they were those who claimed to worship the Lord. And they saw
the daughters of men. Now there was only two lines.
It was Adam and Eve. And Adam and Eve had children. And from them, that's where the
earth was populated. And these daughters of men were
from the lineage of Cain. A cursed lineage. And the scripture says that these
sons of God took of these daughters of men, they saw the daughters
of men and took them of all which they chose. Now, when they did
that, you know from last time, they began to intermingle and
they began to pick up the habits of their false worship. said that his spirit was not
going to strive with man, for he was flesh. He was only flesh. That's all he was, was flesh. And he told a man named Noah
that 120 years was going to be the length of time. From that
time that he expressed His will, and it's going to be 120 years,
that's what's going to be left. And Methuselah, whose age actually
spoke of and set forth the year in which the Lord would send
the flood, it was that time, that long suffering of God. Well,
the earth was in a state of chaos. there were tyrants, the scripture
says, that were in the earth, they were bullies, and giants. And whether these giants were
giants in religion, whether it was political, whether it was
social, whatever it was, they exalted themselves above men
without restraints, and these children that were born between
the sons of God and the daughters of men were mighty men of renown,
the scripture says. And they had fame and reputation
and they were regarded by the world with respect. But this
is what God saw. And it doesn't matter what men
thought or what men saw. The scriptures declare that God
Almighty saw that the wickedness of man was great. in the earth
and that every imagination of his thoughts, whether it was
religious, whether it was political, it doesn't matter. Every imagination
of the thoughts of his heart was only evil. There were no
good thoughts. And the Scripture declares that
Almighty God, it says, it repented the Lord that He made man and
grieved Him at His heart. Now, God does not change. There's no shadow of turning
with the Lord. He changes not. That's the reason
that we sons of Jacob are not consumed. It's because God will
be gracious to whom He'll be gracious. But it repented the
Lord without changing His purpose, His will, or His counsel. It
repented the Lord. And what He was actually saying
is He's going to deal with men in a different way. God never
changed His purpose. Almighty God never changed anything
except He's going to deal with men in a way that man's not used
to being dealt with. But the scriptures declared that
when God Almighty declared that he was going to destroy man,
beast, creeping thing, the fowls of the air, but Noah, a man that
was a sinner, found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The Lord
was going to wipe everyone and everything off of the face of
the earth except for one man and his wife and his three sons
and their wives and some animals. But it was for Noah's sake. Noah
found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now, tonight I want to
deal with one verse of scripture and I want to deal with this
man, Noah, and his character. Before we get into, next week
Lord willing, we'll get into this ark and God's instructions
concerning this ark, but I want to deal with this one man. Now
just imagine now, the whole earth is filled with violence. And I'm going to deal with what
it meant when it said it was filled with violence next week. Because it's more than what we
think. But Almighty God saw that the
whole earth was corrupt. And it was filled with violence. But this one man, the scripture
says, Noah who found grace, verse 8, in the eyes of the Lord and
these, verse 9, are the generations of Noah. This is the history of the man
whose name means rest. That's what his name means. The
man who is God's chosen means to be a type of the beloved son
of God who is the source. and the giver of rest to the
sheep. Noah was a picture. Now Noah's
going to be a picture, I'm going to tell you this, but Noah's
going to be a picture of every believer, and he's going to be
a picture especially of the Lord Jesus Christ. But Noah's name
means rest, and that is setting forth the glory of the Lord Jesus
Christ who said, come unto me all ye that labor and heavy laden,
I will give you rest, rest from laboring to be justified before
God. Rest from laboring to establish
a righteousness before God. A rest. Now the scripture declares
this, Noah was a just man. Noah was a man who was declared
of God to be justified before God. When he says a just man,
he was a man that was justified. Now this characteristic of Noah
and every believer now, every believer in the Lord Jesus Christ,
this characteristic is a truth that I'd like for us to just
deal with for just a few minutes. We always talk about justified,
being justified, justification, being just. This man was just. Now I want us to just stop for
a minute and consider again exactly what that means because this
is very, very important that we understand our standing before
God. Now this justification now, I'm
going to deal with him being perfect in a minute, that's a
different word. But this man, Noah, was a just man. And that word has to do totally
with his standing before God. The scripture says in Romans
8, 29 to 30, it says, for whom he, that is the father, did foreknow. That means that he ordained,
foreordained or appointed. For whom he did foreordain or
appoint, he did also predestinate, he predetermined to be conformed
to the image of his son being found in the Lord Jesus Christ
that all that He foreknew, all that He foreordained, all He
knew in grace, all that He ordained to be His sons, He ordained to be conformed to the
image of His Son, that is to be like Him. Now listen, God
Almighty ordained beforehand those that
he predestinated to be conformed to the image of his son. First
John 3.2. I just want to turn to this. First John 3.2. Beloved... First John 3.2. Now are we the sons of God. And it doth not yet appear what
we shall be. But we know that when he shall
appear, we shall be like him. For we shall see him as he is." There are scriptures that The
more I would try to explain what this is, the more I would tarnish
it. The scripture says, it doth not
yet appear what we shall be. So Neil, that pretty well settles
it. We don't know, Pat, what we're going to be. It doth not
yet appear what we shall be. We know that when He shall appear,
we shall be like Him for or because we shall see Him like He is. Now, the scripture says, for
whom He did foreknow, He did also predestinate to be conformed
to the image of His Son. That He might be the firstborn
among many brethren, that is, to be the first to rise, as the
head of his people from the dead to die no more. The first fruits
of his people. Moreover, whom he did predestinate,
them he also called, effectually bid. Called them by name. I know
my sheep. I call them by name. Moreover,
whom he did predestinate, them he also called. And whom he called,
them he also justified. That is declared to be acquitted
from all guilt in God's sight. Justified. Declared to be right. Right and acquitted of all guilt. Justified. No guilt. No infraction. No thoughts. No evil. justified
before God, before God's law. Now, that state of being justified,
Noah was a just man. Noah was justified by the grace
of God. Noah believed God. As we get
into this, we'll see. Noah believed God. He believed
God's Christ. He believed God's Christ was
coming. He believed this. No one knew. No one knew what that ark was. No one knew that was a picture
of the Messiah. He knew that. He knew God. Now
this state of being justified before God is a state that has
a foundation. How is this? How can this be? Well, I can tell you this, it's
not accomplished or it's not founded upon anything that a
man can do. I can tell you that for a fact,
Romans 3 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law, there shall
no flesh be justified in his sight for by the law is the knowledge
of sin. The law tells me what I am and
what I can't do. It tells me what God demands,
but I can't do it. I know I can't do it. So justification,
is that state that is totally apart from anything that I could
do. God's sheep are in God's sight. The scripture says in Romans
3.24, justified freely by His grace through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus. The people of God are justified
which is the exact opposite of being condemned or being guilty
before God, they possess the righteousness of Christ. So their standing before God
is a standing in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ of absolute
obedience. As Christ obeyed the Father. This is my beloved Son in whom
I'm well pleased. I'm well pleased with Him. The
Lord said my meat is to do the will of Him that sent me in Christ. My meat is to do the will of
Him that sent me. My meat is to do His will. That's
what I desire in Christ. No infraction. No one could accuse
Him or find fault in Him. He was perfect in His work. Almighty God chose us in Christ
and redeemed us by blood and called us according to His good
pleasure and gave us a new nature, a new man that sinneth not. That which is born of God, born
from above, does not sin. And that blessing of being justified
before God, He paid our debt. We have no chargeable guilt. I said before, I know the presence
of sin is with us. He paid for it. Because He paid for it. God pardons
us. He forgives us. That sin's paid
for. And though we still have that
old man in us, there is a new man. That old man is going to
be put off. He's going to be separated. Who
shall separate me from the body of this dead? God will. There's
an old man still there, but I'm telling you, there is a new man
there and that new man is just, is justified. And Almighty God
looks upon that which he has created from above and finds
no fault whatsoever. No fault, no infraction, not
even a little bit with the law. The Lord Jesus Christ, our justifier,
Pleased God is our federal head. He obeyed the law, bore our sins. We were buried with him. We rose
with him. He's ascended into heaven. We're
seated with him in heavenly places at the right hand of God. I can't understand this. I cannot understand it. But I'm
telling you, things are as God says they are, not as I think
they are or as I can try to figure them to be. Noah in himself was
no different than any other man, but by grace, through faith,
he believed God, trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the one
who truly is, but perfect, holy, just, Noah was justified in Christ,
therefore accepted by the Father. But Noah was also, that's a standing
before God. That's a standing that I can't
see and you can't see. I can't see justification. I
can't see being justified. I can see in me there dwelleth
no good thing. I see that. I see that. But I
cannot see that new man. I know I believe God. But oh,
how I pray God help my non-belief. But things are as the Lord says
they are. But Noah was also said to be perfect in his generation. Now, that state right there,
that state of being perfect, he was a moral man. Now, in the
midst of all that was going on around him, The earth was filled. The scripture back in chapter
6, verse 5, God saw the wickedest man was great in the earth. Every
imagination and thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Noah held all of those propensities. Noah was a sinner. But here was
a man that was upright. He had some integrity about him. some virtue, he was honest, he
was straight in his generation. Not that any of those characteristics
would have justified him before God. Nothing that we could do,
that couldn't have justified him before God because justification
would have been by works then. Well he's just a good man, he's
an honest man. Take what he says to the bank,
that doesn't matter. He's a sinner, he's born in Adam and he's a
sinner. But this man was one like Job
He was an upright, just, if you consider my servant Job. He eschews
evil. This man, Noah, before men, first
state of justification before God, this one right here, was
before men. He had some integrity. He was a man that had a a good conduct about him, and
he conducted himself with some honor. And the scripture says
thirdly that Noah walked with God. Now that's a state that
we considered when we looked at Enoch, but I want us to look
again at this state. This state of walking with God
is obviously a state that men do or can experience, a believer,
a believer. They walk with God. Every believer
walks with God. Every believer in the Lord Jesus
Christ walks with God. Now walking with God refers to,
it's an attitude, it's a behavior in a believer that is reflective
of a work of God's Spirit upon that man. Romans 6 verse 4 says,
therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that
like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the
Father even so we also should walk in newness of life. So a believer is one that does
walk in the newness of life. He walks with God. Now, believers right now, they're
dead to the old life as it having dominion over them. They're dead
to that old sin shall not have dominion. It doesn't rule. But we're new creatures in Christ
And we walk or we have our conversation in this world possessing a new
heart with some new principles and a new life. We don't walk. We don't have our manner of walk.
Are we sinners? Yes. Absolutely. If we say we
have no sin, we've got a liar. You know that we have sinned,
but what are we doing as this walk with God? Philippians 3,
this walk in the newness of life. Philippians 3, we've read this
so many times, but that's good. Let's read it again. Philippians
3, verses 8 to 11. Now here is Paul the apostle,
and he's going to express a new walk. You know, we should walk
in newness of life. Now here, the apostle Paul is
going to say something about walking in the newness of life.
Philippians 3, 8 to 11, yea, doubtless I count all things
but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus
my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and I
do count them but dung that I may win Christ. Paul said everything
that I formally trusted in, my ability to keep the law that
I thought I'd never you know, never had one infraction, you
know, I was blameless before, as far as keeping the law, and
I was born, I was a Pharisee, and I was on and on, Hebrew of
the Hebrews. He said I counted all that, but
lost. Now here's a new attitude. He's
got a new spirit about him. And he says, verse 9, and be
found in him, I want to be found in Him. Now every believer relates to
that. Ask any believer, do you have
a desire to be found in Christ? An unbeliever, you ask an unbeliever
that and they'll say yes, but they don't even understand what
you're talking about. No, here's what I want. Chuck, I want to
know that Christ has forever stood as my surety, to be found
in Him, how would I get there? God had to put me there, chosen
in Him before the foundation of the world. If Almighty God
has chosen me and put me in Christ, as Brother Scott says, where
God puts a man, that's where He keeps a man. Paul said, here's
my desire, I want to be found in Him. When I stand before God,
I don't even want to imagine or think of what it would be
to not be found in Christ. What do you think about all these,
as we look at these few chapters in Genesis? How about all those
that were found outside the ark? What do you think happened to
them? The only ones that survived were
those that were in the ark. Everybody else, what did God
say? They're going to perish. So Paul says, this is my walk. This is my desire, my walk. To
be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of
the law. I don't want to stand before
God in the best I could do because I've never done anything good.
And I know that now. I didn't know that before, but
I know it now. to be found in him not having
mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of
God by faith. I want to know that his faithfulness
is imputed to me, and that his faithfulness is my standing before
God accepted in him, that I may know him. This is life eternal,
that they might know thee. A believer knows something, he
knows God. Abraham believed God because
he knew God. Who is God? Well, he's not this
little G-God that I thought that wanted to do this. The God that
I worship is God. He's God in heaven, he's God
in earth, he's God in creation, in providence and salvation.
that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection. When God
raised Him out of the ground, what did that mean? God accepted
Him. And if He accepted Him and I'm in Him, then He accepted
me. And if He came out of the ground
and I was found in Him, then I died with Him and then my sins
are put away. They've been cast as far as the
east is from the west. Paul said, this is what I want.
This is the way I walk. the power of His resurrection,
the fellowship of His sufferings. I want that what He suffered,
that He suffered for me. When He died for me, I want that. I want that when He died, He
had me on His heart. That He was bearing me up on
His shoulders, being made conformable. unto
his death, if by any means I might attain unto the resurrection
of the dead." Now, Noah walked with God. He walked in a way
that was consistent with God Almighty having mercy and compassion
to him. Believers walk with God when
they walk not after the flesh. That's what Romans 8.1 says.
There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus
who walk not after the flesh." What does that mean? Well, according
to the dictates of the flesh, the dictates of the carnal mind,
what I think is right, what I think I've done. That's the flesh. That which is flesh is flesh. those that walk not after the
flesh but after the Spirit, after the directing, the guiding of
the Holy Spirit, whoever speaks of Christ and directs God's people
to the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. As I said, we're not
free from sin, it's found in us. Paul said, I know that in
me that is in my flesh there dwelleth no good thing and the
will is present with me but how to perform that which is good
I find not. But we walk as sinners, saved by the grace of God, walking
ever mindful of our need of Him. This is how a believer walks.
They walk in dependence. They walk in dependence upon
God. Lord, save me. Save me today. Lord, I come to
you right now. Lord, I trust you now. Lord,
I call on you now. As I've said, they don't look
back. They don't look back to yesterday. Yesterday's gone.
I need salvation right now. I need the Lord to save me right
now. Right now. So they walk continually coming
to Him. And they walk not after the flesh,
as I said, guarded by those carnal fleshly appetites and interests,
but they walk with God, walking by faith. They walk not by sight,
but by faith. I believe that my God is gonna
supply all my need according to his riches and glory by Christ
Jesus. They walk by faith. What does
that mean? Faith is the substance, it's the ground or the confidence
of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. If I hope
or find my confidence to be in Christ, that I am resting in
the fact that all that is needed for me, what do I need to stand
righteous before God? I don't know. I know perfection,
I know holiness, but even when I say it, I can't enter into
the depth of it. I don't know. But every jot and
tittle of the law was satisfied. That law has got to be honored.
That law has got to be satisfied. God's going to have to be appeased. I mean, whatever I need, I believe
Him. I believe Him. Whatever it takes,
I believe He did it. I believe when a father said,
well done, this is my beloved son, well pleased. You know what
I believe? I believe he was well pleased.
I wanna be found in him. So we walk by what God declares
our life to be. A new creation, justified before
God, accepted in the beloved. Somebody says, do you truly believe
that you're accepted of God? I'm gonna tell you, I've only
got one hope. And it's in the Lord Jesus Christ.
And I trust Him. That's all I've got. That's all
I need. That's all I've got. So this
walk, it's a blessed privilege. It's granted to unworthy sinners. And it's based totally upon the
good pleasure and will of Almighty God to show mercy and compassion. Walking with God, it never begins
with me. It is absolutely established
and motivated by God Almighty, Ezekiel 36, 27. I will put my
spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes, my demands,
my laws, and you shall keep my judgments and do them. I think
about the commandment of God. What's the commandment of God?
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God. I shall trust in my son. Lord, help me. Lord, I believe
you. The Lord undertakes for his people
when he says that he will do all of his good pleasure. They
keep his instructions, they believe him, and they don't leave. That's
another thing. How do you walk? Well, you keep
walking. You don't leave. When a man walks
with God, he walks in agreement with God. He agrees with God
about himself. He agrees with God about God. And he doesn't leave. He doesn't
go away from walking because he's kept by the power of God. I cannot tell you how many times
have I felt in just moments of I'm tired. I'm just tired. I'm just tired. I don't know
if I can do this anymore. I just, I'm just tired. How many times am I tempted?
And I think, Lord, help me. Help me. Lord, keep me. You promised that, Lord, I'd
be kept by the power of God. through faith, ready to be revealed
in that last day. So God's people, they walk with
the Lord, they walk by faith, they walk in newness of life,
they walk in agreement with God, and they realize that their walk
is nothing short than a miracle of God's grace. He put them in
Christ, He sent the gospel to teach them, By Spirit, He regenerated
them, and He gave them faith to believe, and robed them in
the righteousness of His Son, and He keeps them by His grace,
and they walk with Him in communion. You want to hear. You didn't
come tonight just because, well, it's Wednesday, I guess I've
got to show up. No, I want to hear something.
I want to hear what God has to say. I want to hear what the
Lord has to say concerning Himself. Ephesians 5a says, For ye were
sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord. He said,
Walk as children of light. I know you're struggling. I know
you are. I know you are. We've all got
problems. We've got things that But this
is our lot. This is the lot. And the Lord
has placed us exactly where we are. And you think, but for the
grace of God, I'd be somewhere else right now. Doing something
else other than what I'm doing, other than what I'm thinking.
But for the grace of God, that's what I'd be. And there would
be a day coming when I'd stand before God and I'd have no answer. No answer. I'm so thankful that
I'm right here. He's given me a heart to be here,
to walk after him, to hear him. I pray God bless this to our
heart for his glory and our good. Amen.