The Ark of Grace -Genesis 6:5

Q: What does the Bible say about grace?

Grace is unmerited favor from God, and it is through grace that we are saved, as demonstrated by Noah in Genesis. The Bible describes grace as God's unmerited favor shown to humanity. In Genesis 6:8, we see that 'Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.' This emphasizes that grace is a gift from God, not something we earn or deserve. The concept of grace is pivotal in understanding our salvation; it highlights that we are justified not by our works, but by faith in Christ, who was 'purposed to be our refuge' before the foundation of the world. The vastness of grace is confirmed in Ephesians 2:8-9, which states that we are saved by grace through faith, and that this is not of ourselves; it is the gift of God.

Q: Why is the story of Noah important for Christians?

The story of Noah illustrates God's grace in salvation and serves as a foreshadowing of Christ as our refuge. The story of Noah is significant for Christians as it demonstrates the depth of God’s grace amidst human wickedness. In Genesis 6, God saw that man's wickedness was great, yet Noah found grace, highlighting God's mercy in selecting Noah as a vessel for saving humanity. This story foreshadows Jesus Christ, the ultimate Ark, who provides refuge from God's coming judgment. Just as Noah was saved through the ark, believers are saved through faith in Christ, who endures the storms of God's wrath for us. The covenant God made with Noah symbolizes the eternal covenant we have with Christ, ensuring that despite our sinful nature, we are regarded as just in God's eyes due to Christ’s righteousness.

Q: How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

Scripture clearly states that salvation is a gift of grace, not based on human merit or works. We can be assured that salvation is by grace alone through several biblical affirmations. Romans 3:10-12 tells us that 'there is none righteous, no, not one,' emphasizing humanity's total inability to be righteous on our own. Ephesians 2:8-9 explicitly states that we are saved by grace through faith, and that this is not of ourselves, but is the gift of God—not of works, lest anyone should boast. This establishes that salvation is solely dependent on God's grace and not on human actions. Just like Noah, who did not earn his favor but found grace because God chose to be gracious, we too must recognize that our salvation rests wholly in Christ and His redemptive work.

Q: What is the significance of the ark in Noah's story?

The ark represents Christ, our refuge and salvation from God's judgment. In Noah’s story, the ark serves as a profound picture of Jesus Christ, our refuge from judgment. Genesis 6:14 instructs Noah to build an ark of gopher wood, which symbolizes the shelter and safety found in Christ. Just as Noah and his family entered the ark to escape the flood, believers enter into Christ to be saved from God's coming judgment. The ark was a divinely prepared vessel, just as Christ was foreordained as the Savior from the foundation of the world. When we are in Christ, we are secure, as John 10:28 states, 'Neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.' Therefore, the ark represents not only salvation but also the grace of God that provides refuge until the storm passes.

We'll begin the message, we'll go to God in prayer again. I ask your prayers for me. I desire to preach this message so that you, God's people, through every trial and difficulty, might find peace. The gospel is a gospel of grace and peace. Can't tell how many times the Paul begins every epistle with those words, grace, and peace unto you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It was not a repetitive salutation. It had meaning. And every time the gospel is preached, this is the salutation of God to you that believe grace and peace. Grace and peace. I pray that God would instill that in our hearts through the message tonight. I pray that God be with me and give me the liberty and you the liberty to hear. I just heard from Kathy that, what are they? Well, in my mind is not.

Cindy. Nancy's daughter. Nancy's daughter has passed away this last month. It was in March. So, pray for her and her husband and family. in this trying time, difficult time for them. The family has been a wonderful encouragement to me. I know I've been talking with them over the years. I'm very thankful for them. Many of them are believers in Christ. It's wonderful to see.

So pray for that family. Pray for Mitch and Carla. there until their daughter's able to lift things. She's had that C-section and still can't lift her oldest child yet. So they're going to be there until she's able. So pray for them as they are there. And I'm sure they're enjoying being around their grandkids. And I'm glad for them.

But we miss them and pray for them. Pray for others that are not able to be with us. Again, I ask your prayers for me. Let's go to God in prayer. Our gracious Father in heaven, we bow ourselves before you seeking mercy and grace. Father, I plead this night that you would give me the liberty and unction of your Holy Spirit.

Not that any glory should be given to the preacher or the hearer. but that the gospel should go forth in power and demonstration of your spirit for the comfort and care of your people, that they might be fed and nurtured. They might be strengthened and encouraged so that we should continue in faith and love. I pray that the gospel of Jesus Christ would be set forth so clearly And that, Father, you might use and empower upon the hearts of sinners that they might see their need of Christ, and that by the grace and power of your Spirit that you might draw them to believe only on Christ. Father, I do pray for your grace and mercy upon your churches, wherever your gospel is preached, wherever it's preached tonight, at any other time, that you would be with your men, that you would strengthen them.

The things I'm asking for us, I'm asking, Father, for them. That you would be with them as you are with us. Those churches without pastors, please, send forth men. We pray that you would send forth men after your own heart to preach the gospel to them. And Father, forgive us our sins. Oh, I pray you'd cleanse us of our unrighteousness. Father, you'd stir our hearts.

Will you not be cold and indifferent to the things of Christ? Father, we might receive the gospel as it is intended from your heart, a message of love and grace. And we ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ and for his sake. Amen. If you take your Bibles and turn with me back to Genesis chapter 6. I've entitled this message, The Ark of Grace. The Ark of Grace. It's always my desire as I preach the gospel to you that you should be comforted. that you as believers in Jesus Christ should be comforted. And this message of Noah and the flood and the ark is a message that you who are believers, you've heard many times.

But we know this, that all scripture, all scripture, regardless of what text we take, speaks of Jesus Christ and his perfect salvation. And this text that we have before us is no different You remember the Lord said to those Pharisees, search the Scriptures. In them you think you have eternal life, but here's the real reason for the Scriptures. They are they which testify of me. The Scriptures, the Old Testament Scriptures, the prophecies, This text here and every text in the Old Testament has one purpose and that is to point us to Christ.

Remember when the Lord rose again from the dead and he walked with his disciples on the road to Emmaus. Remember the scripture says, and beginning at Moses. This book we're reading tonight from Genesis is written by Moses. beginning at Moses and all the prophets he expounded unto them in all the scriptures what what did he talk about what did he preach to his disciples things concerning himself and This book is all about the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Lord Jesus Christ and Him risen from the dead.

Every type, every shadow, every picture is intended of God for you and me to look and see Christ. And if you would just look for Christ in these things, you would find Him. He is plainly revealed in these things. So we preach the gospel tonight, and that's my hope, is that you would see Christ. You would see Christ.

And so tonight, I want to show you the picture of Noah and the ark. A picture that's very familiar, a story that's very familiar to every believer. But again, this is a beautiful picture. A beautiful picture. In this history we have before us, we see this that Noah is a type of every believer. He's a type of every believer. My text is found in verse 8. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.

God makes a distinction here between the generation in which Noah lived and Noah. And the distinction is always this. Grace. Grace. And so every believer that tonight, if you believed in Jesus Christ, the only distinction between you and the rest of humanity, fallen humanity, is this, grace. The grace of God is the only thing that's made the difference. So Noah is a picture of everyone who is saved by grace. And the ark, we know this, is going to be a picture of Christ. The Ark is the refuge by which Noah was saved. It is a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ. So that's the big overview of what I'm going to be preaching tonight. But I've got four points. I've got four points in this message.

First of all, I want you to see the condition of man as it is described by this generation. The condition of man, God declares, the condition of that generation was this, in verse 5, And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually, and God determined to destroy him. That's the first thing we're going to see, the condition of man and then the condemnation of God.

And then secondly, I want you to see the calling of grace. That's the text that we have before us in verse 8, Noah found grace. And again, Noah is going to be a picture of every believer. Every believer, he found grace. Then I want you to see the confidence in the ark. The confidence of the ark. And the ark is a picture of Christ. I want to show you as a believer what confidence we have in our ark. in the Lord Jesus Christ. We have great confidence. And thirdly, and fourthly, I want you to see the covenant that God made with Noah is a covenant, is a picture of the covenant that God makes with every one of us who are believers in Christ.

So first of all, the condemnation, the condition of man and condemnation of God. Let's read that again in verse five. Now, The scripture says, And God saw the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Now, this has been troubling to me and I've got to make this point. The first four verses in this chapter here that deal with the sons of God and the daughters of men.

There is a big thing going on on the Internet. And if you have it, the best thing to do is put it away. When you see somebody talk about the book of Enoch, you need just run in the opposite direction. OK, the book of Enoch, it's all about how angels having sexual relations with women.

That's it. It's nothing more. That's all it is. And it has nothing to do with the gospel of Jesus Christ. And matter of fact, this text has nothing to do with that. This is simply the sons of Seth and the daughters of Cain. That's all it is. The sons of Seth, who were professing believers in God, came into the daughters of Canaan and they had forfeited the worship of God for these women.

And they had children that were, it says, children of renown. Which means they were infamous. They were evil people. Wicked people. That's all they had. Wicked people coming together having wicked sons. How is that new? That's not new. And you notice this. Because they're all going to say, well, they had giants. Look at that in verse 4. Put this out of your mind. And there were giants in the earth in those days. Notice this. And also after that. Wait a second. Which came first?

The giants were already here. And the word giants means division here. It could mean that there was a great divide between men. It doesn't mean that there were big people. The word means a divide. There could be giants, could be large men. What does that have to do with anything? But notice this, there were giants.

And then after that, the sons of, it says, Verse four, there were giants in land and also after that, the sons of God came to the daughters of men. It doesn't mean that these giants were products of the sons of men and the sons of God and the daughters of men. So this has nothing to do with angels. So if you see that, I just have to warn you about that because some believers are being duped by that right now.

They're coming online with this. They have a bunch of AI pictures that make beautiful movies out of it. Don't listen. It's a distraction. That's all it is. So when you see it, run from it. It has it has nothing to do with the gospel. It's not a book of the scriptures. It's not it's not a part of the scriptures at all.

So as a pastor, I'm just I'm taken by this because there are people who have been asking about this, this foolish book. I've got 66 books they know nothing of and they want to ask about a book that ain't even in here. And you follow those people and you'll find out this, their gospel's wrong. People follow that book, you can mark it down that their gospel is all messed up. They don't even believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I just had to put that out there because I want to warn you about it. It's taking place now. And there are many people being duped by it. So I don't want you to be duped. Let me get back to my text now. That was just free. That was free. All right. The first point of my message then is the condition of man. So you find this in verse five that God saw. He looked at this and he saw in the earth. That man's sin, wickedness was great in the earth.

Listen to this statement that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil, listen to this, continually. Now, God here is describing the condition of man. He's describing the condition of man that the imagination of the thought before there was even a thought of iniquity. Before iniquity came into the mind, it originated from the heart. And this is what God says about them, that this was only evil.

And listen, continually, continually. This truly is the nature of every man born into this world. This is the nature of those in Noah's generation, and it is the nature of everyone in this generation. It doesn't change. It doesn't change. The generation of man is only evil continually.

And so this is the condition of every man at birth. At birth. Our wickedness is great even because our wickedness comes from our heart. Therefore, everything that man considers to be good, that he has done that is good, God has something very opposite to say about that. That everything we do, the best efforts that man can produce, listen, is only evil continually. Only evil continually.

So in order for a man to be righteous, In order for man's deeds to be righteous, they must of necessity spring from a righteous heart, which we don't have. By nature, none of us have a righteous heart. None of us possess this. Nor can we, by will or religious works or ceremony, make our heart righteous. Listen to what Paul says in Romans chapter 3 concerning the nature of man. You know this well, Romans 3 and verse 10.

There is none righteous. Now how many is righteous? There is none righteous. How many understand? There's none that understand it. Listen, there's none that seeketh after God. You understand how broad that? None. How many seek after God? None seeks after God. So then what does he say? We are all together become unprofitable. There's none that doeth good. No, not one. That's what our text is saying.

That the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of man is only evil and that continually. So then regardless of what men do, everything we do is tainted with sin. I challenge anyone to tell me that what work you have done that is acceptable to God based on your own heart and nature. And if anyone can come up with that, they're just lying. Because God says that man's heart, the imagination of his heart is only evil.

Go to Isaiah chapter 1. See some of these things in the scripture. Isaiah chapter 1. God speaking to this crooked, perverse nation here of Israel. Notice what He says in verse 5. He said, Why should you be stricken anymore? Now God's asking the question.

He's chastened them. He's punished them. He's done everything. They've broken His law. And yet in every instance he's stricken them and it's not done any good. God here testifies of the inability of the law to produce righteousness. He says, why would I stricken you anymore? Look at this. What's the result of the law? You will revolt more and more. Every time the law is applied, trying to make a man righteous is always the result. He will revolt. He will revolt more. And the more law you put on him, the more he'll revolt.

Now why is this? He says the whole head is sick. The whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no wellness, no soundness. What's there? Wounds and bruises and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither bound up nor mollified with ointment. God says your disease is incurable. Man's disease. This leprosy disease from the sole of our foot to the crown of our head cannot be cured by law. Jeremiah tells us that the heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Listen to this, above all things. You know, my natural heart is deceitful. and desperately wicked. Our Lord over in Mark.

You know, those disciples were going through the cornfields and they were just grabbing that corn on the Sabbath day and they put in their hands and they ate it, you know, and the Pharisees were upset and they said, How can you do this? Your disciples are eating with unwashed hands. You see, they thought, as religion does, that corruption comes from the outside in. Contamination, sin, comes from outside forces and it comes into the man. God said you got it backwards. He said it's not what goes into the man that defiles him, but what comes out of the man.

In Matthew chapter 12, our Lord said, you make the tree good, the fruit will be good. Isn't that simple? He's so wise in that analogy that everybody can understand that. Good tree, good fruit. Bad tree, bad fruit. You see, man doesn't have A fruit problem? He's got a heart problem. The reason he's got a fruit problem is he's got a heart problem. The tree is bad. But he said, hey, make the tree good. And guess what? It'll be good fruit. You see, it comes from the inside. He said, for out of the heart proceeded evil thoughts, adulteries, murders, fornication, thefts, covetousness. All of this comes from where? The heart. The heart.

Have you ever seen that this text is talking about you? I can see this text is talking about me. When he said the thought, imagination of the thoughts of hearts of man is evil continually, you know what? Every believer in Christ recognizes he's talking about me. See, I'm not thinking about y'all. I'm not thinking how wicked you are. I'm thinking about my wickedness. My heart.

This is the heart I was born with. I'll let you in on it. It was the heart you were born with. Every son of Adam was born with this heart. And notice what God says about this wickedness. God is going to punish every sin. Look what he says in verse 6.

He says, And it repented the Lord that he had made man upon the earth, and it grieved him. at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth, both man and beast and creepy thing and fowl of the air. For it repenteth me that I have made them. We know what this is because this whole next chapters are going to be talking about the flood.

God swears to that wicked generation. He said, I am going to destroy you. That was his message. That's what he sent Noah to preach. Noah was to preach there's destruction coming. There's condemnation coming. God is going to destroy the world and everyone in it. And so Noah warned his generation. You get this, Noah warned them for 120 years. 120 years. as he built this ark according to the specifications of God. Imagine building a boat in the middle of the desert, all the while warning them of God's coming judgment.

And that judgment came, didn't it? You look over in chapter 7 and verse 21, look at that. God said, I'll destroy all flesh, and what happened? And all flesh died that moved upon the earth. God fulfilled the condemnation that he swore would come. So this flood here, As that wicked generation pictures all the sons of Adam, I want you to know this, that flood pictures the coming condemnation of God upon all sinners.

There is coming something greater than that flood. There is coming an eternal judgment of God upon every sinner. There is coming upon men who will not come, who will not believe on Christ. There is coming, without exception, a just recompense of reward, an eternal, never-ending, unquenching fire and damnation upon every sinner. This is coming. Without doubt. This is coming upon everyone who has sinned.

Scripture says the soul that sinneth, it shall die. I don't know much about hell. I don't preach much about it, but it's coming. And I must warn men, I am compelled by the Spirit of God to warn everyone who is not in Christ, listen, that day is coming. And I don't know much about it, but I know this.

It is a place that is absent of the mercy of God. Now you consider this world. There are mercies abounding everywhere. For the most wicked people on the face of the earth, yet there's still mercies. They're breathing. Who gives the wicked man breath to curse God? God does. And so this world still has mercies, but yet in that place there will be no mercy. There will be no hope of redemption, no escape.

In Revelation 22, in the end of all things, John saw this and heard this, He that is, he said in Revelation 22 11, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still. And he that is filthy, let him be filthy still. In other words, however you leave this life is how you will be for eternity. If you leave this life unjust, you will be unjust forever. when judgment is coming, and I know this of myself, I need a refuge.

I need a refuge. Do you see your need of righteousness? Because without righteousness, there's no hope for us. Without an offering for sin, there's no hope for us. Have you seen that? Do you know that? If you are a believer in Christ, you know that we are by nature without righteousness and therefore we need righteousness. We could never provide an offering acceptable to God. We need an offering that is acceptable to God. Why? Because God is coming in judgment.

And listen, I know people mock this. They think this is funny. They think this is a fairy tale and they don't believe me. They didn't believe Noah either. But look now and see that there's hope. That's why we're here. If that's all I had to preach, I wouldn't preach. There'd just be no need. But I tell you of your sin and God's coming judgment because, listen, there is hope.

Look at that in verse 8 in our text. Go back to your text and look at the hope. Here it is, but, in spite of this, look, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. And so now we see then the second point, the calling of grace. The calling of grace.

Now I want you to know this, that Noah was no different than his generation. Noah was born like everyone else. He was born dead in trespasses and sins. Noah was a sinner. Noah's heart was only evil continually. But here's the distinction. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Now that word found doesn't mean that Noah was looking for it. That's not what it means. It means that Noah experienced it. How do we know it doesn't mean he found it? Well, because I just quoted that scripture in Romans 3, there's none that seeketh after God. Noah falls in that category. Noah wasn't seeking God.

But yet, listen, here was his salvation. He found grace. Now what does grace mean? What does grace mean? It means unmerited favor. That's what it means. So therefore, by very definition, Noah couldn't have merited it by looking for it. Noah found grace simply because of this. Because God was gracious to him. God showed grace toward Noah.

And so then we as believers, we know this, that the cause of our salvation could never be based on merit, because our hearts were only evil continually. Every imagination and thought of our heart was only evil continually. God promised condemnation, so we recognize this. By the grace and power of God, we needed a righteousness we could not provide for ourselves.

Why did you learn that? Why is it that you sought mercy at the feet of Christ while others haven't? Simply this, because you found grace in the eyes of God, because God was gracious. And so we know that salvation is never the result of something man does, but it is the result of the grace of God. The grace of God.

You see, the ruin of man was so great that had God not in grace chose a people to save, none would be saved. That's how bad man had fallen. That's how far man had fallen. That had God not graciously purposed to save some, none of humanity, we'd have been like the fallen angels. The fallen angels had no hope. They had no redemption, no grace given to them. Had God not been gracious to us, we would have been like them, having no hope. But God was gracious. You find that in Isaiah chapter one in verse nine, that same text in Isaiah. He said this, had God not left a remnant according to the election of grace, listen, we had all been like Sodom and Gomorrah.

Now Noah, he was the son of a man that believed. And his grandfather believed, and his great-grandfather believed. But listen, Noah didn't believe because he was the product of believing men. This is why Noah believed God. He found grace in the eyes of the Lord. You that believe, you know this, you believe because of the grace of God. Only because of God's grace.

Remember that in John chapter 1, it says, as many as received Him. Have you, you believed on Christ, have you received Him? As many as received Him. How many is that? I don't know, as many as received Him. You could, whatever number that is. Listen, as many as received Him, to them gave He the right to become the sons of God, which were born not of blood.

We weren't born again based on blood. I had believing parents. My believing parents had nothing to do with my conversion, my calling, nothing at all. Not by blood nor by the will of man or the will of the flesh. Not based on my will. I wasn't born again based on my will or the will of some other man. Again, my parents longed for me to believe. I longed for my children to believe. But my children are not going to believe based on my will for them.

But you that receive Christ, you know this. You believe because you were born of God. You were born of God. So like Noah, we were born of God. Noah was born of God. And the result of that was Noah believed God. Noah believed God. He believed God because God, by grace, moved him to faith. If you believe on Christ, it's because of the grace and power of God's calling.

You see, when God made that declaration, I told you that all of his generation was evil. Noah identified with that. Noah recognized his need. God was going to destroy the world and he needed a refuge. And God showed him a refuge. And Noah believed God. So much so that he built that large boat in the desert. He believed God when the time came and God said, get in. He got in. By faith he went in. By faith he went in.

So you that believe in Christ, I want you to recognize this. It's by grace you believe. And you know what? I'll tell you this. How many times have you been caused to doubt and to fear? How many times have you been found in unbelief? Not believing. And yet, here you are, still believing. How is that? Why are you not lost? Why have you not fallen away? Why have you not left? I often ask myself, you know, why have I not left? And I keep going back to what the apostles said, Lord, to whom shall we go?

There is no other refuge. There is no other hope. There is no other salvation. And I don't want to go anywhere else. Please, please don't. You have every right to kick me off this rock, but I don't want to go anywhere else. I don't want off this rock. I don't want off Christ. I don't want off this foundation.

It's my only hope. Why is that? That's the grace and power of God. Look over at Ephesians. Your calling is by the grace and power of God. That's the point I'm getting at. Look at Ephesians chapter one. And look at verse 18. He says, and the eyes of your understanding being enlightened. You were in darkness. You had no knowledge, no love, no faith, and now all of a sudden your eyes are open.

Believer, tell me, is there any other place you want to be than on Christ? Is there any other place you want to be than in Christ? Is there any other righteousness you want except His righteousness? Is there any other blood that you want besides His blood?

No. Why is that? Your eyes are enlightened. that you may know what is the hope of His calling. Listen, that word hope don't mean wish, you know it means confidence. The confidence of His calling. I want you to know the confidence of His calling. The hope of His calling. And what is the riches of the glory of the inheritance of the saints.

That incorruptible inheritance that doesn't fade away, reserved in heaven for you. I want you to know that. Your eyes being enlightened, you should know that. Now how is it that you know this? Look at this, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe? According to the working of His mighty power.

How is it that you believe? You think this is, you think this is, most people think faith is just a whim that you can just, oh I can just believe any time I want to. God says no, it takes the power of God for you to believe. The only reason Noah believed was by the grace of God. The only reason you and I believe is by the grace and the power of God to give us faith and listen, keep us.

I like that, that I am kept. What does it take to keep me? Religion tries to keep people by entertainment and amusement and law and regulations and things like that. You know what that does? That doesn't keep anybody. You know what keeps me? The power of God. That's what Peter said. You are kept by the power of God. That's the only reason you believe and that's the only reason you're going to believe. Now I'm going to give you some attributes of Noah that this applies to you. You that believe. I want you to see the attributes of Noah. Look at this in verse 9. Go back to your text.

So Noah believed. We know this. He was a sinner like everyone else. He was under the condemnation, yet by grace Noah realized the condemnation and by grace Noah believed God to make the ark and get in it. And so it is with us. And now notice Noah's characteristics in verse 9. And these are the generations of Noah. Noah was a just and perfect. Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations. This is true of you. You that are in Christ. You are just and perfect. I am not asking you to trust your feelings about that.

Noah, we know this, that Noah, after his salvation, was still a sinner. That's just so. As soon as he got off the boat, he planted a vineyard, got drunk, and stripped naked. That was it, right after. And you know what God said? God said the same thing about man after the flood that he said before the flood, that man is evil from his youth. He said the same thing. So when Noah got on the other side, guess what? His children were born sinners just like the generation before the flood. Noah was a sinner. But listen to this. Noah was a sinner saved by grace, and therefore the justice of God had pardoned Noah.

God said he was just. And every one of us who are in Christ, God has justified us through the offering of Jesus Christ once for all. You justified. This is not a question. This is a statement. You are justified. Tell me when you feel justified, I'd like to know. Because I've never felt justified. Does it matter? No, because my justification has nothing to do with how I feel about it. My justification has to do with Christ already justifying me. I am perfect because I have the righteousness of Christ imputed to me and imparted to me in the new nature.

Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Look at Ephesians chapter 2. Look at verse 8. Now this is talking about to those who are quickened. He says in verse 1 of this, and you hath he quickened. This is ones who have experienced the grace of the Lord, like Noah, who experienced the grace of the Lord. We found grace in the eyes of the Lord, and God by his power quickened us. Look at what he says. You, for by grace you are saved. How are you saved? Unmerited favor. What did you do? Nothing. How did you earn it? Didn't. It's unmerited favor.

I was saved by the grace of God. Listen to the means through faith, never apart from faith. We believe. And that now what is that? That is faith. That faith is not of yourself. Yet faith is a gift of God and not of works. Why? Lest any man should boast. I hope you can see the nail of the coffin of free will works religion in that. You see, if salvation is based on the will of man, then man has a right to boast. We have none, no right, because it's not of works. For we are His workmanship, notice this word, created in Christ Jesus.

You see, when God comes in power, He makes us perfect in that He gives us a holy nature, a new heart. Like I told you before, how can the fruit be good except the tree be good? What does He do? He gave us a brand new tree. He gave us a brand new heart. And out of that heart produces perfection unto God.

Now we still have the old. We still have the old. If any man say he has no sin, he makes God a liar and the truth's not in him. We confess our sins. We know our old nature is nothing but sin. But yet the new nature that God has created in us, it is holy and righteous.

And so that's how he said Noah's perfect and just. So are you, you that believe, that's your character. Second of all, notice this, he walked with God, verse nine in our text. He said, let me go back to my text, that would be good. Verse nine, Noah was a just and perfect man in his generation.

Noah walked with God. How did he walk with God? Now you listen to me. He walked the same way as his great-grandpa Enoch walked with God. Hebrews chapter 11, Paul's set test tells us this, that Enoch walked with God by faith. So then Noah, how did he walk? Did he walk by law? No, there was no law given. He walked by faith. How did Abraham walk? Abraham walked by faith. Therefore, in Galatians 3, Paul tells us how the believers to walk.

The just shall live by faith. And listen to this. The law is not a faith. You can't mix them. Either you're walking by faith or you're walking by law. If you're walking by law, you're not walking by faith. But if you're walking by faith, you're not walking by law. These two are diametrically opposed. How did Noah walk? He walked by faith. How do you walk? You walk by faith.

Thirdly, Noah believed God's word. Noah believed God's word. God said to him, make an ark. Noah, without question, made an ark. He didn't say, well, God, man, why do you, why do you want me to do it that way? Nope. He heard the word of God and he believed it. He made an ark. He believed God was coming in judgment and he knew this was the only way to escape it. And he made that ark. When God said to Noah, get in the ark, Noah believed the word of God and got in the ark.

And so it is with every believer in Christ. We believe, God, that Jesus Christ is our only hope of ever escaping the wrath of God. He is our only salvation. There is no other. He is the ark. He is the refuge for our souls. And everyone who is called of God by grace enters into Him. We believe God's word.

I'm not to believe how I feel or what I think. I'm not to believe the providence that goes on around me. I'm not to trust in any of that. I'm to specifically trust in what God says, regardless of what men think. This is not going to win friends and influence people. It is not. It is going to create without even intending it's going to create enemies.

When you refuse to believe what the world believes and stick solely with what God says, they will hate you. They despised Noah. They mocked him. They'll mock you. It's all right. Don't worry about it. Believe God. Everyone believes God's word. And thirdly, I'm going to have to move on this one, but I want you to see this, very important. Every believer's confidence is in the ark. When Noah heard of the coming judgment of God, he abandoned everything else for the ark. He put all his confidence in that ark, all of it. So does every believer.

We put all our hope in that one man, Jesus Christ. It's not a combination. It's not a cooperative effort. We're not putting one foot in the ark and one foot on the law. We are wholly committed to the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ is all our standing before God. There is no other standing. There is nothing to add. There's nothing to contribute. If I touch it, I defile it. Christ is all.

You didn't see Noah build an ark and put lifeboats on the outside, did you? Well, if this don't work out, let's put some lifeboats so we can... No, we put all our eggs in this basket. This is all our hope. This is all our standing. Why? Because like that ark, Jesus Christ was a prepared Savior. That ark was prepared. That ark was made.

I want you to know this, you that believe in Christ, your refuge was purposed of God from eternity. Christ was always your refuge. Isn't that wonderful? Don't you realize that God put you in Christ before the foundation of the world? according as he had chosen us, where? In Christ! In Christ! Before the foundation of the world. God purposed that he should be our refuge, that he should be our salvation from the wrath of God. Peter says this in 1 Peter chapter 1 and verse 20. He says Christ was ordained before the foundation of the world. His death was foreordained. He was purposed to be your high priest. Purposed to be your mediator. Purposed to be your savior. You believe in Him. That's your confidence. Is that God by grace made Him to be all your salvation.

Secondly, the ark was sufficient. Noah made that ark, and that was 450 feet long, 75 feet wide, and 45 feet high. Magnificent structure. They tried to replicate that out there, and I've been out there. It's really a beautiful sight to just look at it and see the size and scope of it. They're trying to guess exactly how the inside was, okay. But what a massive structure.

And you know what? That ark was sufficient to save Noah, wasn't it? We read that. That when Noah entered the ark and God shut the door and that flood came, he was in there for over a year. In that ark. And you know what? One day God opened the door and Noah comes out and said, man, that thing was sufficient. That was sufficient.

You listen to me. your Savior was sufficient to extinguish the wrath of God for your sins. As that ark went into that storm, that flood, and endured all of the wrath of God, Even so, Jesus Christ, when He hung upon that cross, bearing your sins, He endured the wrath of God for your sins. Noah didn't escape the judgment of God. He actually was in the judgment of God. He just endured it. How? The ark. The ark saved him. How are you going to be saved? The only reason I'm going to be saved is that I'm in Christ. When He died, during the wrath of God and God's judgments for the past. So what do I say about my ark?

He's sufficient. He's sufficient. Scripture says in Isaiah 53, He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied. Is God satisfied with your offering? If your offering is Christ, He's satisfied. He's sufficient. Hebrews 10 says, but this man, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down. What does it mean when you sit down? It means exactly what he said it meant.

It is finished. What's left? What's left to do? Christ is sufficient. And notice this, that door. I always think about that door. You know, the ark had two openings, the door on the side and the window through the top. That's it. The only openings you had. And you remember when Noah was commanded to go in the ark, he went into the ark and God shut the door.

He did a wonderful picture. The moment a believer comes in Christ God shuts you in and there's no way anybody can get to you. You are forever saved. Man, men can get to your body. They can kill this body. They can hurt this body. They can curse at you. They can make you They can be your enemy. They can say all kinds of evil things about you. But you know one thing they cannot do is they cannot remove you from His hand. Our Lord challenged anybody. He said, No man is able to pluck them out of My hand. Listen to what He said, They shall never perish.

You that are in this ark, that door is shut. No one get to you. You know what, there's only one hole in the ceiling. You know, Noah, if he wanted to see anything, he had to look up. Isn't that true of you? I'll tell you what, Noah wasn't comfortable in that boat. I don't think it was miraculous. I don't think there was anything miraculous about the inside of that boat. I think it was hard. I'll tell you what, life can be hard. You can be tossed. You can be fearful. What's the hole? Look up. Don't look around you. Don't look at your circumstances. Look up. Noah looked to God to be rescued. What do you? You look to God. Every believer does. And lastly, I'm going to just say this.

He made a covenant with Noah. over in chapter 9, after Noah had gotten out of the ark. Verse 8, I think it is, in chapter 9, and God spake unto Noah and his sons with him and said, Behold, I will establish my covenant with you and your seed after you, that every living creature that is with you, the fowl and the cattle of every beast of the earth that is with you from all that go out of the ark to every beast of the earth will I establish my covenant with you. Neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood, neither shall there be any more a flood to destroy the earth And God said, this is the token of the covenant which I will make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for a perpetual generation.

I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token of the covenant between me and the earth and it shall come to pass. When I bring a cloud over the earth and the bow shall be in the cloud and I will remember my covenant between me and you and every living creature of all flesh and the water shall no more be a flood to destroy all flesh and the bow shall be in the cloud and I will look upon it and I will remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth.

God set that rainbow in the sky. Every time it rains, there is a rainbow, whether you see it or not. It's there. Sometimes you just catch the light just right and you can see it, but it's there. It's always there. Now, God said this to Noah, I will never destroy the earth with a flood. Has there been? Never since. There's been floods, but not the whole earth has been destroyed. God's kept that covenant, hasn't he? How much greater is this a picture of the eternal covenant? The eternal covenant is this. Because Christ has endured the wrath of God for your sins, you will never suffer the wrath of God.

I think it interesting. I can tell you where it's found just for reference. I think it's in Revelation 4 when John saw Christ sitting on the throne. You know what was all the way around the throne? A rainbow. So that no matter where God looked, He saw His covenant. Do you understand that? that wherever God sees His people, He sees us through the covenant He made with us in Christ. This is how God could see us and accept us. Always! When you go home and pray tonight, listen to me, He hears you. Now why? Because He sees the covenant. He sees the blood. Because He sees Christ. How is it that when you die, you'll be received into glory without suffering the judgment of God? Because of the covenant that God made with Christ on your behalf. Covenant ratified by His blood. May God show you the safety that you have in Christ.

By nature, we were like those wicked men that only did sin continually. We were under the condemnation of God. What made the difference? It was the grace of God. Just like Noah, we found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He called us to faith in Christ, and we believed. We trusted Christ. And not only that, we entered into Christ. And we find this, that Christ is a prepared Savior. He is a sufficient Savior. He is the door by which we enter into God, and we are kept by the power of God. Why? Because he made a covenant with us. A covenant that he will always remember. He said, I'll remember that covenant. It's ever before the eyes of God.

How safe are you? I remember Don preached a message one time. Is it safe to trust Christ? I thought, what a silly title that is. Is it safe to trust Christ? You bet it is. You know what's not safe? And what's unsafe? To not trust Him. I know I'm far beyond this, but listen, it's important.

There are so many people out there that will measure Christ. I can imagine during Noah's day, people out there with a tape, kind of measuring this thing. Look at it. It was a wonder. It was a big sigh. It was probably one of the greatest accomplishments in the world at that time. And they marveled at it. You know what the problem is?

None of them entered in. How many people measure Christ and try to learn doctrine and stuff without actually getting in the ark? Without actually believing on Christ? That's the only unsafe place, isn't it? Outside the ark. But in, they're saying, I pray God will bless this to you. Let's stand and be dismissed.

Father, I pray you'd bless us with your own blessings and mercies upon us. Thank you for your grace that's in Christ Jesus. Thank you for putting us in Christ. Thank you for giving us faith to go into Christ and lay hold of that hope that's in Him. Give us grace to continually believe and trust in Him. so that all the glory may belong to you. Pray this in Christ's name. Amen. Brother, I hope you have a good week.

The Ark of Grace -Genesis 6:5

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about grace?

Why is the story of Noah important for Christians?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

What is the significance of the ark in Noah's story?

Sermon Transcript

About Fred Evans

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The Ark of Grace -Genesis 6:5

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about grace?

Why is the story of Noah important for Christians?

How do we know that salvation is by grace alone?

What is the significance of the ark in Noah's story?

Sermon Transcript

About Fred Evans

Comments

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