Noah Found Grace in the Eyes of the Lord - Part Two

Noah Found Grace In The Eyes Of The Lord – Part Two

In Part One of this lesson we looked at why Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Using Noah as an example, then, let’s now consider how we can find grace in the eyes of the Lord. We must be “just” in His sight. Fortunately, the good news of the gospel is that God sent Christ in order to make us “just” (righteous, forgiven) in His sight! - Ro 5:8-9 “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” This blessing is available to all who demonstrate true faith in Jesus - Ro 3:24-26 “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” Being justified, we can have peace with God (concerning which Paul and Peter wrote) - Ro 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”; 2 Pe 3:14 “Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”

We must be “perfect” in our generation. That is, to be complete, mature, to be everything God desires of us. Again, the good news of the gospel of Christ is that God has provided the necessary elements for us to be “perfect”! The blood of Christ, to cleanse us of our sins - 1 Jn 1:7-9 “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” The Word of God, to guide us to completion - 2 Ti 3:16-17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” The strength of the Spirit, to help us in our struggles - Ep 3:16 “that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being,”; Ro 8:13 “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.” The providence of God, who will work with us and lead us to victory! - 2 Th 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”; 1 Pe 5:10 “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.”

We must “walk with God”. Of course, this would mean that we can “no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk...” - Ep 4:17-20 “Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!” Rather, it requires that we be “followers of God as dear children” (Ep 5:1), and that we “walk in love” - Ep 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” It requires that we “walk as children of light”, exposing the sins of darkness - Ep 5:8-11 “for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” That we “walk as wise”, with an understanding of what the Lord’s will is - Ep 5:15-17 “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

We must “do all that the Lord has commanded”. Observing not just “some” things, but “all” things - Mt 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."’ For in so doing, we demonstrate our faith to be “a living faith” - Ja 2:17, 24, 26 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” – “You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone.” – “For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”

We must be “preachers of righteousness”. It is God’s will that we “proclaim the praises of Him”, which would include His righteousness - 1 Pe 2:9 “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” This can be done most vividly by example, in living transformed lives - Ro 12:1-2 “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

God does not want anyone to perish in the great conflagration that is yet to come, but He does require all to come to repentance - 2 Pe 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”; Ac 17:30-31 “The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead."’ And when we turn from sin and turn to God, what do we find? The same thing Noah and his family found: “Grace in the eyes of the Lord”! Speaking of the salvation of Noah should remind us of the comparison Peter makes between Noah’s salvation and our own; i.e., the part baptism serves in our salvation - 1 Pe 3:20-21 “because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Just as God used the element of water to save Noah from a wicked world... so in His grace does God utilize water in our salvation through the blood of Jesus! If you have not done so, why not find favor in God’s sight by being baptized for the remission of your sins (Ac 2:38; 22:16)? Then, as we look forward to the coming of the Lord in which He will usher in “the new heavens and new earth”, give special heed to the words of Peter:
“Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.” - 2 Pe 3:14