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Bible history reveals to us that God can grow weary of striving with man. The longsuffering
of Jehovah is a marvelous blessing bestowed upon mankind, but the Creator’s patience will
not endure forever. It was during the life of Noah that “Jehovah saw that the wickedness of
man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only
evil continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved
him at his heart” (Genesis 6:5-6).
The same God is looking out over the world today. What does He see? Are there multitudes of people everywhere seeking after righteousness? Hardly! Were it not for God’s great love and mercy that fuels His desire that no one perish but repent of their sins (2 Peter 3:9), this world and all therein would have already been consumed with fire (2 Peter 3:7, 10). Let us learn that there will be a Divine verdict. The wisdom of man will not prevail. The decision of the Supreme Court is not the final decision. God promised, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the ground; both man, and beast, and creeping things, and birds of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made them” (Genesis 6:7). God created man to serve Him and to do right, but man chose to do wrong and serve his own selfish interests. God thus told Noah, “The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth” (Genesis 6:13). The cause of this Divine verdict is clearly set forth in Genesis 6:12: “And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth.” The people of Noah’s day did not escape the Divine verdict. Neither will the people of today’s world! Man may pride himself in his perverted wickedness and even declare God’s laws to be discriminatory and unacceptable. But when God elects to send His Son to judge this world, it will be remembered that He promised His Son would come “with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus: who shall suffer punishment, even eternal destruction from the face of the Lord and from the glory of his might” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). Let us learn that there is a Divine Plan. Most people today subscribe to the “church of your choice” philosophy. Men promote a human plan of salvation while ignoring the Divine Plan of salvation. Just remember that God told Noah, “Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch” (Genesis 6:14). The ark was not to be constructed according to man’s imagination. Genesis 6:15 says, “And this is how thou shalt make it” — there was a pattern or Divine Plan to be followed. Noah and his family would not have survived the flood had not God revealed the way of deliverance. There is a Divine Plan of salvation today. No one will be saved who refuses to comply with the way of deliverance. No one will be saved except by the gospel’s saving power (Romans 1:16). The gospel must be proclaimed, believed, and obeyed (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). The Divine Plan of salvation involves hearing the Word of God (Romans 10:17), believing the Word (Mark 16:16), repenting of sin (Luke 13:3), a confession (Romans 10:9-10), and baptism for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Let us learn that there has been a Divine warning. Did not God declare that He would bring the flood upon the earth to destroy it (Genesis 6:17)? Noah preached for 100 years while the ark was being built, but the people refused to heed the warning (cf. Genesis 5:32 with 7:6; 1 Peter 3:20). God has graciously warned all today that salvation is found only in Christ (2 Timothy 2:10). Only by obedience to the Divine Plan of salvation can one be found in Christ (cf. Hebrews 5:8-9). Let us learn that there is a Divine invitation. People must distinguish between the invitation of man and the invitation of God. He who provided for the ark extended the invitation to Noah to enter the ark (Genesis 7:1). The Lord who shed His blood on Calvary to purchase His church (Acts 20:28) invites all to be a member of His church. One must enter the Lord’s church on His terms. The Lord is the head of His church which is His body (Ephesians 1:22-23), and this leaves absolutely no authority for man. The invitation to Noah was to enter the ark that was built according to Divine instructions. To be saved today, all men have an invitation to enter the Lord’s church that was built according to Divine instructions. This rules out all churches that wear the names of men and are built on man-made creeds. “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say” (Luke 6:46)? We learn from Noah that God’s way is not man’s way. Just as man’s boat would not have floated in Noah’s day, man’s church will not save one today! |