Articles
Noah Saved by Grace Through Faith
I'm sure most remember the story of the great flood (Genesis 6-9). You recall that the world became so wicked that God was sorry that He had ever created man (Genesis 6:5-6). God was going to destroy man from the face of the land (Genesis 6:7), but didn't because of a man named Noah. Many lessons can be learned from the salvation of Noah and his family that we can make application of today (Romans 15:4).
SALVATION BY GRACE. Noah and his family were saved by the grace of God, "But Noah found favor ("grace" KJV) in the eyes of the Lord" (Genesis 6:8). Without a doubt, had God not been gracious, Noah and his family would have drown with the rest of mankind. Noah and his family were saved by the grace of God.
You and I as well are dependent upon the grace of God in order to be saved. The apostle Peter says, "But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved..." (Acts 15:11). The apostle Paul says salvation by the grace of God is available to all men, "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men" (Titus 2:11). So we, like Noah, are saved by the grace of God.
SAVED BY FAITH. "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" (Hebrews 11:7). Noah was saved by the grace of God, however, that doesn't mean that Noah didn't have to do what God said do. Do you think Noah would have been saved had he not built the ark? NO! Noah was saved by faith, that is, he obeyed God in the building of the ark and all was made possible by the grace of God.
What about you and me? "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). Can we be saved today without faith? NO! Does that mean then that our salvation is not by the grace of God? NO! Notice how Paul words it, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God" (Ephesians 2:8). Salvation is a "gift of God", but that does not mean that we do not have to obey the commands of God. Remember Noah?
SAVED BY OBEDIENCE. "Thus Noah did; according to all that God had commanded him, so he did" (Genesis 6:22). Stop to think for a moment - what if Noah, after building the ark, had not entered the ark at God's command (Genesis 7:10)? Would Noah have been saved? NO! Why not? If Noah had not entered the ark, he would have been disobeying God's command and would not have received salvation by the grace of God.
Must we obey God today even though we are saved by the grace of God? YES! Jesus said, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). Have you been saved by the grace of God through faith? In other words, have you obeyed God?
