Ep. 70 | Sola Gratia | Genesis

Listen in as Pastor Eddie Blalock shares today’s daily devotional featuring Genesis 6:1-9. Let’s be Formed by The Word together!

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Transcript

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Every story has a beginning. And if you don't understand the beginning, you'll likely misunderstand everything that follows. Welcome to Formed by the Word. Currently, we're going back to the very beginning as we look together at the first 11 chapters of Genesis. These chapters explain our world, our struggles, and much about ourselves. We'll see beauty and brokenness, purpose and pride, judgment and grace. We'll watch humanity fall and see that God already had a plan to restore his relationship with us. The Bible doesn't start with a problem, it starts with a perfect God, and that changes everything. So, wherever you're listening, whether you're driving, working out, or just scrolling for something meaningful, lean in, open your heart, because the God who spoke in the beginning is still speaking today.

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A few weeks ago, Beth and I were enjoying one of our beautiful Florida beaches. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we were at the edge of the ebbing water, sitting with a book in our hands and the beach sand between our toes. It was so peaceful and quiet. But then out of nowhere we heard the shriek blare of a whistle. We looked in the direction of the whistle and spied a lifeguard standing on his perch, looking down the beach to our south. Our eyes immediately turned that direction and spotted two people a good ways offshore and realized that he was signaling for them to come in closer, but they didn't. Before we knew it, he was running down the beach toward them. The lifeguard took a ninety degree angle into the water and swam to them. He offered them his float and they latched on. He pulled them safely to shore and they were fine, but totally exhausted as they had been caught up in a rip current that we Floridians are all too familiar with. Well, as he walked back to his lifeguard stand, he passed the crowd that had gathered. We all just started clapping. It was like we were in the middle of an episode of Baywatch. Well, later, as I replayed that scene over in my mind, my thoughts took me to the subject of grace. I thought to myself, a drowning man, or in this case women, don't really deserve to be rescued by a lifeguard. They they don't earn the rescue, they simply receive it. That's the picture of God's grace. We don't deserve it. We didn't earn it. In fact, we probably shouldn't even be offered it. But God does graciously offer grace, and all we do is receive it. Well in today's text we will see two men separated by over two thousand years, and yet both of them discover the same truth. That truth is that God saves people by grace alone. The two men have familiar names to us. One is Noah, and the other is Paul, the apostle. Imagine the world at its worst if you could just a moment. Violence, immorality, and idolatry everywhere. Every thought of the heart bent toward evil all the time. Yet in that dark moment, the Bible gives us one of the most beautiful sentences in all of Scripture. It says simply, but Noah found favor in the eyes of God. Wow, that single verse is a bright light in one of the darkest chapters of the Bible. In fact, let's just read the content of it or the context of it. In Genesis chapter 6, verses 5 through 8, we read these words. And that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I've created, and within the animals, the birds, and the creatures that move along the ground, for I regret that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Wow. What a passage. We could certainly justify spending all of our time talking about how mankind got into such a terrible state, verses one through seven, but I feel like we've covered that pretty well in the past episodes. So I've chosen to spend our time today talking about this one verse, Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. Now, typically, when we think of favor or grace in the Bible, we think of the New Testament, where the word appears often. But here we see it first in the first book of the Old Testament. Once again, we have the gospel in Genesis. This word favor, Hain in Hebrew, here in Genesis 6.8, is the Old Testament equivalent of the New Testament word caris, grace. Noah found favor could accurately be, and in many cases is translated, Noah found grace. So the thought is that Noah was saved by God's grace. Not as you might think, he was not saved by his ability to build a boat, he was saved by God's grace. This shows us that salvation by grace is not a later development reserved for the New Testament period. It is God's consistent character across both of the testaments. So here we learn that grace shines in a hopeless situation. In Genesis 6, 5 through 7, the whole world was corrupt. Every inclination of the heart, it said, was only on evil all the time. There was no human solution. In the midst of this darkness, though, grace shines like a bright candle in a dark cave. It's unmistakable. The situation was hopeless. Later in Ephesians 2, chapter 1, verses 1 through 7, Paul says that we were dead in our trespasses and sins. Wow, that's pretty unmistakable too. That also is a very dire situation. He says we are following the ways of the world and deserving wrath. Both passages show grace intervening when humanity is at its worst. So let's take a few observations here about grace from the Genesis account, and maybe we can connect it with what's taught about grace in the New Testament. One of the rich sources in the New Testament in regard to grace is Ephesians 2. So let me show you what I mean. The first thing that we learn about grace is that grace is undeserved. In verses 5 through 8, we see that, right, of Genesis 6. Again, remember the word for favor here is often the word is the Hebrew word, I'm sorry, pain, the same word translated grace elsewhere. Notice that Noah did not earn it. Noah did not deserve it. The text says he found favor, meaning he received something he was not looking for in his own strength. Grace is always a gift, never a wage. Genesis 6, 5, the Lord observed the extent of human wickedness. It was terrible. It was a dire situation. And we already saw that Ephesians chapter 2 told us that we are dead because of disobedience and because of our many sins. And we used to live in sin just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil. And but now we see that as we used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature, by our very nature we are subject to God's anger just like everyone else. So first, grace is undeserved. Second thing we see is that grace is a gift. Noah did not earn God's favor, he found it. Genesis 6.8, but Noah found favor with the Lord. Now compare that to Ephesians. That makes it explicit that we don't earn God's grace, we receive it. Ephesians 2.8 says, God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this. It is a gift from God. Maybe you recognize another version that reads that for by grace you have been saved through faith and then not of yourselves. It is a gift from God. Grace is a gift. Grace is undeserved. Third notice, grace changes everything. Because Noah found favor, he was warned about the coming of the flood. Because he found favor with God, he was given detailed instructions to how to build the ark. He and his family were saved, and through him humanity received a second chance. Because of God's grace, we're told in the New Testament that we are enlightened to the curse of sin and offer of reconciliation with God. We're guided in our spiritual formation into the image of Christ. We're saved, and we receive a second chance at life. Grace is not just forgiveness, it is rescue. It's a new beginning. Grace always leads to a new life. Notice that Noah's grace resulted in his obedience and building the ark and salvation for his household. Our grace results in good works that God prepared for us, Ephesians 2.10. Right? Ah, so much we can apply here. But let me apply it in the form of some questions for us to ponder today. Where do you need to see God's favor right now? Where do you need to see and experience God's grace right now? Maybe in your marriage, in your parenting, maybe at work, maybe in your health, or perhaps your spiritual life. And what areas are you still trying to earn God's favor instead of receiving it? You know what's so key was watching those ladies being saved by the lifeguard. They just held on to the float. They didn't try to help. If they'd have tried to help, things would have got much messier. And by the way, things get messier in our life when we try to help God instead of simply resting in his grace. And then maybe this question Who in your sphere of influence needs to hear that God's grace is still available today? Well, I've got to close out, so let me give you a takeaway and then we'll pray. My takeaway today is this grace is not a New Testament invention. It has always been God's way of rescuing sinners. Someone said, The same eyes that looked at a corrupt world and chose Noah in grace are the same eyes that looked at you in your sin and chose to save you through Christ. You are not saved by being good. You are saved by grace just like Noah. Man, let's let those words take us into this fresh day. Heavenly Father, thank you that your grace is not new, but ancient. Just as you've extended grace and favor to Noah in a wicked world, you have extended that same grace to me. I confess I often try to earn what you freely give. Help me to rest in your gift of grace. Help me to walk in obedience like Noah and live for your glory. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Thanks for joining us today. We are so glad that you chose to spend a few moments with us in God's Word. If this episode has encouraged you, we ask that you leave us a review or maybe share this episode with a friend. Also, would you consider sending us a note to let us know what God is doing in your life? Pastor Eddie would love to hear from you. You can find this email in the show notes. Until next time, stay in the scriptures, keep following Christ, and allow your life to be formed by the Word.