Saving Faith

This needs OCR cleanup

Saving Faith]]

by O H Griffith

Text: Hebrews 11.7

Introduction:

A. That vation is by the grace of God through the indivi ual's faith in Christ is clearly taught in the Bible. till most of the world tries to be saved by other eans. 1. M t Protestant churches teach that works have a p t in salvation. 2. Ro Catholicsteach that salvation is in the church. 3. Ch ch of Christ (Campbellites)teach that baptism is ess ntial to salvation.

B. Salvat on from sin has always been by faith in God, Hebre s 11:6.

C. But j t any kind of faith does not result in salvati n.

1. Th cults worship their gods with zealous faith, but the are unsaved.

2. Ev ry rational person has faith in many things, but fait in things and ideas does not save from sin.

3. Fai h in Christ as Savior is the only way to obtain sal tion and eternal life, John 14:6;Acts 4:12.

D. Today, e will study the faith of Noah.

I. THE MAN NOAH, Genesis 6:5-9.

A. His f ily heritage.

1. The grandson of Methuselah.

a. Methuselah means, "It [judgment] will be sent" when he has died.

b. Methuselah was a living prophecy and daily

reminder of divine judgment to come upon the wicked world.

c. ew people (eight) believed the prophecy and de preparation for it.

d. t is possible some half-heartedly believed, and tended to do something about it, but put it off.

2. N was the great grandson of the godlyEnoch. noch walked with God, Genesis 5:22. oah also walked with God. vs 9.

3. as the son of Lamech.

SAVINGFAITH

a. eeh believed God's promise of coming ent. This is evidenced by the name he gave his son. Noah means rest, comfort, consolation. h died before his father, Methuselah.

B. on. WaB wic eel,God-defying,vs 5.

2. They we e humanistic and materialistic.

C. His life.

1. He "foun grace in the eyes of the Lord," vs 8.

2. He "was just [righteous] man," vs 9.

3. He "walk d with God," vs 9, at a tilne when almost everyone was dancing with the Devil.

II. NOAH POSSES ED SAVING FAITH.

A. He believe God's warning as given through his father and is grandfather. I

1. He led . family to trust in God.

a. Pro bly won his wife to the Lord.

b. He on his sons to the Lord.

(1) They were born after Noah started working on the ark.

(2) Can you think of a more difficult environment in which to raise children to fear and serve God?

c. He w n his daughters-in-law to the Lord, (cf Acts 16:31 I

d. He tr ed to win many others.

2. "He pre ed an ark" to the saving of his household.

B. He condemn d the world.

1. By the te imony of his faith.

2. By the lif he lived.

3. By the ar he built.

4. By a daily display of faith by his works.

C. Every perso living today owes his very existence to the faith Noah.

D. By faith No , "Became heir of righteousness."

1. His perfec pedigree WaB by his naturW birth.

2. His righte usness WaB by his spiritual birth.

E. Noah s faith was

1. A rusting faith-she believed God,

2. active faith-he built an ark,

3. A ewarding faith-he saved his house (family).

m. NOAH'S ACKSUDING, Genesis 9:20-23.

A. A bac lidden Christian is a pitiful sight.

1. H has forsaken his former love.

2. H influences others to sin.

B. Noah as overcome with wine, and uncovered in his te t. Note the tragic results.

1. T e wine brought out his base, depraved human na ure. It never causes one to display his better 'ties, (cfProverbs 20:1).

2. seems to have thought the whole sordid affair using.

3. Co sidering who it was overcome with wine, should ha e grieved Ham.

C. The m whose name means "comfort"pronounced

a cu (discomfort) upon Ham'sdescendants. Why?

1. It is a warning to all children against showing dis espect to a parent, regardless of that parents mo al behavior.

2. A se upon Ham's children would likely be more gri vous to Ham than a curse upon himself alone.

3. Th curse seems prophetic of the divinecurse to come u n the whole Canaanite peoples and their ultimate e ion from the land by Israel.

D. Lesso to be learned: o 1. If a Christian ceases to walk with God, he willend up wowing in the gutters of sin.

2. He . bring shame to himself,his family,and perhaps to enerations as yet unborn.

3. Th ugh the backslider repents, he seldom regains his for er stature in the faith.

4. D'. communion with God is essential for spiritual he tho

Conclusion:

A. It is not well.

B. A repu one nough to begin well; one must strive to end tion for righteousness can be destroyed by less act of impropriety.

Index