Saving faith is not a concept that is simply theologically true. It is a divine empowerment to walk with God and obey Him.
Genesis 6.5-12 And GOD 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 the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.
Romans 1.5 …by whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for His name.
I suggest to you this morning that when God looks upon the earth today, He sees the same (if not worse) condition of man. Fallen man is obsessed with evil imaginations and ungodly thoughts. The human race has indeed corrupted God’s ways on the earth. But Noah found grace. The grace of God is His divine favor. It is unearned and undeserved. It is the very source of all saving faith.
As we see in Hebrews 11, saving faith is an obedient faith. This was the case of Noah. Noah by faith walked with God in the midst of a society that walked in corruption. Noah by faith obeyed God and built the ark. Grace gives birth to a faith in God that obeys Him, not as a slavish duty or I will be punished, but as an act of worship because of His goodness and love towards me.
Belief in the gospel produces an obedient faith with the goal being the glory of His Name. Noah found favor and walked with God by faith. We find favor with God by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. By focusing on the grace of Christ today our faith is made strong. Grace grants faith that enables us to live for the glory of God. That is why we were created. That is why we were redeemed.
