Walking With God

Walking with God

Genesis 6:8-10

8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (KJV)

8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. 9 These are the generations of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God. 10 And Noah had three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. (ESV)

Last time we spoke on the bad news as we see in Genesis 6:5-7 “wickedness” The good news is that Noah found grace, or favor in the eyes of the Lord. Noah could have been left to his sins and left to experience God’s judgment, but Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. The bad news is that we are sinners. “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” We were the children of wrath. The good news is that through Christ we experience God’s mercy and grace. Grace is God’s unmerited favor on sinful mankind.

Noah did not earn grace, work for grace, merit grace, or deserved grace. He FOUND grace! None of us can say we have earned grace. If you know God’s amazing Grace today…it’s not what you have done to deserve it.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.

I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind, but now I see.

Noah FOUND grace, because God found him. And when God finds you, you discover

grace for the first time. That’s good news! But it doesn’t stop there. There’s more to the story of grace.

Noah responds to Grace! Noah responds to God at work in his heart.

1. Noah was a just man (righteous man)

2. Noah was perfect (blameless) in his generation

It’s important to see this. Noah did not find grace because he was a just man, or a righteous man. Noah did not find grace because he was perfect, or blameless in his generation. Verse 8 comes first with grace, then comes the statement of Noah being righteous and blameless. First of all, we are saved by the grace of God. At the moment of conversion we are declared righteous before a Holy God. There’s a faith we never had before. We exercise this faith and believe God. God gives us a righteousness that we do not have. It is an imputed righteousness. Noah was not righteous within himself, but God declared him righteous by an act of His grace.

Notice in Genesis 15:6 of Abraham:

And he believed in the LORD; and he counted it to him for righteousness.

Noah believed in the LORD and he was declared righteous. That is, he received an imputed righteousness which had to do with his standing before God. This is called positional righteousness. There was the evidence of a sanctifying righteousness which had to do with his walk with God. This is called progressive righteousness. Positionally, God sees us through the eyes of the LORD Jesus. We are covered by the blood of Christ and we are declared righteous. We are justified by faith in Christ. That’s justification.

In everyday life, God through the Holy Spirit and His Word is molding us, shaping us, fashioning us into the likeness of His dear Son. That’s progressive righteousness, or sanctification. Let’s look at a verse which will help us hear:

Philippians 2:12-13

12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

God works in - justification …we are declared righteous by faith

God works out – sanctification…we are becoming righteous.

It is this working out which we will now see in the life of Noah. It is summed up in the words, and Noah walked with God.

What does it mean Noah walked with God?

1. It means his life lined up with God. Noah went to work for God. He began to cut lumber and build this huge boat. He obeyed the voice of God. That means his will lined up with God’s will. His thoughts lined up with God’s thoughts. His desires lined up with God’s desires. His words lined up with God’s words. No longer was it Noah’s life to do as he wished, but rather his life was all for God. Paul put it this way in Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless, I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Amos 3:3 Can two walk together, except they be agreed? I heard of how two men were trying to get a piece of heavy furniture through a doorway. They were unsuccessful until it was realized that they were trying to move in opposite directions. Can two walk together, or carrying a piece of furniture, except they be agreed on which direction they are going.