Singled out by the sovereign grace of God!

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(Frank Hall)

In the days of Noah the entire world was given over to ungodliness, sin, and corruption. Violence, hate, and wickedness had reached an all time high. All men without exception were proud, arrogant, and ungrateful. They, like all natural men, were opposed to the rule of God over them. These ignorant unthankful rebels sought to shove God off His throne, so that they, like Adam and Eve in the garden, might "be as gods."

Hear the Spirit's testimony concerning the days of Noah: "The LORD saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain. So the LORD said, 'I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth--men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air--for I am grieved that I have made them!'But NOAH found grace in the eyes of the LORD." Genesis 6:5-9

As it was in the days of Noah, so it is now.
Our generation is just as wicked as Noah's generation.
Spiritually, men have not improved one iota.
Lost men are still corrupting God's truth and God's worship upon the earth.
Men still love darkness and hate light.
Men are still grieving God with their sin.
Every imagination of the thoughts of our heart are still evil continually.
Nothing has changed.
Men still serve themselves, not God.
They love themselves, and hate God.
They still oppose and exalt themselves above God.

But the day is fast approaching when God's fury will once again be unleashed upon all the children of disobedience . . .
who will not have Christ to reign over them;
who will not believe the gospel of His grace;
who will not trust Him for life, righteousness, and salvation;
who will not turn from their wicked ways to serve the only true God.

Noah was just like everyone else by nature:
born dead in trespasses and sin;
corrupt to the very core;
self-serving, self-centered, self-willed, and self-righteous;
wholly given over to the lusts of his own flesh;
under the complete control and dominion of the prince of the power of the air.

The fact that Noah found grace in God's eyes, is proof enough that he was sinful and vile; for were he righteous and holy in himself, he wouldn't need God's grace. Noah was singled out by the sovereign grace of God to be saved from the flood of God's wrath! Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD . . .
not because he was worthy of God's favor,
not because he was better than others,
and not because he deserved it--
but because God is gracious to whom He will be gracious!

"Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD!" What grace?
Redeeming grace!
Justifying grace!
Sanctifying grace!
Pardoning grace!
Regenerating grace!
Preserving grace!
Glorifying grace!
All grace!

"Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD!" What kind of grace?
Free, undeserved grace!
Eternal, everlasting grace!
Almighty, overpowering grace!
Effectual, irresistible grace!
Saving grace!

If we would be . . .
forgiven of our sins,
saved from the wrath to come,
cleansed from all our filth,
protected from the avenger of blood,
preserved forever from falling away, and
live forever, blameless before the presence of God's glory,
then we must come to Christ by faith and receive from Him what only He can give--SOVEREIGN, FREE, AMAZING GRACE!

God's grace is distinguishing grace:
Noah was no better than any man who was destroyed in the flood. He was saved by God's sovereign, discriminating, distinguishing grace! God . . .
set His heart on Noah,
loved him by His grace,
chose him by His grace,
redeemed him by his grace,
regenerated and called him by His grace,
preserved him by His grace,
and saved him by His grace.
The God of all grace made the difference, not Noah!

God's grace is effectual grace:
grace that saves absolutely and everlastingly;
grace that cannot successfully resisted or denied.
This grace, this irresistible grace . . .
raises dead sinners to life,
dispels the darkness of unbelief,
causes sinners to trust Christ, and,
keeps them from departing from Him.

Only effectual grace will save you--for it cannot be resisted, overturned, successfully opposed, or lost. The grace that chosen sinners find in the eyes of the LORD, is effectual grace!

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