Friends, God is speaking to us today through Noah, a preacher of righteousness (Luke 17:26). The Amplified Bible says: “Noah was a just and righteous man, blameless in his [evil] generation; Noah walked [in habitual fellowship] with God … he did all that God had commanded him … [Prompted] by faith Noah, being forewarned by God concerning events of which as yet there was no visible sign, took heed and diligently and reverently constructed and prepared an ark for the deliverance of his own family. By this [his faith which relied on God] he passed judgment and sentence on the world’s unbelief and became an heir and possessor of righteousness (that relation of being right into which God puts the person who has faith)” (Genesis 6:9, 22; Hebrews 11:7).
It’s hard to grasp that in the many years Noah preached, there is not one single reference of even one person turning to righteousness. To put it another way, not one person believed it was possible or necessary to live blamelessly before God, except Noah. Does this great unbelief of the people in Noah’s generation concern you? It should. It should because Jesus warned that the coming of His kingdom would be just like the days of Noah–He will come in destruction to a religious people filled with unbelief. Noah was a preacher of righteousness. He was not preaching for people to believe in God. People already believed in God. He was preaching to incite the church of his day to practice righteousness (2 Pet. 2:5; 1 Jn. 3:7, 8). Noah was exhorting them to repent and obey the law of love toward God and man which God had put in their hearts–just as He has ours (Ro. 1:18-20; 2:11-16). Noah warned that corruption and violence (breaking God’s law/commandments) had filled the earth and unless they obeyed God, they were headed for destruction. This is still true today: “The present heavens and earth by His word are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men” (2 Pet. 3:7).
Since we too are forewarned by God of events which are to come, we must pay much closer attention to His prophetic word as to a lamp shining in a dark place (2 Pet. 1:19). Consider why the religious people in Noah’s day and ours would refuse to listen to a warning to practice righteousness and escape destruction. The answer so simple it passes us by–remember Eve? WORDS, the answer is smooth words, the false knowledge and opposing arguments of men! Words are the power wicked spirits use to harden and persuade our hearts to unwittingly walk after another gospel–one that will never lead us to deny all worldly desires and live blamelessly on earth (Tit. 2:11-15; Heb. 3:12-19). These deceiving spirits have misled many through the teachings of “ministers of righteousness” who have themselves been deceived and controlled by an “angel of light”. Read 2 Cor. 11:2-4, 13-15; Eph. 6:10-18. Scripture warns that whoever is not obedient to the Holy Spirit, who makes men holy, is deceived and controlled by wicked spirits, whose words they love more than the Word of God (2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; John 8:51). For this very reason, God warns us to test every word we listen to by searching the Scriptures, asking the Holy Spirit to give us understanding with clarity–and He will (1 Cor. 2:9-16).
In the last days, prophecy warns, “many Christians” will be without self-control, immoral, lovers of self and pleasure rather than lovers of God, denying that the Gospel’s power and purpose is to restore them to godliness. These “Christians” actually believe Jesus Christ will save them from destruction, even though they continue breaking God’s commandments (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Galatians 5:19-21). They cover themselves with God’s “imputed righteousness” like a coat of whitewash, which in reality, Jesus said, outwardly makes you appear righteous to men, while inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness (Matthew 23:27, 28). These false teachings appeal to our flesh desires, promising us freedom from destruction, while we continue to do what is wrong. But it would have been better if we had never known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn away from the holy commandment delivered to us. Scripture compares the person who confesses Christ and does not practice righteousness, to a dog who returns to its own vomit or a pig who goes back to wallow in its own filth (2 Peter 2: 9, 18-22).
God is not weak. His power was sent to restore us to righteousness: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). To pursue righteousness is to actually pursue the love of God found in Christ Jesus. God’s intention for all ministers of righteousness is to bring about the perfecting and full equipping of His church, through the full and accurate knowledge of God, until His church reaches Christ’s own perfection on earth (Ephesians 4:11-16). “By this, love is perfected with us, that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world” (1 John 4:17). Love is obeying God’s commandments, the antithesis of lawlessness (2 John 6). Genuine faith works through love (Galatians 5:6).
Noah proved his faith to be genuine, becoming an heir of righteousness, because he practiced righteousness. In these last days, the Holy Spirit is again foretelling of impending judgment, warning all who have ears to hear: “For the coming of the Son of man will be just like the days of Noah. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood [of words] came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37-39). Friends, destruction is rushing upon us! Please take heed!