Foundations of the Faith-Noah

The Natural course of Mankind is a regression and decent into sin

God created mankind in His own image - Genesis 5:1-2

Genesis 5:1–2 NIV

This is the written account of Adam’s family line. When God created mankind, he made them in the likeness of God. He created them male and female and blessed them. And he named them “Mankind” when they were created.

Adam’s sin was only the beginning, as man demonstrated a natural tendency towards increasingly sinful behavior - Genesis 6:5

Genesis 6:5 NIV

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.

Man’s history is a rejection of God - Romans 1:18-25

Romans 1:18–25 NIV

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

The truth about God has been obvious - vs. 19-20

Mankind refused to acknowledge God but claimed to be wise - vs. 21-22

They descended into idolatry and sexual sin - vs. 23-24

They exchanged truth for a lie - vs. 25

We all have a natural tendency toward sin - Rom 7:15-20

Romans 7:15–20 NIV

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.

We have all inherited a sinful nature that leads us to repeatedly make sinful decisions

God cannot tolerate sin which must be punished

God could not tolerate Man’s sinfulness - Genesis 6:6-7

Genesis 6:6–7 NIV

The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.”

God had originally said the punishment for disobeying Him would be death - Genesis 2:16-17

Genesis 2:16–17 NIV

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”

God showed His mercy to Noah and also promised to never again destroy the earth

Noah and his family were spared from destruction - Genesis 6:8

Genesis 6:8 NIV

But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

God Promised to never again destroy the earth - Genesis 9:11-15

Genesis 9:11–15 NIV

I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.” And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.

Paul contrasts the free gift of God to what we have earned - Romans 6:23

Romans 6:23 NIV

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.