By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with
fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned
the world, and became heir of righteousness which is by faith.
If we make a simple outline of this verse, we get something like this:
By faith ...prepared ...saving
Condemned the World
By faith ...become heir ...righteous
Faith is something that is active. If it is not active, then it is dead.
It is no longer faith. Faith is a process. It is believing God and acting
upon that belief. This means that one must first of all know what God has
said. You cannot make this first step with a closed Bible. Just imagine,
for a moment, what would have happened if Noah had not believed God! Then
imagine what would happen if you did not believe God.
Because of his faith, Noah was occupied. Real faith brings forth works.
The thing he was occupied with saved his house. But there is something
remarkable about this; the occupation by which he saved his house condemned
the world!
In this modern day, that is still true. The man who is occupied in the saving
of his house is going to condemn the world. Think that over.
Why will it condemn the world? In the first place it will be contrary to
the wisdom of the world. The best wisdom the world can produce is only foolishness
in the sight of God. Spiritual things are foolishness to the natural man,
the man of the world. The man of the world does not like to be rebuked by
any wisdom that is from above. Could the men of Noah's time see any sense
in building a huge boat far from water and in a country where it had never
rained? But God had told Noah things that were not seen as yet. God, by
His Word, still tells man of things not seen as yet. These things are foolishness
to those of the world. And finally these very things condemn the world.
Provision for the future is not the style.
No doubt Noah's sanity was questioned by his neighbors. Our walk today will
condemn the world because we have made provision to escape the wrath to come.
They are not prepared.
Our walk will condemn the world because we lay up in store the invisible
things which abide. They lay up treasures which are subject to corruption
and which cannot be taken from this world.
Finally our walk will condemn the world because we lean upon and put our
trust in a mighty power, a power that was able to raise our Lord from the
dead and seat Him at the right hand of the Father in the glory as Head of
the church which is His body. They trust in their own strength.
It is not necessary for us to do the things which the world will approve.
We are to show ourselves approved unto God. We are to walk in the good
works which were before ordained that we should walk in them. That will
keep us occupied. By faith we also can inherit righteousness, condemn the
world, and gain a crown. Let us be faithful.
