TEXT:  Gen. 6:5-8

INTRODUCTION:

A.      ONE OF THE BEST KNOWN CHARACTERS.

B.      ALL ARE DESCENDANTS OF NOAH.

C.      EXAMPLES FROM HIS LIFE.  COMPARING HIS SALVATION WITH OURS.

I.      SAVED BY GRACE( Gen. 6:8 ).

A.      GRACE,

          1.       charis;  "Goodwill, loving-kindness, favor." ( Thayer ).

          2.       In the context of salvation, unmerited( Rom. 3:23;  6:23;  Eph. 2:8-9 )

          3.       Illustrate with car wash.

B.      WE ARE SAVED BY GRACE( Titus 3:4-7 ).

II.     SAVED BY FAITH( Heb. 11:7 ).

A.      WHAT IS FAITH?( Heb. 11:6 ).

          1.       Belief that he is( 2 Thess. 2:13;  Acts 17:23 ).  A reality.

          2.       That he is the rewarder( 2 Tim. 2:11-13 ).

B.      FAITH IS ESSENTIAL( Mark 16:16;  Heb. 11:6 ).

III.    SAVED BY OBEDIENCE.

A.      FAITH ONLY WILL NOT SAVE( James 2:14ff ).

          1.       How did faith effect Abraham?( vs. 21-24 ).

          2.       How will it effect us? ( vs. 24 ).

B.      WHAT DOES GOD  REGARD( Gal. 5:6 ).

C.      WHAT KIND OF WORKS?

          1.       Not the works of men( Eph. 2:8-9 ).

          2.       He, like Abraham, did what God told him( Heb. 11:7, 8 ).

          3.       So must we obey( Heb. 5:8-9;  1 Pet. 1:22 ).

          4.       Obedience a product of faith( Rom 16:26 ).

D.      Matthew 7:21;  James 1:21.

IV.   SAVED BY WATER.

A.      NOAH WAS SAVED BY WATER.( 1 Pet. 3:20 ).

          1.       "By means of water" as the intermediate agent. ( A. T. Robertson ).

          2.       What did the water do?( Gen. 6:13;  Heb. 11:7 ).

B.      WHAT ABOUT US?( 1 Pet. 3:21 ).  BAPTISM!

CONCLUSION:  HAVE YOU BEEN BAPTIZED?