10.What three things were accomplished as the result of Noah’s obedience in building the Ark?

Noah saved his household.

He condemned the world.

He became an heir of the kind of righteousness that can be produced only by faith toward God.

In this instance, faith in God’s Word concerning the future caused Noah, who was understandably anxious about the welfare of his household, to build an ark. It is likely that by doing so Noah subjected himself to the derision of his violent neighbours.

Noah’s fear was the anxiety of a person who has been notified that a calamity is near at hand. Such an individual will not stand idly by. He immediately will take steps to insure the safety of his loved ones and himself.

The person who does not believe the warning that has been given him will not fear. If he believes, and then takes no action, he is a foolish sluggard who will bring himself and his loved ones to ruin.

Noah was moved with the fear of a man who sees trouble coming and moves to avert it. Such action requires courage if the surrounding people do not understand that danger is at hand.

Noah’s love for God, his belief in what God told him was coming, and his actions in providing the kind of safety for himself and his family that God outlined as being necessary, provide us with a scriptural definition of the kind of faith that will save us.

Every witness of God who has ever lived or ever will live causes one of two things to happen to each individual who sees and hears his witness: the individual is saved from the wrath of God or the individual is condemned. The true, Spirit-filled testimony always will save the righteous and obedient and always will stand against the unrighteous and disobedient as Divine judgment upon them.

The true righteousness that God accepts has never been produced by works. From the days of Abel, righteousness has come by faith. By faith is meant the quality in an individual that causes him to spend the days of his life in humble reliance on God’s will and His provisions rather than in proud self-seeking and reliance on human strength and wisdom.