LESSONS from the days of Noah and Lot - Luke 17:26-30 (2)

‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)

‘’ likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).

Lesson 2   -   Rejecting the Ark of Salvation

God always warns men about an impending judgment and destruction for sin. Are we listening and heeding His calls to us for the salvation of our souls? He sent Prophet Jonah to warn the inhabitants of the city of Nineveh about the need to repent from their wicked ways or else they would perish in their sins. 

Repent or you perish in your sins is one of the messages of the Gospel (Luke 13:3). God warns men to repent because He is a merciful God who is not willing that men perish but that they come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9). He is merciful and more willing to exercise mercy than judgment (James 2:13).

In the days of Noah, God created an Ark for the salvation of men based on repentance. Unfortunately, only 8 persons entered into the Ark and were saved from destruction while the unbelieving multitudes that refused to repent perished in the 40 day floods due to their disobedience and unbelief in God’s Word.

The Ark of salvation that God has created to rescue men from eternal death in this Last Days is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Jesus is the sacrifice for the sins of men. He is the one who died at Calvary, was buried but rose again from the dead and is living forever more (Revelations 1:8). Jesus’ resurrection conquered death and sin and is the assurance of eternal life to anyone who believes in Him.

As God warned in Noah’s days, He is warning and calling for all men to repent and be converted in this Last Day. He has set aside a day to judge this present world on account of sin and that day is the Day of Judgment also called the Day of Wrath or Day of Reckoning (Acts 17:30-31). 

Man born in sin is estranged from God and doomed to eternal separation if he dies in sin. He must be reconciled with God first before he can spend his eternity with God. The reconciliation is what salvation is all about i.e. sin and death must be conquered in the lives of men which Jesus Christ did for all men by His resurrection from the dead.

If men reject the salvation which God offers the world through Jesus Christ, there are several reasons as there were in the days of Noah and Lot. In the days of Noah and Lot, many doubted God’s calls for repentance and salvation. Therefore, one of the reasons is unbelief in God and what He says (His Word).

Unbelief was one major reason why the multitudes perished in the days of Noah and Lot. Many who perished in the days of Noah doubted the reality of the flood just as some today are denying the reality of Hellfire as an eternal place of punishment and torment for lost souls. Some even deny that God and Heaven are real.

The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 1:18-20 that the preaching of the Cross of Christ is foolishness to those that are perishing but to those that are saved, the message of the Cross is the power of God unto salvation.

The unbelief of men in the Word of God does not invalidate God and His Word (Romans 3:3-4). Salvation is personal and an individual decision as every man will render a personal account of his life before God on the Day of Judgment.

There are many false doctrines that are circulating, blinding the eyes of men from seeing the truth. ‘Rather than diligently seek for the truth that sets free, many are seeking and following after popular opinions instead of convictions and are being led astray by false doctrines.’’ (Warren Wiersbe).

The Bible writes in 1Timothy 4:1 that in the Last Days, many shall fall victim to seducing doctrines of demons that leads astray. Men are falling for other ‘gospels’ or ‘teachings’ that are contrary to the teachings of the Gospel of Christ.

Some deny the death, burial and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Some deny that Jesus is the Son of God. Some do not accept that Jesus is God who came in the flesh. Some deny the existence of the Trinity. Some do not accept the reality of the Holy Spirit as one of the Trinity.  Some do not believe the virgin birth and the deity of Christ.

Some believe in the false doctrine of eternal security or ‘Once saved, forever saved’ and the doctrine of good works which is religion without salvation. Some do not believe the reality of Judgment saying that because God is Love, He cannot cast unrepentant sinners who died in sin into Hell. They seem to forget that the God of love and mercy is also the God of Judgment (Isaiah 30:18)

Some deny the existence of a Heaven and a Hell. Some believe in a place called Purgatory where they say they would go after physical death to be cleansed of their sins and from there would be transported to Heaven. Some do not accept that Jesus is the Saviour of the world and that He died for the sins of all men. Some do not believe that the Blood of Jesus cleanses one from sin.

False and strange teachings of demons are one reason why many doubt the Gospel of Christ and are rejecting the Jesus Ark of salvation as in the days of Noah and Lot. These false doctrines are a leaven that corrupts the whole in the lives of those who believe them. False doctrines are a reason why those who subscribe to them will not be allowed into the Ark unless the leaven is purged out of them.

Admission into the Ark of Salvation is by faith in Christ. To inherit eternal life in Christ which is the only solution to eternal death, one must believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and make Him his Lord and Saviour.

One must confess Jesus with his mouth and believe in his heart that He was raised from the dead and is alive forever more. One must surrender his heart and life to Jesus Christ and allow Jesus to be the director and controller of his life going forward (Romans 10:9-10) (Revelations 3:20).

Ayodele Adegbulugbe
www.xtianrace.blogspot.com.ng.
Lagos Nigeria
Phone:+2348035978352

LESSONS from the days of Noah and Lot - Luke 17:26-30 (1)

‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)

‘’ likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).

The days of Noah refer to the humans. like you and I, who lived in the first world which God destroyed on account of sin. They were sinners like you and I who inherited the sin nature and the penalties of sin - physical death, spiritual death and eternal death - from Adam and Eve.

Being natural sinners, they lived rebellious lives contrary to God’s will for them as everyone did what was right in his own eyes. Within ten generations from Adam to Noah, sin had exploded to such alarming and frightening proportions that God regretted that he had made man.

God looked upon the earth and saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was continuously filled with all manner of evil.

One of the sins specifically mentioned was sexual perversion (Genesis 6:4). The daughters of men were having sexual affairs with fallen angelic beings and having offspring. Likewise at Sodom & Gomorrah, homosexuality also known as Sodomy was rampant.

In this Last Day, sexual perversions are rampant occurring in many forms - oral sex, anal sex, masturbation, menstrual sex, sex with a toy, bestial sex, pornography, vibrator sex, ungodly sexual styles etc. On the net today, perversions such as oral sex is openly and shamelessly discussed and celebrated in relationship forums even those dominated by Christian believers.

The earth in Noah’s day was corrupt and was filled with violence as all flesh had corrupted their ways on earth. Very few men such as Noah and Enoch were perfect before God, walking with Him. Noah was described as a just and perfect man who walked with God. To walk with God means to have a close and intimate personal relationship and fellowship with Him. It is a consecrated relationship based on obedience to God, and holy and righteous living.

Based on the alarming levels of sin, corruption and violence on earth which grieved God in His heart, God took a decision to destroy the earth along with all humans and the beasts, as well as the creeping and the flying animals.

He directed Noah to build an Ark of salvation known as Noah’s Ark to rescue the repentant and some animals from the impending destruction. God also informed Noah that He would send a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all living beings and things.

Men born in sin are born spiritually dead and alienated from God. Man is a soul with a body and a spirit. The body of man will separate from his spirit at physical death. While the mortal body returns to dust in the grave, his immortal soul and spirit would return to God to render an account of what was done in the body (Genesis 12:7) (Hebrews 9:27).

If a man dies in sin without repentance and conversion, his soul would not be admitted into eternity in Heaven where God lives, which means he would spend his eternity in eternal Hell. A man who dies in sin without repentance on God’s terms is an unclean person before God and nothing unclean can enter into a holy Heaven where a Holy God resides.

Reconciliation with God through Jesus Christ is the only solution to the alienation which sin created. Jesus is the eternal life which cancels eternal death. Therefore, a relationship with Jesus Christ is absolutely necessary to avoid the penalties of sin inherited through Adam.

The above stated facts indicate that the life of a man does not end on earth but continues into eternity, in Heaven or Hell based on his freewill choice.Those who perished in the days of Noah and Lot were non-challant regarding spiritual matters that determine their destination in eternity.

God warned them about the impending destruction, calling for repentance. He had prepared an Ark of salvation for their rescue. The calls and warning delivered to them through Noah were totally ignored.
They were more interested in their temporal, perishable, social and materialist pursuits than the spiritual - repentance and salvation - that would determine their eternity.

They were more interested and totally preoccupied with earthly matters – the socials and the material - the vanities, the cares and the affairs of this temporary world, forgetting that man brought nothing into the world and shall depart it with nothing.

They also failed to realize that a man born in sin is already alienated from God and if he dies in sin without repentance, he dies eternally separated from God.They failed to realize that the salvation of the soul of man is the greatest riches any man can acquire – imperishable riches that endure forever.

Rather than first secure the eternal destination of their immortal souls through repentance and salvation, their hearts were totally engrossed with perishable earthly and fleshly desires, ‘what shall we eat? ‘What shall we drink? ‘Whom shall we marry? ‘Where shall we build? ‘’What clothes shall we wear? ‘’What can we buy and sell?’’

They lived their lives carelessly as if life on earth continues forever and as if material and social pursuits are the chief end in life. They traded away their eternal abode with God for mundane, ephemeral values, for fleshly gratifications and they perished, eternally separated from God, despite being warned.
They died eternally, forever separated from God, spending their eternity in eternal Hell, in indescribable and unbearable pain and sorrow...an everlasting tragedy!

As it was in the days of Noah - Luke 17:26-30

The Christian race to eternity is likened to a war and the Christian is a soldier on the battle field. He is at war with spiritual forces, not flesh and blood (2 Corinthians 10:3-5) and this is why the Bible advises believers to put on the whole armour of God in order to be able to stand (Ephesians 6:10-18).

The Devil will do anything to distract a Christian from his heavenly pursuit, to lose his focus, to run after shadows and eventually to be lost. The Scriptures say that at the coming of the Lord, many shall be caught unawares, and shall be left behind to their everlasting regrets and sorrow. May this not be our lot in the name of Jesus Christ. 

If a Christian shall be left behind, it may not be by reason of deliberate sins but because he allowed himself to become entangled or over involved with the affairs of this life –the cares of the world.

2 Timothy 2:4 says,

‘’No man that warreth entangles himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him as a soldier.’’

Matthew 13:22 says,

‘’he that received seed among the thorns is he that hears the word; and the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches choke the world and he became unfruitful.’’

The Scriptures above refer to believers in the family of God but have lost their focus and have entangled themselves with the vanities of this life. Jesus made two powerful, prophetic but tragic statements in the Scriptures in Luke 17:26 -30 as follows:

‘’And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:26-27)

‘’ likewise also in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but the same day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.’’ (Luke 17:28-30).

These statements refer to both believers and unbelievers and there are several lessons to learn from them. The tragedy of these statements is the prophetic declaration that the events of the days of Noah which led to the destruction of many will be repeated in this Last Day. 

Will you be a victim as in the days of Noah?

There is no sin in eating and drinking or in marrying and giving in marriage. There is no sin in building houses and planting vineyards or buying and selling. But these are earthly matters that have no eternal values and many have become engrossed and totally preoccupied with them as if that is the chief end in life.

The undoing of the men who lived in the days of Noah and Lot was forgetting and ignoring spiritual values. They ignored and rejected God’s call to them for repentance and salvation. They failed to heed the prophecies that signaled the impending end that was given to warn them to make the right preparations for eternity. 

They failed to discern the signs of their times and did not know the time of their visitation. As a result, the 40 day flood came suddenly and as many that were not in the Ark of salvation (Noah’s Ark) perished in the floods. Only 8 persons were saved from that destruction of the world of Noah.

Likewise in the days of Lot in Sodom and Gomorrah, men were busily involved in materialistic pursuits that they neglected the spiritual pursuit to their eternal peril. They had no time for messages of repentance and salvation and preparation for eternity. 

They were so engrossed and occupied with earthly and material matters that they thought life on earth would be forever. When judgment came, it caught them unawares as they were not prepared. Only 3 persons were saved from the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Same applies today...

Many in this Last Day are too busy with their work, business, pleasures and plans that benefits the mortal body that will perish in the dust, but are ignoring and having no time for the things of the spirit that will benefit their immortal soul which will face judgment and will go into eternity. 

The tragic statement, ‘’as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the Son of Man’’ is repeating itself. Will you be a victim as in the days of Noah? What are the lessons we can learn to avoid falling victim?