DRAWING NEAR
November 14
Building a Picture of Salvation
"By faith Noah, being warned by God about things not yet seen, in
reverence prepared an ark for the salvation of his household"
(Heb. 11:7).
The ark is a beautiful picture of salvation by grace through faith.
God called Noah to a gargantuan task. Conservative figures estimate
that the ark was about 438 feet long, seventy-three feet wide, and
forty-four feet high. That makes it almost one and a half times the
length of a football field and more than four stories high. It's
three decks totaled almost 96,000 square feet, with a total volume of
about 1.3 million cubic feet. Naval engineers concur that its shape
and dimensions constitute an incredibly stable ship design.
But beyond the enormity of its size and the precision of its
measurements, the ark is a wonderful illustration of salvation
through faith in Jesus Christ. For example, Noah was instructed to
cover the ark inside and out with pitch (Gen. 6:14). The Hebrew word
for pitch has the same root as the word for atonement. The pitch kept
the waters of judgement from entering the ark, just as Christ's
atoning blood keeps judgement from the repentant sinner.
The ark was large enough to hold two of each species of animal plus
every person who turned to God for safety. Only eight persons chose
to be saved on God's terms, but had more come, surely God would have
accommodated them. It is His desire that none perish, but that all
"come to repentance" (2 Peter 3:9). Those who perished in the flood
did so because they rejected God's means of salvation.
Similarly, Jesus' blood is sufficient to atone for every sinner and
every sin since man's fall in the Garden of Eden. No one who comes to
Him will be cast out (John 6:37), and yet so few avail themselves of
His gracious provision (Matt. 7:14).
Noah was a man who "walked with God" (Gen. 6:9), and yet he wasn't
without sin. That's obvious from his drunken and immodest behavior
after the Flood (9:20-21). But Noah, like every true believer, was
justified by God's grace, his faith being counted as righteousness.
That has always been the basis of salvation (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:5).
Suggestions for Prayer:
Thank God for His amazing grace, by which He saved you and continues
to cleanse you from every sin.
For Further Study:
Read Romans 4:1-8. What is the main point of that passage? Who is the
primary example?
Drawing Near, Copyright 1993 John F. MacArthur, Jr.
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
http://www.gty.org
~~~
Genesis 6:14
14 Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and
cover it inside and outside with pitch.
2 Peter 3:9
9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count
slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any
should perish but that all should come to repentance.
John 6:37
37 All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who
comes to Me I will by no means cast out.
Matthew 7:14
14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads
to life, and there are few who find it.
Genesis 6:9
9 This is the genealogy of Noah. Noah was a just man, perfect in his
generations. Noah walked with God.
Genesis 9:20-21
20 And Noah began to be a farmer, and he planted a vineyard.
21 Then he drank of the wine and was drunk, and became uncovered in
his tent.
Genesis 15:6
6 And he believed in the LORD, and He accounted it to him for
righteousness.
Romans 4:1-8
1 What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according
to the flesh?
2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast
about, but not before God.
3 For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was
accounted to him for righteousness."
4 Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as
debt.
5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the
ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
6 just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom
God imputes righteousness apart from works:
7 "Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose
sins are covered;
8 Blessed is the man to whom the LORD shall not impute sin."
~~~
These devotions are posted with permission from John MacArthur's
first (1993) devotional work, _Drawing Near_, and they are also sent
out daily for free to several folks via e-mail.
In addition, John's second (1997) devotional, _Strength for Today_,
is also available free via e-mail only. _Strength for Today_ follows
the same format as what you have seen here from _Drawing Near_, but
with different monthly themes.
If you would like to receive daily devotions via e-mail from either
of these series, just let me know (via e-mail), and I will gladly add
you to the list(s) of your choice.
You can hear John MacArthur daily via the Internet by visiting:
http://www2.oneplace.com/Ministries/Grace_to_You/
and
http://www.gty.org.uk/
You may email John MacArthur in care of Grace to You at:
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me, please contact me via e-mail for quickest results.
In Christ,
Peter
Peter G. Chase :: Columbus, Ohio, USA
pchase1@wideopenwest.com
STOP! Who do you think Jesus is?
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To forgive is to set a prisoner free, and to discover that the prisoner was you. -Alistair Begg
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