Noah was shaped by nature. Certain traits of his parents became his by natural conception. Yes, without his participation, Noah was born a fallen child of Adam. Before he exited the womb and did anything good or evil, the fetus was already a sinner.
Noah was further shaped by nurture. As he lived upon the earth, he was continually molded by his family, his community, and his own actions. He was perpetually influenced in the wrong direction.
Noah progressed to become a natural and nurturing shaper. As he and Mrs. Noah had children, he successfullly passed along his sinful nature to his family. And as he found himself sinning, even greater damage was done to his household.
However, gloriously, Noah was reshaped by the Supernatural One. God did not leave Noah alone. Somewhere along the way, God did something in Noah’s mind, will, conscience, spirit, soul, or heart. Ultimately, according to God’s eyewitness testimony, Noah was declared to be righteous, blameless, obedient, pure, just, and holy.
Noah was then made a minister of the Supernatural One. He was called, ordained, commissioned, consecrated, sanctified, set-apart, set-up, or sainted to be God’s instrument, tool, minister, missionary, preacher, pastor, or shepherd. He was made a holy father by the Supernatural One, and what a blessing Noah was as he learned, believed, obeyed, built altars, offered sacrifices, called upon the name of the Lord, worked, witnessed, suffered, and pursued salvation for his family via the one-way prescribed by the Supernatural One. (The Ark)
Noah then enjoyed supernatural success as he ministered on behalf of the Supernatural One. How happy was Noah and his household on the day when God finally said …
“Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you. Bring out with you every living thing that is with you … be fruitful and multiply on the earth.” So Noah went out, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. (Genesis 8:15-18)
Men, this is our story too.
Like Noah, we are those greatly damaged by the sin of our first parents. Nature has had its way with us.
Like Noah, we are those horribly damaged by our nurturing. Wicked influence has come our way through parents, neighbors, the world, the flesh, and the devil. Sin has been “crouching at our door,” and it has eaten us alive. (Genesis 4)
Like Noah, we have become sinfully damaging to our family. As parents, we are the one’s responsible for passing along original sin to our children. Additionally, as we have modeled and molded our children, we have not been sinless in our leadership. We too have not always been holy fathers or mothers.
Thankfully, we have the same Supernatural Father who covers us with the blood and righteousness of his Son. Yes, because of Jesus’ bloody sacrifice, we are passed over in judgment., and because of his righteousness, we are declared blameless, pure, just, and holy. Fantastically, we too are reshaped by the Supernatural One.
And now, we are the sanctified, set-apart, or set-up ministers of the Supernatural One. As men, we are the ones called to be holy fathers in our household churches. In some ways, we are God’s “means of grace.”
Therefore, trusting only in the Supernatural One who …
- Overcomes nature
- Overcomes nurture
- Supernaturally works
- Uses means
- Uses men
- Uses sinful saints
- Uses holy fathers …
Let’s go at it! Let’s pastor hard. Let’s minister with great fervency. Let’s shepherd with zeal and see what our God decides to do. Yes, let’s take our damaged family and find refuge in the One-Way prescribed by our Heavenly Father. Get your family and get in the boat. Get your family and seek to find benefit in Jesus Christ and his Gospel work.
How fantastic it is us for us and our household to enjoy God’s favor as we endure God’s storm, rain, flood, and carnage.
Even more more fantastic will be the final glorious day when the Lord opens the door and tells us, and our children, to walk forward, delight in his love, gather for worship, eat a fantastic meal, labor, and commune with him on his newly renovated planet.
Friends, God uses sinful saints. He turns them into holy fathers. He uses them to make holy churches. And he gets all the glory.
Unfathomable Grace 