"I am the God that changes not" (mal 3:6),Hbr 13:8 Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.
I agree with Harley I think :)
Read that vs of Genesis again.. Noah FOUND grace in the eyes of God.. This is the first time that the word grace is found in the scriptures.. grace is Gods unmerited favor Wm.. Noah, like me, had done nothing to merit that favor of God.. no works.. what does eph tell us? While we were yet sinners (like Noah ) .... ... Gods grace precedes repentance and regeneration..
All of the Ot was about Gods long suffering Gods righteousness and Gods mercy and grace
I think God saved Noah exactly the same way He saved me.. by His grace and mercy ...
Bear with me, I may not be expressing this thought as well as others might. I'm not saying that God changes. I don't believe that.
Read that vs of Genesis again.. Noah FOUND grace in the eyes of God.. This is the first time that the word grace is found in the scriptures.. grace is Gods unmerited favor Wm.. Noah, like me, had done nothing to merit that favor of God.. no works..
I'm with you 1,000%! We are saved by God's gift of Grace to us through Faith Alone. The idea of works in any way affecting our justification is a heresy of institutional orthodoxy. I've kind of veered over to something else. I see since the fall we are sinful (depraved) and left on our own we rebel. What I'm looking at is are there different periods where God intervenes and draws us to Him and are there other periods where God gives us absolute Free Will to be what we are. I think the time of Noah is one example of man having absolute Free Will. Another period would be the Tribulation. However, after the Cross God intervenes for us and sends us the Holy Spirit to indwell us and guide us. So while justification is always the same, by Faith Alone, and salvation is always the same, by Grace Alone, God does interact with us differently during different periods.
I think in some of these periods we have absolute Free Will and in other Periods we have predestination. I believe the Church Age is a time of predestination and the Tribulation is a period of Free Will. The absence of the indwelling Holy Spirit may be the critical factor.
I know we got way off track, but isn't everyone tired of going over the same old ground? ;-)