A Fresh Start
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On his first day of teaching his class of 250 college freshmen, R. C. Sproul carefully explained the assignment of three term papers—due on the last day of September, October, and November. Sproul clearly stated there would be no extensions (except for medical reasons). At the end of September, some 225 students dutifully turned in their papers, while 25 remorseful students quaked in fear. “We’re so sorry,” they said. “We didn’t make the proper adjustments from high school to college, but we promise to do better next time.” He bowed to their pleas for mercy and gave them an extension, but warned them not to be late next month.
The end of October rolled around, and about 200 students turned in their papers, while 50 students showed up empty-handed. “Oh, please,” they begged, “it was homecoming weekend, and we ran out of time.” Sproul relented once more but warned them, “This is it. No excuses next time. You will get an F.”
The end of November came, and only 100 students turned in their papers. The rest told Sproul, “We’ll get it in soon.”
“Sorry,” Sproul replied. “It’s too late now. You get an F.”
The students howled in protest, “That’s not fair!”
“OK,” Sproul replied, “you want justice, do you? Here’s what’s just: you’ll get an F for all three papers that were late. That was the rule, right?”
“The students had quickly taken my mercy for granted,” Sproul later reflected. “They assumed it. When justice suddenly fell, they were unprepared for it. It came as a shock, and they were outraged.”
The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth—men and animals, and creatures that move along the ground, and birds of the air—for I am grieved that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
The Lord saw that wickedness increased
The Lord saw that wickedness increased
Before the Fall God saw all that had been made and it was very good. Now God looks and sees great wickedness/
Corrupt
Continual
Universal
Every inclination only evil – not only actions but thoughts as well
The Lord was grieved
The Lord was grieved
Not that He was surprised by what had happened, He did not change His mind about creating humanity, but that he felt sorrow over what humanity had become.
He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”
Heart filled with pain – God is not unfeeling, He is love. When you see someone you love doing something that is wrong or harmful wouldn’t you feel pain or sorrow?
The Lord will cleanse the earth
The Lord will cleanse the earth
God was very patient with people, even giving them an additional 120 years while Noah was building the ark and preaching righteousness. There came a point however, where action needed to be taken. Because God is righteous and holy there had to be a judgment. Since the Fall affected all of creation, the judgment included all of creation.
God had given people free-will, and they chose to turn away from God. It was necessary that God show them, and teach us as well, that there are consequences for our actions.
Noah found favor
Noah found favor
We see in this event both aspects of God’s character, His holy judgment and His grace.
Noah is described as being righteous and walking with God. This does mean that he was perfect, but that he was in a right relationship with God.
Of course, the world today is still not the way God created it to be or how He wants it to be. Fortunately, we have God’s promise that once again the earth will be cleansed, this time permanently.
that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.
There is a coming judgment, not by water but by fire, and there will be a new heaven and a new earth.
But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
Did you hear about the boy who failed all his college work? He wired his mother: “Failed everything; Prepare Papa.” His mother wired back, “Papa prepared; Prepare yourself.” This is the message a lot of us need in view of the coming judgment. God is prepared. We need to prepare ourselves!