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| The Long-suffering of God must not be taken for granted |
In the days of Noah
In the world before the deluge, the increase of men on the earth was characterized by the rise in sin. Men were wicked; the imagination of the thought of their hearts was purely evil. It grieved God in His heart He formed man on the earth. God,thus, destroyed the earth. There was one man, just and perfect in that generation; his name is Noah. Noah lived a godly life and God favored him.
God gave men an equal opportunity to repent. He gave them a warning by stating that “My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.” (Gen.6:3) Noah was a preacher man to the pre-flood world. “And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly," (2Pe 2:5)
Noah took about a century to build the Ark; the mere sight of the Ark when it was in preparing, should remind them of the impending floods. so, God is not wicked for the destruction of those people, God gave them the chance and will save the penitent, but men were unwilling to repent.
What the pre-flood era took for granted is the long-suffering of God. We may infer from the first and second epistles of the apostle Peter that the people gave pre-judgments of the pending flood. Considering the time that Noah took to build the Ark, and ending preaching of righteousness, the people doubt the impending danger.
Where is the promise of God! We have married, we have children, and children are born to us; where is the flood? The flood took them by surprise; the inhabitants of the then world could do nothing to save themselves. All living things perished excluding the eight and the animals aboard the Ark.
Two things are certain and inevitable in this life, the second coming of Christ Jesus and your death. If one did not die to wait for judgment, Christ will come and each one of us is judged. We may learn that God is long-suffering but His patient runs out when the due time arrives. Everything on this earth has a deadline, even humankind.
The Bible tells us that the day that Jesus Christ will come, no one knows not even the angels in heaven. Furthermore, Christ will come like a thief in the night. (cf: Matt.24:36; 2Pet. 3:10)
In his second epistle to the saints at Asia Minor, the apostle Peter said, scoffers, will come in these last days walking in their lust. “Everything remained like that since our fathers fell asleep, where is the promise of God?” The answer is that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9)
In this last age also, everyone is given the opportunity to aboard the spiritual Ark, Christ Jesus that brings salvation. Do not be left outside the Ark (Jesus Christ), lest you perish. Frankly, the second coming of Christ is not delaying, but even when he slacks, it should be a blessing to us.
This will enable us to take the chance and prepare for His second coming. Christ Jesus says that” I am the door; by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)
God does not want anyone to perish! “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tit. 2:4-6)
Water saved Noah and his family but the people of his era perished in the same waters. Baptism is the antitype of the waters that saved Noah and family. “Which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 3:20-21)
Baptism is the only means by which one can enter into the spiritual Ark, Jesus Christ. “For as many of you as having been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal 3:27)
Do you doubt the second coming of Christ? Behold He comes quickly, do not take the longsuffering of God for granted as done in the days of Noah. Get into the Ark (Christ Jesus) before His patient runs out!
Read also:
Who is qualified to baptize?
The right time to get baptized
Is baptism a requirement for salvation?
Where should baptism be done?
How many times should a person be immersed in baptism?
Types of baptism and their meanings
All scriptures are taken from the King James Version (KJV).
Contact the church of Christ nearest you!
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Noah took about a century to build the Ark; the mere sight of the Ark when it was in preparing, should remind them of the impending floods. so, God is not wicked for the destruction of those people, God gave them the chance and will save the penitent, but men were unwilling to repent.
What the pre-flood era took for granted is the long-suffering of God. We may infer from the first and second epistles of the apostle Peter that the people gave pre-judgments of the pending flood. Considering the time that Noah took to build the Ark, and ending preaching of righteousness, the people doubt the impending danger.
Where is the promise of God! We have married, we have children, and children are born to us; where is the flood? The flood took them by surprise; the inhabitants of the then world could do nothing to save themselves. All living things perished excluding the eight and the animals aboard the Ark.
The present generation
Our generation is of no exception to such things. Corruption has engulfed the entire world. We live our lives as if there is nothing at stake. Our lives are full of the works of the flesh; we forget God. If you ask me to compare the pre-flood era to our generation; I will not hesitate to tell you that this era is more corrupt than in the days of Noah.Two things are certain and inevitable in this life, the second coming of Christ Jesus and your death. If one did not die to wait for judgment, Christ will come and each one of us is judged. We may learn that God is long-suffering but His patient runs out when the due time arrives. Everything on this earth has a deadline, even humankind.
The Bible tells us that the day that Jesus Christ will come, no one knows not even the angels in heaven. Furthermore, Christ will come like a thief in the night. (cf: Matt.24:36; 2Pet. 3:10)
In his second epistle to the saints at Asia Minor, the apostle Peter said, scoffers, will come in these last days walking in their lust. “Everything remained like that since our fathers fell asleep, where is the promise of God?” The answer is that “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Pet. 3:9)
Those who are already Christians must remain faithful until the day of Christ or until they fall asleep.
In this last age also, everyone is given the opportunity to aboard the spiritual Ark, Christ Jesus that brings salvation. Do not be left outside the Ark (Jesus Christ), lest you perish. Frankly, the second coming of Christ is not delaying, but even when he slacks, it should be a blessing to us.
This will enable us to take the chance and prepare for His second coming. Christ Jesus says that” I am the door; by me if any man enters in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out, and find pasture. (John 10:9)
God does not want anyone to perish! “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (1 Tit. 2:4-6)
Water saved Noah and his family but the people of his era perished in the same waters. Baptism is the antitype of the waters that saved Noah and family. “Which sometime were disobedient when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1Peter 3:20-21)
Baptism is the only means by which one can enter into the spiritual Ark, Jesus Christ. “For as many of you as having been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Gal 3:27)
Do you doubt the second coming of Christ? Behold He comes quickly, do not take the longsuffering of God for granted as done in the days of Noah. Get into the Ark (Christ Jesus) before His patient runs out!
Read also:
Who is qualified to baptize?
The right time to get baptized
Is baptism a requirement for salvation?
Where should baptism be done?
How many times should a person be immersed in baptism?
Types of baptism and their meanings
All scriptures are taken from the King James Version (KJV).
Contact the church of Christ nearest you!
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