Foks, as I turn to Genesis chapter 6 in my Bible this morning, because that's where the Lord has my heart this week. You know, Jesus said in Matthew 24:37, "But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be." And folks, if we're paying attention, we can see those very conditions all around us right now.
Just yesterday, March 17, the Scottish Parliament voted down that Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill ~ 69 to 57, with one abstention. Praise the Lord! That bill, which would have allowed assisted suicide, was defeated. And I believe it was defeated because God's people prayed.
Over in Glasgow at Vizion Church, they had a prayer meeting last night at 7:30, crying out to the Lord against what I call "assisted suicide murder", and God heard those prayers. When we humble ourselves and seek His face, He promises in 2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV says, 'if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.' That's exactly what we saw here in Scotland, the bill was defeated after faithful prayer! A victory for life, protecting the vulnerable, the elderly, and the suffering. God is still on the throne.
Yet the same unchanging God who spoke these words still reigns in heaven today. The principle of humility is prayer, seeking His face, and turning from sin echoes throughout Scripture, for example, in James 4:10: 'Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up', which calls believers to personal repentance and dependence on God.
Though the original promise addressed to Israel (and we see it fulfilled in cases like King Manasseh's repentance in 2 Chronicles 33), God's heart remains the same, He hears and responds to His humble, praying people now.
In our day, as we humble ourselves and cry out, like at the prayer meeting last night, He forgives, restores, and brings healing, whether to individuals, churches, or even our nation in His sovereign will.
But at the same time, during the protest at the Scottish Parliament, something heartbreaking took place. An elder from the church was walking near St. Giles' Cathedral and saw three people spitting on the gravestone of John Knox.
John Knox, that great Reformer who stood boldly for the truth of God's Word, is buried right there in the car park.
Spitting on his grave! It grieved my heart when I heard it. It's a picture of the depravity we're seeing today. Just like in Noah's day.
Look at Genesis 6:5: "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." Verse 11: "The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence." And verse 12: "So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth." Population exploding, moral values collapsing, violence everywhere, every imagination evil.
Sound familiar? We see it in our newspapers, on our screens, lawlessness, disrespect for the elderly (Leviticus 19:32 tells us to rise before the gray head), calling evil good (Isaiah 5:20), and now even laws trying to put life and death in man's hands instead of God's.
Yet in the midst of all this darkness, there's a quiet revival going on in Scotland. Young people turning to Christ, Bible reading up sharply, baptisms increasing, churches like Vizion seeing fresh life in the Spirit. That's the Lord at work!
Just like in Noah's day, when one man ~ Noah ~ 'found grace in the eyes of the LORD' (Genesis 6:8). Noah walked with God, preached righteousness, and obeyed by building the ark. And God preserved him and his family through the flood.
This 'grace' means God's undeserved favor, His unearned kindness that reaches down to rescue sinful people.
It's not something Noah earned by his own good works; it's God's gift that saves us from the floodwaters of sin and judgment.
The New Testament puts it plainly: 'For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast' (Ephesians 2:8-9).
In the Old Testament, being 'just' or righteous often meant being genuine, sincere, and faithful in heart, like Noah, who truly walked with God (Genesis 6:9).
In the New Testament, it means being made right with God through faith.
In both cases, Noah qualified because of God's grace working in him. He wasn't perfect, but he found favour because he trusted and obeyed the Lord.
Friends, the same grace that saved Noah is available today. In our 'days of Noah', with moral darkness all around, God's grace still finds those who seek Him humbly.
It sustains us, just as it did Noah, so we can stand firm, walk with God, and point others to the ark of salvation in Christ.
Folks that's our call today! It's to walk with God amid the moral decline. To stand firm for the sanctity of life. Because the Bible is very clear on this issue of ending life prematurely, even if it's called "compassionate."
First, life belongs to God alone. Job 1:21: "The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away." Psalm 139:16: "Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them." He numbers our days ~ He alone.
Second, "You shall not murder" (Exodus 20:13). Suicide is self-murder; assisting it is helping another to murder. Genesis 9:6: "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God He made man." No exceptions for "mercy."
Third, God is the One who kills and makes alive (1 Samuel 2:6). Suffering is hard, but His grace is sufficient: "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9).
We choose life (Deuteronomy 30:19), even in pain, and entrust our end to Him.
John Knox knew opposition. He was hated on earth but honoured in heaven. He said something like, "One man with God is always a majority." That's true for us too. In Glasgow, in Scotland, in whatever corner of the world you're in, stand firm. Preach the Word, pray fervently, share the Gospel.
The quiet revival is happening because the Spirit is moving. But the days are like Noah's, so be ready. The Lord could come at any moment.
As Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:58, 'Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.' As we approach Easter and remember the Resurrection, this truth was surely on the Corinthians' hearts and minds as Paul wrote to them, urging these believers to carry out their service for the Lord with steadfast strength.
Keep praying, keep standing, keep looking up.
Jesus is coming soon.
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