She realized this and sang praise to God her Savior ( Luke 1:47). Like all other sinners, Mary needed GodвЂ™s grace. Like Noah, Mary вЂњ found favor with GodвЂќ ( Luke 1:30). The Christmas account unfolds GodвЂ™s salvation plan. Still by grace through faith alone, God saves sinners today who flee His wrath against sin by turning to His one way of salvation. His faith proved genuine by his obedience in building and entering the Ark ( Hebrews 11:7). God made one way to save Noah from the Flood. The God of grace made one way of salvation that He revealed in His Word-the Bible. Because everyone is dead in sin, sinners need the LordвЂ™s saving grace ( Ephesians 2:1вЂ“10). God has given everyone grace by showing Himself in creation and manвЂ™s conscience ( Acts 14:16вЂ“17 Romans 1:18вЂ“22, 2:14вЂ“16). We cannot earn GodвЂ™s saving grace by doing good works like serving in a soup kitchen, going to church, or trying to keep the Ten Commandments. вЂњ But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LordвЂќ ( Genesis 6:8).

If all have sinned and deserve judgment, why is anyone alive today? Not even Noah deserved to be saved from the Flood. While God promised never to send a worldwide Flood again, He is going to send a consuming fire ( 2 Peter 3:1вЂ“13). We deserve GodвЂ™s wrath ( Matthew 10:28 Romans 3:23, 6:23). WeвЂ™re all born dead in our sins, following Satan to pursue selfish desires as вЂњchildren of wrathвЂќ ( Ephesians 2:1вЂ“3). PaulвЂ™s list of serious sins, such as loving self, money, and pleasure more than God, accurately describes our world today ( 2 Timothy 3:1вЂ“5). Surely on Judgment Day, God would allow such a вЂњgoodвЂќ person into heaven, right? Jesus, however, said no one is good except God ( Mark 10:18 Romans 3:10вЂ“12). The average person sees himself as pretty decent.

Yet they would blame the problem on poverty, government, or a lack of education. Most people today would agree society is also corrupt, filled with school shootings, business scandals, and crime. In judgment for sin, God promised to send a Flood to destroy man and the earth ( Genesis 6:13, 17). God did not overlook the corruption in NoahвЂ™s day: вЂњ 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 continuallyвЂќ ( Genesis 6:5).

The parallels between NoahвЂ™s day and ours show the reality of judgment, the reach of grace, and the remedy of salvation. Genesis reports how wickedness prevailed in NoahвЂ™s time. Since Adam and EveвЂ™s fall, mankind has inherited a sin-cursed world. How could the angels have proclaimed peace on earth at the time of ChristвЂ™s birth while there was so much death and destruction? Listening to the news reports of violence, scandals, and natural disasters makes the ringing of Christmas carols seem like childish naivetГ©.

Images of peace on earth