Are we like Noah?

I had lunch with a dear friend, Will McClain, on Friday and we had a wonderful conversation. He is one of the best dudes I know, and the reason I love connecting with him is because we can cut up and talk about sports, parenting, make fun of each other, and any number of topics. But our relationship is unique in that we ponder and wrestle with some deep theological questions. This lunch was no different, as we covered several bases but we ultimately started talking about how it's simply incredible that we were both called into a relationship with Jesus. Neither of us grew up in households where Jesus was talked about much, and other than living in America where we have plentiful access to the Gospel, there is nothing about our upbringing that suggests we'd be Christians. We were simply called by God's grace, and it is a gift!

Upon reflecting on this, we noted that the majority of the world, let alone our country or town, haven't surrendered to Jesus. So why have we been entrusted with this gift? Will stated, "we're just like Noah". The implication there is that the entire world perished in that flood except for Noah and his family. The odds for Noah to be chosen by God were minuscule. It was a gift. When Will said this, I felt convicted because by the numbers alone, the chance of me joining the Lord's flock, are hard to fathom.

Now don't miss this, Noah was not selected by God because of his righteousness. The Scripture makes it clear that Noah was simply chosen - But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:8) As his later behavior would demonstrate, Noah was a sinful mess too. Likewise, I am a mess and have nothing to credit for my salvation other than the sheer generous grace of God. Why was His grace bestowed upon me?

What do you think? Are you like Noah?