Noah Was a Righteous Man

It's an interesting thing. In Genesis 6 we read, "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his generation. Noah walked with God." (Gen 6:9) "Now, wait," someone might venture to ask, "does this mean that Noah was righteous by his own efforts? And, if so, doesn't this mean that we can be saved by works and, in fact, that Paul was wrong when he said that all sinned and fell short of the glory of God?" Reasonable questions.

It has been suggested by heretics and sincere questioners alike. Aren't there people in Scripture who were found to be righteous? Pelagius was a heretic that argued firmly in favor of Free Will and against God's election, declaring that Man's Free Will was sufficient in itself to desire and attain sufficient virtue to gain heaven. After all, Noah did it, didn't he? Didn't Job? Weren't there biblical characters who were, of themselves, righteous?

When you examine the case of Noah, perhaps it's not as simple as Pelagius thought. We read before the ninth verse, for instance, "Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD." (Gen 6:8) That is, God's grace was applied before Noah's righteousness was declared. God's grace--unearned favor--isn't given for human righteousness. Thus, God's grace precedes it.

But that's just rational thought. We find a very specific reference to Noah elsewhere that clears this whole thing up.

By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. (Heb 11:7)

In this text we understand that Noah, by faith, "became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith." There is, to a limited extent, the possibility of human righteousness. It is the righteousness that God classifies as "filthy rags" (Isa 64:6). (And "filthy rags" is a nice way of putting it.) The only useful form of righteousness available to us is the righteousness that comes by faith.

Noah had God's grace. Noah had faith. Noah, then, was declared righteous, was "blameless in his generation". Not because he was a good man. Because of God's grace and because of faith. If you're counting on self-effort, Man's Free Will, and God's merited favor, I'd recommend you rethink that position. The Pelagian heresy has been refuted, but it isn't entirely dead. It is, in fact, one of the most popular ones around. Unfortunately for its adherents, it just doesn't work.