It is presidential campaign season, and as you probably know, it has already gotten pretty ugly.  Candidates always look for some flaw or weakness to exploit in their opponents – and of course they never fail to find something!  We shouldn’t be surprised; because every one of us has flaws and failures. 

     In fact, one of the great arguments in favor of the authenticity of scripture is that the Bible does not present a “glossed over” version of its heroes – rather it portrays them “warts and all”.  It shows us their strengths to encourage and challenge us – but it also reveals their weaknesses, that we might learn from them too. 

     One such place is in the Book of Genesis, Chapter 9, which describes what happened after Noah and his family came out of the ark after the great flood.  God gave the rainbow as a covenant, saying that He would never again destroy the world with a flood.  In :18 it reminds us that the sons of Noah were Shem, Ham & Japeth.  And the narrative continues in :20:  “Then Noah began farming and planted a vineyard.”  And :21 says “He drank of the wine and became drunk, and uncovered himself inside his tent.”  We will stop right there for now. 

     When I came to this passage the other day in my Bible reading time, I thought with chagrin, “Oh, I had forgotten about this.”  When I think of Noah, I don’t generally think about this scene. I think of how it says earlier that he “found grace in the eyes of the Lord” (6:8), and how he was a righteous man, and how Chapter 6:22 says that he “did according to ALL that God had commanded him”.  Noah was a great man of God.  His faith is immortalized in the great chapter of “The Hall of Faith” in Hebrews 11.

     And yet we find him here, after the ordeal of the flood is over, planting grapes and getting drunk and “uncovering himself inside his tent.”  Now, there are a number of different interpretations of just what that “uncovering” means, and what Ham’s sin was in relation to it, but we are not going to delve into that tonight (“thank goodness!” you may be thinking!)  But what struck me when I read this recently, and what I want to focus on for just a few minutes tonight, is the fact that even this great man of God, this forefather of the faith, who was so strong in so many ways, had his own failings.  This one of whom it was said that “according to all that God commanded him, so he did” regarding the ark and the flood, acted dishonorably on this occasion.  Which serves to remind us of the universal truths: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  “There is none righteous, not even one.”  “There is none good, not even one.” 

     It is just a good reminder of the sin nature that is in us all, and that there are no perfect saints.  Not Noah, who got drunk; not Moses, who got angry and struck the rock; not David, who sinned with Bathsheba; not Elijah, who lost his faith under the threat of Jezebel; not Peter, who caved in to the “peer pressure” of the Judaizers in Galatians 2 …   NO saint is perfect!  Here in this patriarch is what most of us today would consider a MAJOR flaw – drunkenness!  Can you imagine the scandal if one of our staff members or deacons or Sunday School teachers was found drunk?!  It would be scandalous!  And this in a man who had such faith, and who had found favor in the eyes of the Lord, and who had seen God do such miraculous things in the flood.  It is needed reminder of the sin nature that indwells us all – and that such failings are not beyond any of us!  Now, let me make it clear that the universal nature of our sins and failures does not excuse them; but this truth should remind each one of us to have three important attitudes about the failures of others: 

 I.  Humility towards ourselves

     When Ham saw what Noah had done, he ran out and told Shem and Japheth.  Many speculate that he was making fun of Noah, or disrespecting him in some way – as if HE wouldn’t have ever been caught doing such a thing himself!  That is NOT the way that we should respond to the failures of others.      

     When we encounter the sins of others, the first thing we should do is look to ourselves. 

     Galatians 6:1 says “Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself …”.  The Bible says that when others sin, we need to seek to restore them gently – and we need to “look to ourselves” when we do it.  That is, we need to remember that WE are sinners too, who are only saved by the grace of God.  Galatians 6 goes on to say in :3, “For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.”  In other words, don’t get the idea that you are any better than any other person who has sinned – you are a sinner too! 

     Scripture makes this abundantly clear in the first part of Romans.  After Romans 1 lists a variety of the sins that are evidenced in the life of people who have rejected God, the second chapter then continues: “But do you suppose this, O man, when you pass judgment on those who practice such things and do the same yourself, that you will escape the judgment of God?  … You therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself?  You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal?  You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery?  You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?  You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God?”  God makes it clear that there are a LOTof different ways to break His laws.  Jesus said in Matthew 5 that you can commit adultery physically, or you can commit it in your mind.  You can murder physically, or you can hate in your heart or murder someone’s character with gossip.  You can steal physically, or you can rob God through the tithe.  The bottom line is, some of us break God’s laws in one way, some in another – but the fact is that we have ALL broken them, and CONTINUE to break them.  The principle of sin is in us ALL, and we are foolish and short-sighted and incredibly arrogant if we do not recognize this. 

     This is why one of the single most odious attitudes that a so-called Christian can have is what we call being “holier than thou.”  I say “so-called” Christian, because if you really are a Christian, there is no excuse for it.  To be a Christian inherently means that you have admitted to God that you are sinner, and the only hope you have of heaven is in the undeserved grace of God that forgives your sin.  How then is it POSSIBLE for you to look at another person who has sinned with an attitude of “superiority” or “condescension” — as if YOU would “never” do such a thing?!  The truth is, you know you absolutely COULD do such a thing – you are a sinner too!  That’s why Galatians says, “look to yourself” as you restore others; you are just as much a sinner, capable of anything, as any other person is. 

     Bro. David recently heard from a friend of his, who had fallen into sin.  But instead of condemning him, David exhibited the very quality this scripture speaks of.  He told his friend that he was sorry that he had not been in touch with him more often, to have been of help for him.  David had the attitude that “5 minutes outside of the will of God, I am capable of anything myself.”  That is just what Galatians is talking about, “looking to yourselves.” 

     Is this what you are doing?  Is there someone you know who has sinned in some way – and perhaps you have been very hard on them; judgmental; unforgiving – as if YOU would never do such a thing?  There is no room for that attitude in those of us who are admittedly sinners!  We need to respond to the sins of others with an attitude of humility.    

II.  Understanding regarding others

     When Ham told Shem and Japeth about their father, Shem and Japeth didn’t go out and tell anyone else; instead, they reverently backed into the tent, and covered their father, being careful not to even look on him.  They treated him with respect and understanding, instead of condemnation – which is a model for us all.

     That Galatians 6 passage we looked at a few moments ago said: “Even if anyone is caught in any trespass, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”  We should respond to the sins of others with gentleness and understanding.  With the “foundation” of humility, because we know that we are sinners too, we build on that foundation with understanding towards others who sin.  That could be us.

     In the early 1500’s, “Bloody Mary” ruled as Queen in England, and she led in a persecution of many of the English Reformers.  John Bradford was one of those Reformers, and as a consequence he was thrown into theTower of London.  One day, Bradford saw a line of prisoners being led off to be executed, and he said: “There but by the grace of God goes John Bradford.” Bradford’s saying has been oft-repeated, in the expression: “There but for the grace of God go I.” Bradford spoke it in the original context of, “If it weren’t for God’s grace, that would be me going off to die.”  But it certainly applies in situations where we discover that others are in sin.  We should have the attitude: “If it were not for God’s grace, that could be ME in that sin!”  We should not be condemning of others’ sins; we should be understanding. 

     The “Golden Rule” applies here: “Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do so yourselves.”  The “Golden Rule” is “golden” because it is applicable in SO many situations.  So many of our problems would be solved if we really lived that way: treat others the way that you would want to be treated.  That means here that we should treat others who sin, the way that WE would want to be treated if we were the one sinning. 

     What does that mean?  How would you want to be treated if you were the one who sinned?

— you would want someone to love you, not condemn you

— you would want to be gently called back to do what is right; not railed at or “preached” at.

— you would want someone to forgive you, and let it go, and not continually hold it against you as long as you lived.

     This is how you would want someone to treat you – so that is a pretty good guide as to how YOU should treat those who have sinned, or who have sinned against you.  Treat them with understanding.  Treat them the way that you would want to be treated. 

     Now let me balance that with this: “understanding” others’ sins does not mean that we CONDONE them.  Jesus’ words in Matthew 7, “Do not judge lest you be judged”, is often mis-applied.  It is often taken as, “don’t ever say that anything anyone does is wrong.”  That is NOT what that verse means!  It doesn’t meant that we gloss sins over, or that we just let people go on sinning, and not care about it.  We should care.  And we should try to turn our brothers and sisters back from sin with God’s help.  But it does go on to say, “For in the way you judge, you will BE judged, and according to your standard of measure, it will be measured to you.”  We should always minister to others in their failures with a spirit of compassion and understanding.  Since, as Romans says, “all have sinned”, and since that “all” includes US, then we should all be very understanding when our brothers and sisters sin!    

III.  Gratitude for God’s Grace!

     As we have seen, Noah had a number of admirable qualities.  And yet Noah was not saved by his works; he was saved by grace.  Genesis 6:8 says “Noah found GRACE in the eyes of the Lord.”  It doesn’t say he was so good that he was right with God; it says he found “favor” or “grace.”  As many good qualities as Noah had, he was not a perfect man.  He had his sins – as we see in this passage.  Lying there naked, in a drunken stupor, Noah didn’t need justice; he needed grace.  And that is what he found from God.  He could thank God for a grace that was big enough to cover all his sins. 

     And the grace that Noah found from God is the same grace that I need; and the same grace that you need.  Thankfully, it is a grace that is available for all who will call on the name of the Lord.  Romans 3 says: “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God – being justified as a gift, by His grace, through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”  In I Timothy 1, the Apostle Paul writes of how he was “formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor”, but he goes on to say in :14 that  “the grace of our Lord was MORE than abundant”!  And he said, “I THANK CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD” for this grace!  Paul was grateful for the grace of God that could cover all his sin.  That is how we should all respond to sin: with gratitude that God’s grace is sufficient to cover ALL of our sins – others’ AND ours – if we will bring them to Him.    

      It reminds me of the story from II Kings, of the siege ofSamaria, when Israel was surrounded by the enemy, and the people of the city were starving so badly that they began to eat their own children.  In the midst of that siege, Chapter 7 says, 4 lepers who were sitting at the gate of the city said to each other: “Why do we sit here until we die?”  They figured they might as well go over to the camp of the enemy; maybe they would let them live – if not, they were just going to die anyway!  So they went over – but when they did, they discovered that the Syrian camp had been abandoned, and they had left everything, all the food and provisions.  The lepers began eating and drinking, but then were convicted about keeping it all to themselves, and so they went back and shared with the city what had happened, and they all went out and got the food. 

     Now, you can imagine that scene:  the Bible says there was a big rush for food – so great that one of the evil officials was trampled to death in the rush.  Everyone must have been running to get whatever food they could — everyone was starving, prince and pauper alike.  They ALL needed the food that was out there.  There would have been no one who was standing idly by, saying something like: “Oh, do YOU need that foreign bread?!” – as if THEY didn’t!  No, they were ALL starving; they ALL needed that food.  No one would look down on anyone else for needing it – because they ALL did!  And by God’s grace, the Bible says there was indeed enough there for all of them to eat and live.   

     And of course it is the same way with the “bread” of God’s grace.  We are all “beggars” spiritually.  None of us have any righteousness of our own.  The only hope we have for salvation is the grace of God in Jesus Christ.  That is why someone has likened evangelism to “One beggar telling another beggar where to find the bread”!  That’s a good expression regarding evangelism, but we also need to keep that attitude in mind as we relate to the sins and failures of others.  We ALL need God’s grace.  It’s not like I need it and you don’t.  And it’s not like YOU need it and I don’t!  We ALL need God’s grace.  There is none of us who doesn’t.  And thank God, there is plenty of grace there for us all!  “The grace of our Lord (is) MORE than abundant” Paul said!  “Whoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  We should thank God for His abundant grace – and let the sins of others remind us to be grateful that His grace is not only great enough to forgive all their sins – but all of OURS as well! 

     We should let this “failure of the faithful” in Noah remind us of what our response should be to anyone’s failures:

— to have an attitude of humility towards ourselves;

— an attitude of understanding towards others;

— and an attitude of thankfulness for the grace of God which is abundantly available for us all!