Subject Nineteen

THE CORRUPTION OF THE WORLD
AND THE DELIVERANCE OF GOD

Scripture: Gen. 6, 7, 8

1. The corruption of the world
   1. The cause of corruption:
      1. The fall of mankind. Because of the fall of our ancestor, Adam, the entire human race has been corrupted.
      2. Man’s nature is corrupted. The entire human race is fallen. Many deeds of corruption among men were invented by the fallen human nature. Give some examples, such as dancing and movies. These are the invention of the fallen human nature.
   2. The sphere of corruption:
      1. The sphere of corruption includes everyone, every society, every group, and every family. It is difficult to find any society, group, or family free from corruption.
      2. Present facts of various situations of corruption. Give examples and explain how businessmen, educators, students, doctors, nurses, and politicians are corrupt.
   3. The power of corruption:
      Touch their feelings on this point.
      1. Explain that corruption is a tide. You may have tried to go against the tide, but you could not stand, so you joined it. When the tide comes, you have no way to withstand it. When the tide of watching a movie comes, the old and the young all go to see it, with the father, the sons, and the grandsons watching the same adulterous movie; all three generations clapping their hands together and being corrupted together. You can ask them: “Can you overcome the tide of corruption?” Try your best to find some examples to prove that men cannot overcome the tide of corruption.
      2. Describe how men cannot withstand the tide. The tide is like a sweeping flood. Men are too fragile; they can only join in the same flow and be swept away. When all are lying, can you tell the truth?
         If the words of the gospel are not piercing, it will be like sugar that is not sweet, vinegar that is not sour, and pepper that is not hot. So the words must be penetrating. Only the piercing words can touch men’s feeling.
   4. The result of corruption:
      1. God’s decision—God has decided to judge.
      2. God’s judgment. Use the judgment of the flood to explain that one day God will also judge this world, because as the days of the flood, so shall be the days of the coming of the Son of Man (Luke 17:26).
2. God’s deliverance
   1. The preparation:
      1. When men had become corrupted and God was determined to judge the world, He first prepared an ark for men.
      2. This world is corrupt. Before God comes to judge, He first prepared Christ to be our deliverance.
      3. Before the flood came, God prepared an ark for the people to enter in. Before the judgment comes, God prepared Christ, and He is waiting for men to believe and receive Him. So, deliverance is prepared by God.
   2. The method:
      1. The Deliverer and the delivered ones are made one. To enter into the ark is to be one with the ark. Noah’s household, eight in number, deserved the judgment of the flood, but because they were united with the ark, the ark bore the judgment of the flood in their stead. Christ was made sin for us, that we might be made God’s righteousness in Him. This is the union.
      2. The reason the Deliverer can take the place of the delivered ones is that the delivered ones are joined with the Deliverer, for substitution is based upon union.
      3. Redemption. The ark was pitched within and without with pitch. (The Hebrew word for pitch is the same as the word for redemption.) Pitch typifies redemption. When a person receives redemption, God’s water of judgment cannot come upon him. The ark was pitched outside and inside as well, the pitch on the outside for dealing with God’s judgment, and the pitch on the inside for peace in our conscience.
      4. Deliverance. The ark not only brought redemption to those who were inside it, freeing them from God’s judgment, but it also delivered them from the corrupted world and brought them to another world. The ark rested upon the mountain of Ararat in the seventh month, the seventeenth day, which was the day of the Lord’s resurrection. The ark resting on the mountain of Ararat typifies Christ in resurrection delivering the eight people, the whole household of Noah, from the corrupted world and bringing them to another world; from corruption into resurrection. The ark resting upon the mountain of Ararat typifies that we died in Christ, were resurrected, and ascended together with Him. (A mountain signifies ascension.)
   3. The receiving:
      1. It is not to admit. It is not enough just to admit that there is an ark, the Savior.
      2. Neither is it to agree. Just to agree with the ark, to agree with Christianity, or to agree with the cross cannot save you.
      3. Nor is it to merely contact. Many have encountered Christianity, but did not receive Christ. They were eventually drawn into the water.
      4. It is a matter of entering in. The whole household of Noah, eight persons in all, entered into the ark. This signifies that men must enter into Christ, for the ark typifies Christ.
      5. The way to enter in:
         1. Entering in is a union. When the eight people entered into the ark, they were joined to the ark and united with it. Likewise, when we enter into Christ we are joined to Him and united with Him.
         2. How to be joined to Christ: the problem that keeps man from being joined to Christ is sin, so you must repent and confess your sin.
         3. Christ is the life-giving Spirit. When you repent and confess, you must contact Him with your human spirit.
         4. Believe that when you have repented, confessed, and received Christ in this way, He will enter into you, and you are joined to Him.