Genesis 6:4-8

[5] The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. [6] And the LORD regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. [7] So the LORD said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them.” [8] But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.

1.  What does it look like for us to feel the weight of sin and of grace in our daily lives? How can we cultivate the attitude of John Chrysostom: “I fear nothing but sin”?

2.  What does it mean to say that left to ourselves, we always assess wrongly? How do we keep our assessment of reality aligned with God’s?

3.  What do you find most striking about the depravity described in vv. 5-6? Discuss the breadth, depth, totality, and offense of this depravity?

4.  What does v. 6 in particular teach us about God?

5.  Are people less sinful today than at the time of the flood? What are some key passages of Scripture for answering this question?

6.  How does the text point us to God’s grace rather than human merit?

7.  How does the figure of Noah contribute to a “theology of singularity”?