Noah had enough faith to fear God.
Hebrews 11:7 tells us that Noah's faith and obedience was carried out "in reverent fear".
The Greek word is translated "reverent fear" (ESV), "holy fear" (NIV), or just "fear" (KJV).
Acts 23:10 also uses this word, referring to the magistrate being "afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces" by the angry crowd. In a sober response, they withdrew Paul from danger.
This is the same idea that we see playing out with Noah. He saw the danger of disobeying God, he was afraid of the consequence, and he withdrew.
Noah was surrounded by an extremely evil, degenerate, and debaucherous generation. They had even been infiltrated by fallen angels. Powerful men swayed and controlled society, waged wars, normalised evil, and punished righteousness.
It was not an easy time to be righteous. It was a time of temptations and threatenings, with very little "pay off" for purity.
Righteousness was not a profitable venture in Noah's day. Everything his flesh wanted was on offer from the city of man.
But Noah feared God. He knew that wrath was coming.
He knew that sin (though pleasurable), had a horrible end. An end that involved a lot of water, and a lot of death.
God had pronounced judgement on those deeds, and his wrath was coming.
Noah feared God's wrath upon sin, and kept himself back from evil.
Christians need Noah's faith. We need to have enough faith to fear God. We need to fear his wrath on sin.
Many Christians have just enough faith to cancel out fear. They have enough fear to hear his promises: "I'm so glad I'm not going to Hell anymore."
But they don't have enough faith to believe God's threats: "And golly, there's still so much time to sin before I go to heaven."
That's not true faith. That faith takes you to Hell.
Noah believed that God would save him from his anger, and he believed that he should flee from that which kindles God's anger!
Col 3:3-6 makes the same command:
"For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming."
The logic is simple: You have died, and escaped God's coming wrath. So you will kill your sin, and avoid that which kindles God's wrath.
Christian, do you believe God enough to take Him seriously when He threatens judgement on sin.
"I'm His child, He wouldn't pour wrath on me", is not sufficient.
"I'm His child, I will flee my sin and not provoke his wrath" is true faith.
Christian, do you join the world in it's sin, while you wait for the judgment, and your deliverance?
Do you download Tinder? Do you get drunk? Do you fornicate? Do you touch up your girlfriend/boyfriend?
Do you get high? Do you watch porn? Do you read smut?
Do you treat people with anger, prejudice, and malice? Do you excuse sins and unrighteousness for your politics?
Do you steal, cheat, lie, and profit from it? Do you worship your money? Do you hoard riches? Are you arrogant?
Do you trawl the sales and online shopping sites, addicted to purchasing garbage? Do you take refuge in having more possessions than others?
Do you dress like a whore? Do you ogle at the scantily dressed? Do you follow bikini models on social media? Do you post your near-naked body on social media?
Do you post on OnlyFans? Do you subscribe to OnlyFans?
The wrath of God is coming upon evil. And evil doers.
Have enough faith in God to stop making excuses. Do not join the world's wickedness, you are born from above.
Fear God, fear judgement, fear punishment, fear Hell, flee sin.