The Great Flood

The Great Flood, which starts in Genesis 6, is one of the most famous passages in the Bible. It tells of a time when human behavior had slipped into rampant debauchery, and, in response, God destroyed (nearly) everyone.

In our own lives, it's easy to rationalize our behavior by convincing ourselves that we're living righteously relative to everyone else. For example, when compared to all humans, I might view myself as in the upper, say, 50th percentile of righteousness. So surely God won't condemn more than half the world! Therefore, my goal should be to remain in that upper 50th percentile.

The problem with that logic is that it assumes that God grades on a curve. Does any passage in the Bible command us to be righteous relative to others? Of course not. Rather, as written in Ecclesiastes 12:13 (NIV),

Fear God and keep his commandments,
    for this is the duty of all mankind.

Which brings us back to the Great Flood. The lesson of that story is that God will destroy sin, period. Therefore, we should seek heavenly righteousness regardless of what's happening around us.