Genesis 6:5 NIV84 and Genesis 6:8-9 NIV84

5 The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time.
8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
9 This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

Noah’s world was full of wickedness - he was completely surrounded by it. Yet, Noah was uniquely righteous, blameless among the people. And he walked with God.

Interesting the way this is phrased. Did Noah walk with God because he was righteous and blameless, or was he righteous and blameless because he walked with God? Because God is holy, Noah couldn't walk with Him unless he was righteous and blameless himself. But, without walking with God, it would also be impossible for a man born sinful to be righteous and blameless! Only God can sanctify us. The two are very much connected.

While there are still some "good" people, watching the evening news confirms that our world in 2010 is also increasingly full of wickedness. We are increasingly surrounded by it. Even many who are "good" and not wicked, are progressively more self-focused, selfish.

So what about me? Do I stand out as being righteous and blameless? Do I have a hope of doing that on my own strength/efforts? It is certainly the desire of my heart to be righteous and blameless, finding favor with God. And I do have that through Christ Jesus.

But, I also know I can't live this on my own strength. I too slip into selfishness all too easily, without even realizing it sometimes. I definitely need God through His Holy Spirit to transform and energize me in this regard.