Then the LORD said in His heart, "I will never again curse the ground for man's sake, although the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; nor will I again destroy every living thing as I have done.
Genesis 8:21
After the Great Flood, God promised never again to destroy the earth with a flood, sealing the covenant with the rainbow. But notice God’s words in the remainder of the verse: “although the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth.”
Remember before the flood that God was grieved at the sinfulness of men. In Genesis 6:5, God said of man, “every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”
Even after the Flood, even after Noah’s sacrifice, even after God’s promise never to flood the earth again, man’s sinful condition was not put away. The imaginations of our hearts are still evil from our youth.
The painful reality is, the human condition since the Fall of man (Genesis 3) renders all human beings sinful Romans 12). Punishment has limited impact on behavior; it does not change our hearts. Because we are sinful people, we need forgiveness, not just punishment. We need a Savior. Praise God, He has supplied Himself as our Savior. And as our Savior, taking punishment for us, we are granted forgiveness and new hearts.
Believe in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved.