“By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith.” Heb. 11:7. Noah achieved important things by building the ark. By it he saved his household, and by it he condemned the world. After God had determined to destroy all flesh, He gave Noah the task of building the ark. Gen. 6:13-14. The verdict was passed when Noah was given this task. This sentence was announced and effected by the ark being built, and by Noah’s preaching. He was a preacher of righteousness. 2 Pet. 2:5. God was longsuffering, waiting to execute the judgment in Noah’s days while the ark was being built. 1 Pet. 3:20. Jesus disarmed principalities and powers and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them on the cross. Col. 2:15. Then the ruler of this world was condemned. The Helper, the Spirit of truth, is to convict the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. “Of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.” John 16:7-11. The world, which is under the sway of the ruler of this world, is already judged. Everything a person does that is driven or influenced by the spirit of the times is already judged beforehand. Eph. 2:2. When a person is influenced by the spirit of the times, it proves that he does not believe. “Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:5. This judgment of the world and its ruler shall also be manifested and made visible in our days by those who build the ark. By not being conformed to the world, we condemn it and save ourselves. Rom. 12:2. Everyone wants to be saved, but they want no part in condemning the world. If they do condemn the world, they are despised by the world. Most people do not want to bear this reproach, and so they attempt to strike a balance so they can be acceptable in the church while avoiding to bear the reproach of the world. Such people deceive themselves. You are not permitted to build on the Lord’s holy mountain without despising the ungodly. Ps. 15:4. You cannot swindle yourself to salvation. It has to be true in the deepest recesses of your heart. “He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him become more sanctified.” Rev. 22:11. Here we see a development in two totally opposite directions. Thereby the distance between them becomes more and more visible at the conclusion of this dispensation, before God’s wrath will be poured out over the ungodly. Building the ark in these days means that we by our mode of life—the way we dress, by our family life, and by the way we speak, etc.—testify against our generation. We cannot do that without feeling the reproach from those who are condemned. For this reason most people draw back and have no share in building the ark. However, drawing back from the reproach means that they also draw back from salvation. “Behold what great love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.” 1 John 3:1. If we believe, the disdain and reproach of the world will be a comfort to us. By it they testify that we are not of this world. We are not among those who are condemned! Reading about Noah who built the ark, we would all have liked to be with him. But have you, as he was, been warned by God so that you are helping to build the ark and condemning the world in these times?Sigurd Bratlie