In our previous meditation, we learned of how God decided to exempt Noah from imminent destruction. That was because God extended grace to him. Our text today shows the steps that God asked Noah to take. He was to build an ark for his safety. This brings us to a crucial point about the subject of grace. If he already obtained grace, why build an ark? Both then and now, grace is the means to salvation. By building an ark, would that not amount to working for salvation? This is where we need to introduce the idea of the responsibility of grace. God’s grace can never be earned or merited, otherwise it is no longer grace. However, once grace has been extended in any way, the recipient needs to show responsibility. When Noah chose to build the ark in obedience to God’s instruction, he was responding to grace. Had he failed to obey, the grace would not have been able to save him and his household.
Whenever grace is extended in any area and there is no appropriate response, it is frustrated. Any frustrated grace cannot deliver on its promise.
For a clearer understanding, we turn to Paul’s writing. He submitted to the Corinthians that he was a latecomer to the apostleship. He felt unqualified to be an apostle having persecuted the church. He praised grace for what became of him, stating that he took advantage of that grace to work harder than other apostles. Even at that, it was the grace that made the work possible. He achieved so much for the gospel because he responded positively to the grace of God. Whenever grace is extended in any area and there is no appropriate response, it is frustrated. Any frustrated grace cannot deliver on its promise.