整个方舟乃是基督的豫表（彼前三20-21）。基督不是独木舟，乃是方舟。独木舟是一块木头挖成的；方舟是由许多块木料适当装配成的，是一个建造。独木舟是单独的，方舟却是集合体。我的基督是方舟。在独木舟里，我们永远不得安全。但在方舟里，不管外面风浪多么凶猛，我都能安睡。
方舟既是基督的豫表，挪亚如何能建造它？无论如何，方舟是挪亚建造的。许多基督徒只是传福音，期望有一天神将方舟从天上送下来。你若说我们必须作工建造方舟，就是救恩，人会定罪你说，“我们乃是靠恩典得救，不是靠行为得救。”但挪亚是靠他作工所建造的方舟得救的。
腓立比二章十二至十六节说，“就当恐惧战兢，作成你们自己的救恩，因为乃是神为着祂的美意，在你们里面运行，使你们立志并行事…使你们无可指摘、纯洁无杂，在弯曲悖谬的世代中，作神无瑕疵的儿女；你们在其中好像发光之体显在世界里，将生命的话表明出来。”这里所说“作成你们自己的救恩”是甚么意思？这是将生命的话表明出来，将基督照亮、照耀、活出来。这需要藉着神在我们里面运行，使我们立志并行事。神既在我们里面运行，我们就必须作成我们的救恩。虽然我们已经得救，但神仍在我们里面作工，使我们能作出我们的救恩。千万的人得救了，但许多人没有作出他们的救恩。
请享受诗歌 (点击诗歌名）
The Ark as a Type of Christ (1) – Phil. 2:12-13
The entire ark is a type of Christ (1 Pet. 3:20-21). Christ is not a canoe, but an ark. A canoe is hollowed out from a single piece of wood; an ark is properly assembled from many pieces of wood, it is a building. A canoe is individual, but an ark is corporate. My Christ is an ark. In a canoe, we would never be safe. But in an ark, no matter how fierce the storms outside, I can sleep peacefully.
Since the ark is a type of Christ, how could Noah build it? Nevertheless, the ark was built by Noah. Many Christians only preach the gospel, hoping that one day God will send down the ark from heaven. If you say we have to work to build the ark, which is salvation, men will condemn you saying, “We are saved by grace, not by works.” But Noah was saved by the ark he built through his work.
Philippians 2:12-16 says, “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who operates in you both the willing and the working for His good pleasure…that you may be blameless and guileless, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverted generation, among whom you shine as luminaries in the world, holding forth the word of life.” What does “work out your own salvation” mean here? This is holding forth the word of life, shining forth Christ, radiating Him, living Him out. This requires God to operate in us, causing us to will and to work. Since God is operating in us, we must work out our salvation. Even though we have been saved, God is still working in us so that we can work out our salvation. Millions of people have been saved, but many have not worked out their salvation.