By Pastor Wes Rigdon
“…Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour, and some to dishonour. If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.” 2 Timothy 2:19b-21
What kind of vessel are you? Are you a vessel unto honor or dishonor? You are one type or the other; there is no middle ground here. Once your name has been written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, you must allow yourself to be used of the Lord. Works are directly tied to the type of vessel you become. Works are a direct reflection of what is going on inside. You work because you are saved: Ephesians 2:8-10 helps with the understanding that works is not a qualifier for salvation: “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” However, there are a few things one must realize to be the appropriate type of vessel.
The vessel unto honor purges himself from the things listed in 2 Timothy 2:20. The wood and the earth speak of the things in your life that are impure and fleshly. You must purge your life of the things of this world and of the things that lift up the flesh. But only to purge and never to replace the purged areas with the right kind of things will simply result in the wrong things making their way back into your life. Thus, upon purging the inappropriate things from your life, you must replace those things with silver and gold, the things that are pure and Godly. The process of sanctification is not simply to remove, but purposefully to place the things in your life that God’s Word says should be there. It is only then that you will be meet for the Master’s use.
You have such an opportunity with a Godly testimony to help others understand what kind of vessel you have chosen for yourself. I cannot say it any better than James did in James 2:18 “Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
SHARING
