A Vessel Unto Honor

 A Vessel Unto Honour

 

2 Timothy 2

19 – Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

20 – But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour.

21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these (every sinful ways), he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Vessel = A hollow container such as a bowl, cup, kettle, jug, or a vase.  It’s purpose is to hold something within it.

We probably all have a favorite vessel – a favorite coffee cup; a favorite drink tumbler that has a picture of our favorite people on it, maybe a decoration or a team that we like, maybe you like it for the size and color.  Whatever the reason, it’s the one you look for and want to use all the time.

Those that like to cook will have their favorite mixing bowl or a favorite pan they like to use often.

Some like to collect decorative tea pots or tea cups.  They have no useful purpose other than to be placed throughout the kitchen as decoration.

THE OLD TESTAMENT TABERNACLE:

There were many vessels throughout the old testament Tabernacle.  Each had a particular purpose.  

There was the table and all its vessels.  The altar of burn offering with all its vessels.  The candlestick and all its vessels.

And each one was to be anointed and consecrated to the Lord – used only for God and the purpose He instructed each were to be used for.  

WHEN AT WAR:

When the children of Israel went to war against Jericho, all of the silver and gold and every vessel of brass and iron was to be brought and placed in the treasury of the house of the Lord.  

What once belonged to the enemy would now be used for the Lord.  What remained in Jericho was considered accursed and burnt with fire.  But everything that the Lord said to bring out was redeemed and became vessels for His use. 

God allowed Rahab and her family to be spared and delivered out of Jericho because she chose to do what was right before God and hide the 2 spies that Joshua sent to spy out the city. 

Because of her actions, she not only saved her family but she also became redeemed and married a man named Salmon (most likely one of the spies she saved).  Rahab and Salmon had a son named Boaz who married Ruth.  Boaz and Ruth had a son named Obed.  Obed had a son named Jesse.  Jesse had a son named David who became King of Israel. Rahab is the great-great-great grandmother of Kind David.  A former harlot became a vessel unto honour, a beautiful story of God’s redemption.

 

THE POTTER’S VESSEL   (Jeremiah 18)

God sent Jeremiah to the potter’s house.   Jeremiah watched as the potter worked to make a vessel on his potter’s wheel.  But that vessel became married in his hands as he worked with it.  So, he remade the marred vessel into another vessel as it seemed good for the Potter to make it (Jer 18:4)

The vessel didn’t work out to be what the potter first designed it to be.  But rather than throw the clay away, he kept working to make it into a different vessel.  This time it conformed and allowed itself to be transformed to the potter’s will.

God asked His people, “Cannot I do with you as this potter did? Behold, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are ye in mine hand.”

God wants to mold us and shape us into vessels of honor for His glory just as that potter did with the clay in his hands.  Thank God for His mercy!  He doesn’t just throw the clay away but He works to conform and transform us into HIS image. 

Yet sometimes we fight against His will.  We want to do things our way, the way we think things should be and how it should go.  When we do, we become marred.

Romans 9:20-23 – shall the thing formed say to Him that formed it, why hast thou made me thus?  Hath not the potter power over the clay, of the same lump to make one vessel unto honour, and another unto dishonour? ….that He might make known the riches of His glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

Isaiah 29:16 – Surely your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter’s clay: for shall the work say of him that made it, He made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, He had no understanding?

Don’t become marred in the potter’s hands.  He knows what He’s doing.  He DOES have understanding.  His ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts the way that we think.  His ways are so much higher.

Isaiah 64:8 – But now, O Lord, Thou are our Father: we are the clay, and thou our potter: and we all are the work of Thy hand.

Stay moldable.  Don’t resist or fight against what God wants to do in you, the things He’s trying to work out of you, the form He’s trying to form you into.  Don’t become a vessel marred in the potter’s hands.

Going back to 2 Timothy 2

19 – Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these (every sinful ways), he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

Purge = cleanse thoroughly

We expect God to do the cleansing and purging.  And He does and will.  But there comes a point when we have to do our part - what we know we should be doing or not doing.

James 4:17 - Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

Paul taught Timothy that WE are to depart from iniquity and purge ourself from sin.   We have to take steps to get sin out of our heart and life.

Paul warns what the works of the flesh are in Galatians 5

19 – Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these:

Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness = these all deal with immoral issues and desires of the flesh rather than the will of the Spirit.

Idolatry – There are some religions that have idols set up which they worship.  But in our society, idols have become sports icons or concert singers.  It can also be our phones or anything in our life that becomes more important than time spent with our Savior.  We need to examine ourself and be sure we do not have any idols.

Witchcraft – witches, warlocks, wizards, sorcerers, spell casting,  horoscopes, fortune telling, ouija boards, crystal balls, cauldrons, palm reading,  mind reading, telepathy, and such like.

Movies and tv shows like to make witchcraft, scorcery, and wizardry look so innocent and cute but it’s not.  I haven’t kept up with what the latest shows are that are pushing for their adoration. But it began years ago with ‘I dream of Jeannie’ and ‘Bewitched’ and Cinderella’s ‘fairy godmother.’  Disney even had Mickey Mouse working wizardry and scorcery making it appear to be so innocent and cute to get the masses to accept and embrace it. Then it progressed to Wicked and series like Harry Potter – all trying to indoctrinate the minds that witches, sorcerers, and wizards are good while Christians are bad.

Woe unto them that call evil good and good evil. (Isaiah 5:20) Can you see how the devil has so subtly worked?

Rebellion is also likened to witchcraft.  1 Samuel 15:23 says: rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

The definition of rebellion means: bitter, open resistance to authority or control.  God likened it to the sin of witchcraft. 

Continuing on….

The next several address wrong emotions.

Hatred  - hostility, opposition                      variance - strife/quarreling

emulations - jealousy/malice/indignation

wrath - fierce anger

strife - contentions 

seditions - divisions  (these are those who cause division in the body of Christ.  Those that sow discord. Paul said to mark them and avoid them. (Rom 16:17)

God lists ‘those that sow discord among brethren’ as one of the 7 things that God hates and calls an abomination. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

Paul said those that do these things (those that are spreading envyings, and strife and divisions) are carnal.  They’re not walking in the spirit.  They’re walking in the flesh.

Heresies – these are teachings and things that do not line up with the what the Scriptures say.  There is so much false doctrine floating around which is more easily accessible due to the internet. Guard your heart and mind against false doctrine and heresies.  The more you know the Word of God, the more you’ll be able to tell what isn’t the Word of God.

Envyings – jealousy, wishing ill-will, does or says something out of spite

Murders – this can be physically inflicted but it can also be emotionally inflicted. 

That old saying, ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me’ is not accurate.  Words can inflict more damage than a physical wound.  Physical wounds heal and leave a scar but wounds inflicted by words can leave lasting gaping wounds in the mind and heart that are difficult to heal and get past.  

Galatians 5:15 warns just a few verses back – But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.  Paul is addressing gossip and backbiting in this Scripture as well as in Romans 1:30.

Do you know why it’s called ‘backbiting’?  Because the words spread maliciously to wound and mar someone’s character is done privately behind their back.  The purpose and intent of the gossiper is to turn others against that person, too.  They are biting and devouring the one being talked against.  God said He hates it and it is an abomination.  That spirit behind that is not of God. Be careful giving ear to a backbiter – that spirit spreads easily.   

The Bible tells us how to stop a backbiting tongue.  It’s hard to do.  Most of us just walk away and pray for them but Proverbs admonishes….

Proverbs 25:23 – The north wind driveth away rain: so doth an angry countenance a backbiting tongue.

Drunkenness – intoxication (that’s why we preach and teach against alcohol consumption)

Revellings – Rioting/Carousal (the act of celebrating and enjoying yourself by drinking alcohol and speaking and laughing loudly with others)

And such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Paul addressed these and other sins in Romans 1:29-32

Being filled with all unrighteousness: fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness, full of envy, murder, debate (quarreling), deceit (concealing or misrepresenting the truth), malignity (mischievous, bad character),  whisperers (slanderers – gossip is slander), backbiters (talk against, slander), haters of God, despiteful (insulter), proud (haughty, thinking better than others), boasters (brag on self a lot), inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents (unpersuadable, rebellious), without understanding, covenantbreakers (won’t keep their promises), without natural affections, implacable (cannot be appeased or pacified), unmerciful (no compassion or forgiveness).

Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them = meaning: they either support those doing these various things and those that are doing these things are happy others are joining in with how they feel and act.

But we know through Scripture that:

Those that do these things are not pleasing to God. 
Those that do these things will not make it to heaven. 
These are things we need to purge out of ourself.

2 Timothy 2

19 – Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are His. And let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

21 – If a man therefore purge himself from these (every sinful ways), he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.

We are to purge ourself from these and depart from iniquity.

20 – But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honour and some to dishonour.

Those that do these things are vessels unto dishonour. 

But IF we purge ourself from these and depart from iniquity, WE SHALL BE A VESSEL UNTO HONOUR (valuable, esteemed in the highest degree), sanctified (holy, consecrated, purified) and meet (useful, profitable) for the Master’s use, and prepared (made ready) unto every good work.