“21Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things[which are dishonorable–disobedient, sinful], he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified [set apart for a special purpose and], useful to the Master, prepared for every good work. 22Run away from youthful lusts–pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace with those [believers] who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.” 2 Timothy 2:20-22 AMP

The Scripture often describes the believer as being vessel prepared for use. Our verse this morning encourages us to clean the vessel in preparation for the “special purpose” God has created! The book of Jerimiah gives us a great picture of the gift of Salvation.

“The LORD gave another message to Jeremiah. He said, 2“Go down to the potter’s shop, and I will speak to you there.” 3So I did as he told me and found the potter working at his wheel. 4But the jar he was making did not turn out as he had hoped, so he crushed it into a lump of clay again and started over.” Jerimiah 18:3-4 NLT

The picture here is clear. The potter is God who notices that His vessels have become damaged. The response of the potter wasn’t to through away the material and begin again. NO! He takes the time to remake the vessel according to the plan of His purpose! In the truest sense, the vessel was “born anew” in the original image of the potter! What a great picture of our salvation! God in in the purpose of enacting His plan!

“Now to Him who is able to [carry out His purpose and] do superabundantly more than all that we dare ask or think [infinitely beyond our greatest prayers, hopes, or dreams], according to His power that is at work within us, 21to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21 AMP

Notice that it says, “according to His power that is at work within us.” What is it that is within us that will help God complete His work in our lives?

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another [c]Helper (Comforter, Advocate, Intercessor–Counselor, Strengthener, Standby), to be with you forever– 17the Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive [and take to its heart] because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He (the Holy Spirit) remains with you continually and will be in you.” John 14:16-17 AMP

It is for this very reason that we are on the road of sanctification! Who could have ever imagined that the God of the universe would be contained in such a vessel as me? The book of Psalms describes our broken condition perfectly,

“Be gracious and compassionate to me, O LORD, for I am in trouble;  My eye is clouded and weakened by grief, my soul and my body also. 10For my life is spent with sorrow 

And my years with sighing;  My strength has failed because of my iniquity, 

And even my body has wasted away. 11Because of all my enemies I have become a reproach and disgrace, Especially to my neighbors,  And an object of dread to my acquaintances; Those who see me on the street run from me. 12I am forgotten like a dead man, out of mind; I am like a broken vessel.” Psalms 31:9-12 AMP

Broken and bruised the Potter looked done and began once again to create something beautiful from a life hopeless and hard! The prophet Isaiah understood this as he wrote,

“For we all have become like one who is [ceremonially] unclean [like a leper], And all our deeds of righteousness are like filthy rags; We all wither and decay like a leaf, And our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing], like the wind, takes us away [carrying us far from God’s favor, toward destruction]. 7There is no one who calls on Your name, Who awakens and causes himself to take hold of You; For You have hidden Your face from us  And have handed us over to the [consuming and destructive] power of our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing]. 8Yet, O LORD, You are our Father; We are the clay, and You our Potter, And we all are the work of Your hand. 9Do not be angry beyond measure, O LORD, Do not remember our wickedness [our sin, our injustice, our wrongdoing] forever. Now look, consider, for we are all Your people.” Isaiah 64:6-9 AMP

God has remembered His people and made a way for new life through the death of His Son! He has delivered us from His wrath and has seated us in the heavenlies where we can come boldly into the throne of grace in our time of need! Have a blessed day, Pastor Ken