Vessels of Honor

As I prepared for the sermon this past Sunday,  2 Timothy 2:20-21caught my interest. Here Paul refers to God's people as vessels. God has deposited His Holy Spirit in every believer. There are vessels of gold and silver, but also vessels of wood and earthenware, vessels for honor and vessels for dishonor.

The word dishonor speaks of disgrace or shame, vessels for common or everyday use. What struck my heart, is that every believer can be a vessel of honor, we can be vessels of gold or silver. Paul says, "if anyone cleanse himself from these things, he will be a vessel of honor." 'These things' refers to any form of wickedness or anything that would separate us from God. If our heart is to please God and bring our lives into alignment with His purpose and plan for our lives, then we will be "a vessel or honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work."

Look at what Paul says ...

First, we will be a vessel for honor. Honor means to have value or worth. In God's eyes, as His children, we have great value and worth.

Second, we will be sanctified. Sanctified speaks of being separate, set-apart, from anything that is unholy, immoral, ungodly. It means to be something other than common. As Christians we need to view ourselves as not just set-apart from things immoral or ungodly, but also set-apart from that which is common or everyday. Often it is that which is common and everyday that prevents us from fully serving God the way He has called us to. It is the common, everyday, that consumes our time, resources, and energies, so that there is nothing left over to give to God.

Third, we will be useful to the Master. Wow, it is incredible to think that I can be useful to God. I have great value in God's eyes simply because of who I am, and then I can serve Him in a way that makes me useful in His great plan for mankind.

Fourth, as we yield ourselves to God in the areas mentioned above, we will be prepared for every good work. We will be prepared for whatever assignment God has for us.

God, I thank you that each member of Church on the Rock is a vessel of honor, one of gold and silver, sanctified, useful to God, and prepared for every good work.

"Now in a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also vessels of wood and of earthenware, and some to honor and some to dishonor.  Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work" ( 2 Timothy 2:20-21).