Nikhil Raj Gupta

Useful Vessel Unto the Lord

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Reading 2 Timothy 2:20-26

20 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. 21 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. 22 Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 23 But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. 24 The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, 25 with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, 26 and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

Everyone, beside every other man-made aims, has one single and common purpose in life and that is to be used by God. And if that purpose is not met in our lives then we become useless and futile. Whether you are in corporate world or in ministerial realm you have got a purpose and that purpose is set by your creator. But for that purpose to be met you need to carve yourself to become useful and significant in the hands of your creator. Of course, to be saved there are no merits that one needs within him/herself (Salvation is just a free gift of God and received through faith) but to be used by God Bible tells us some principles that must be employed. Being saved is one things and being used is the other thing. We are concerned here with the later.

The Lordship of Jesus Christ

When you forget that you don’t own anything that you think is your’s you become unclean or fall for sin. May this be a constant reminder for you that you can never live for yourself. You can either be of God or either be of Satan. There’s no middle way between the two. Because man is made to be in subjection. You may say that God gave man authority over everything when He created them. However, he was still in subjection to God. Man was free within God-ordained parameters. The moment man broke God’s command and obeyed lie of serpent man got into the subjection of Satan. Man didn’t become slave of Satan because man disobeyed God but because man obeyed Satan. You become a slave to who you obey to. Man can only bring demons into subjection when he/she get into the subjection of God. The lordship of Jesus is what makes one free again. Freedom within limits is true and livable freedom. We can never be free beyond responsibility.

Paul, James, Peter and Jude all of these great men call themselves a slave of Christ. There is freedom and the privilege to serve our God only when we accept the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

After accepting Lordship our work is to prepare ourselves.

There are vessels of gold, silver, wood and earthen vessels. One who will purify oneself will becomes a vessel of honour, a holy vessel, will become useful for the Lord and be ready for the good work.

There are vessels of honour and the vessels of dishonors.

Useful Vessel’s characteristics:

First, already been sanctified (before you get to fulfil the purpose writer is assuming that you are sanctified).

Second, master employs it for His good purpose. Master has tested and found it to be useful.

Third, prepared for every good work. You are in public to be a fulfiller of that purpose for which master has placed you there.

God uses cleansed (GK. catharsis) people who flee sin and pursue godliness v.20-21

Choice of vessel to become is always ours.

No one likes dirty vessels

FLEE (fugitive) = JOSEPH fled but David and Samson fell

Consecrated or being separated is the result of fleeing. Bible tells us that we are foreigners and we are just sojourning here on earth. Our citizenship of other world. Bible tells us that when wine is being poured out don’t look at it. It doesn’t say look at it as super hero and deny it.

A true youth flees from youthful lusts (methods of fleeing: get a complete knowledge of them, mortify your body, ask a broken heart, know your calling, leave evil companions) it’s not lust but lusts… we are still living in presence of sin. Bible doesn’t say overcome lust. …Romans 13:15 says, …Make no provision to fulfil the lust. God created us as a vessels to glorify him. It’s for everyone.

                Sing of cleansed people

They flee from sin and pursue godliness 2:22 idols becomes the prey of devil. These virtues belongs to Christ.

  1. Pursue righteousness (comparison) Ps 40:8, Heb. 10:7… not aimlessly but purposefully
  2. Pursue faithfulness not faith (Gk.)…Lk. 19 Parable of talents
  3. Pursue love (kinds of love) …unlimited love of Christ
  4. Pursue peace (with God, with self, with family and all)

(Even before worship, Mt. 5:23-24, Rom. 12:18)

  • A youth refuses foolish and ignorant speculation (what is speculations)
  • Not quarrelsome (but unity)
  • Be able to teach
  • Is kind
  • A youth is patient when wronged

(cont…)

Published by Nikhil Raj Gupta

Nikhil Raj Gupta is a pastor and a Bible teacher in Itarsi, India. Come here to find thoughts, articles, sermons and poems. In the biblical faith there is only one sovereign Creator and Redeemer: the Holy Trinity. Scripture says that, in the beginning, God spoke creation into existence, it teaches that all three persons of the Trinity were involved. The Father spoke, and nothing came into being that came into being except through God the Son, the Word (John 1), with the Holy Spirit hovering over the face of the deep (Gen 1). This picture of the transcendent and triune God acting freely to create ex nihilo (from nothing) sets the pattern for God's dealing with humanity in providence and redemption. God acts through his created agents (Exod 9:16) and with them but never in dependence upon created agents. The Bible faith, confessed by the ancient church, is that the triune God made humans in his image. It is that image-bearing status that constitutes us as human. We confess that we freely rebelled against God, violating God's law, introducing sin and death into the world. God the Son became incarnate as the Last Adam, obeyed, died, and was raised on the third day for our justification. In God's joyous transaction, our sin was reckoned to Christ and his righteousness was credited to all who believe, to all whom God has given the grace of faith. Christ committed this faith for safekeeping, administration, and proclamation to a visible, institutional community, the church.

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