Vessels of Honor

“In a wealthy home some utensils are made of gold and silver, and some are made of wood and clay. The expensive utensils are used for special occasions, and the cheap ones are for everyday use. If you keep yourself pure, you will be a special utensil for honorable use. Your life will be clean, and you will be ready for the Master to use you for every good work.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭2:20-21‬ ‭NLT‬‬
God wants to use us for His special purposes. As His prized vessels we must strive to live a life that is pure and holy. We are not paper plates, styrofoam cups, or plastic spoons. We are Fine China dinnerware, silver utensils, and golden cups. We are not cheap and disposable place settings that are only meant for single use. We are bought with the blood of Jesus and we are created in Christ for Gods holy use. Let's consider the practical lesson here.
1. We are created in Christ for holy purposes. When we were saved we were transformed from sinful, cheap, and disposable to holy, valuable, and a precious part of the family.
“For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”
‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭2:10‬ ‭NLT‬‬
2. We must allow God to use us when and how He chooses. We are His vessels, we do not own ourselves.
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.”
‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭6:19-20‬ ‭NLT‬‬
3. We must submit to His cleansing because we are exposed to things of this world that require a regular washing. Just like we do the dishes after a meal we must allow God to keep us cleansed and purified as His vessels so we are prepared for each day.
All of us take showers or baths on a regular basis (or at least I hope we do). We don't bathe to become a human being. We bathe because we are human beings. We bathe to prepare ourselves for daily tasks. As Gods redeemed children we do not bathe ourselves in His Word daily to be saved, we bathe in His Word daily to perform our duties well.
“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word.”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:9‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth.”
‭‭John‬ ‭17:17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.”
‭‭2 Timothy‬ ‭3:16-17‬ ‭NLT‬‬
God wants to do very special things with each of our lives. We must not let the devil make us think that we are merely disposable. We are made for better things than what this world offers. Let's give ourselves to the Master as vessels that are purified in His blood, protected in His care, and prepared for His use. The Culinary Chef of the ages wants to place us in this world as His vessels of honor. Don't settle for less than His best!

Curtis R. Norris